Castello della Manta, Manta

A hidden gem in Piemonte. The castle Castello della Manta is a wonderful little castle near Cuneo (about half an hour drive). The castle is a beautiful building atop a hill over the small comune of Manta next to the city of Salluzo. The eldest parts date back to the 13th century, but various inhabitants have added spaces. It has a cute court yard, an impressive kitchen, a spacious gallery and salon, a nice library… The most impressive room is the grand hall with an incredible sequence of medieval fresco’s depicting nine worthy kings and nine worthy women leaders, together with a fountain of youth setting, an astounding gem in non-religious early 15th century art, in very good condition. This wall art by itself already makes the trip worth the effort for anyone appreciating medieval art and culture. The castle has a small church with impressive frescoes as well. The castle stands within a beautiful garden. You can ride up and park very near the entrance, or park further down and walk up. The staff is very friendly and you can buy drinks to. There is a small gift shop. I recommend this for anyone who is near Cuneo and looking for an interesting, cultural outing. Best to make a reservation.

It is a very attractive castle, mix of structures from different times which could still be observed by the split on the wall and the thickness of different wall. Very impressive on the semi fresh paint on 600th hall that rarely seen in the wall. The restrictions undergoing demonstrate how the architectors had thought to use painting in marble effect instead of using real marble, because the lower part where there was kitchen had the colonum too week to hold heavy marble.... Worth to take a visit the garden and the church next to it too.