Castello del Drosso

The Castello del Drosso. A name barely whispered in the bustling heart of Turin, yet echoing with centuries of history. You stand before it now, a solitary sentinel seemingly forgotten by time. The Castello del Drosso is one of Torino’s oldest monuments. Its early beginnings are shrouded in mystery. No records exist to tell us exactly when the first stones were laid. This imposing structure began its life as a fortified farm, likely built upon the remnants of a Roman villa. Solid walls enclosed a central courtyard, offering protection from the uncertainties of medieval life. Around 1233, the Counts of Savoy, then owners of the land, entrusted the Castello del Drosso to the Cistercian monks of Staffarda Abbey. These industrious monks breathed new life into the estate. They established workshops – a tailor’s shop, a tannery, a blacksmith’s forge, a cobbler’s workshop. The air hummed with activity as the monks diligently cultivated the surrounding land, adding a mill and an oven to the burgeoning enterprise. But the monks’ time at Castello del Drosso eventually came to an end. In 1334, amidst shifting political alliances and perhaps weary of constant disputes, the Abbot of Staffarda sold the estate to Corrado di Gorzano, Castellan of Moncalieri. The Castello del Drosso, once a place of monastic industry, was about to undergo another transformation. It would soon take on the formidable appearance of a fortress, a testament to the changing times and the ambitions of its new owners, the Vagnone Counts of Trofarello.