Castello Di Pontebosio

An aristocratic 17th century manor transformed into a luxury resort. Castello di Pontebosio takes its name from the nearby low arched bridge (the obligatory route to the parish churches Soliera and Venelia). Its name derived from the noblemen who probably had the castle built, the Bosi Verrucola.

Located not far from the village Licciana Nardi, on the left bank of the river Taverone, the Castle was built to stand in defense to the entrance of the Tavarone valley. Pontebosio was, starting in 1631, an indipendent feud belonging to the Malaspina family.

At first it was an aristocratic residence, then it became a seminary, and lastly it was transfomed into a school. The Castle’s structure is reminiscent of its military past, even though now it has been completely and expertly restored to become a luxurious Resort equipped with every comfort.

THE RESTORATION
When it was acquired by the current owers, the interior of the castle had been left in an absolutely desolating state. None of the original furnishings remained. Nothing survived untouched: not a room-color or a fresco, not any of furniture or of the antique floors.

The various previous interventions reduced the interior of the Castle to a completely anonymous space. There was a need to start from somewhere: an idea, a history discovered and reconstructed in a way that was, at the same time, credible and original. So that’s how we started, from the history.

It was around 1640 that the first marquis Malaspina made this elegant and mighty manor his permanent residence. His name was Ludovico and he was married to Eleonore Diana, countess of Massa.

His children and his children’s children lived in the castle for many generations: they had fascinating names and stories, and that is what helped us rediscover a seemingly lost world. The world of the people who lived, rejoyced and suffered in the casle. We took the family tree and, for every name written on it, we made up a story.

Friars Carlo Antonio and Angel Maria, the intrepid warrior Moroello, the founder of the noble house, Giovan Spinetta, and Claudio, Ferdinando and Giulio I, the marquises. And then the women: Caterina, the joyful, Leonora, the reflexive, Terenzia, who loved color, the refined and sober Maria Vittoria and Luigia, the romantic nun Carlotta and finally Beatrice, the one who loved dances and court-life.

Every room was personalized and styled based on its hypotetic inhabitant. To accomplish this we mainly used colors, strong ones, excessive at times, as it was typical in the time of the Castle’s glory. Indigo blue is paired with emerald green; amethyst with lavander. Pervinca is coupled with plum. Magenta, pompeian and venetian reds are matched to ivory and black. Saffron yellow contrasts with persian blue.

These striking chromatic effects spark a great range of emotions: some of them evoke the relaxing quiet of a vision, contrasting beautifully with the explosion of vivacity and passion inspired by others.

To create this apotheosis of color all the walls were necessarily treated with ivory, pearl grey, sable and off-white velature (*a procedure that recrates the look of the antique interior’s color by superimposing thin, veil-like, layers of light colors over the new paint, in a way that is similar and recreates the same effect as what medieval painters used to do with their frescos).

It was not easy to mesh elements so different in period and place of origin, but the final result is undoubitably harmonic, even if it is outside of the usual canons.

THE TEXTILES
We found the historic collection of the great designer Tricia Guild and we incorporated it with enthusiasm. We added the decor and the frescos, rigorously inspired by the history and the surroundings of the castle. Then we were concerned with the furnishings. In places where the art of carving is as natural as breathing, at the corners of the earth, we found the refined furniture, benches and beds.

This is evident in the engravings hung on the walls, in the mirrors with carved frames and, moreover, in the antique furniture, belonging to the colonial era, exquisitely carved and decorated, hand-picked from old balinese mansions and from the residences of portoguese and english colons.

To accomplish all this, the willingness and mind-openedess of the owner, Silvana Bonugli, as well as the constant and passioned collaboration of the interior designer Ombretta Attanasi, were fundamental. From this skilled partnership the new Castello di Pontebosio was born.

COMFORT & ELEGANCE
Each one of Castello di Pontebosio’s suites takes its name from the Marquises who once inhabited it. Today they have been personalized with exquisite taste and elegant lines. Sophistication, care for detail, comfort and elegance transform even a one-night stay in an experience worth of royalty.

Each of the suites is individually designed and furnished to an extremely high specification, in order to satisfy even the most discerning of guests. Every suite is customized with different colors and textile decorations.

In each one of the rooms it is possible to enjoy a healty pause of relaxation while admiring the suggestive landscapes: from the splendid sights on the square and on the village, to the vistas on the sweetly declining hills.

RESTAURANT & BREAKFAST HALL
The art of good cousine, the care put in every exquisite dish: Resort Pontebosio’s Restaurant is an essential stop where you can savour the typical cousine of this territory in dishes prepared for you by our Chef Antonio Morelli, whose cousine is built around a profound respect for historic culinary traditions.

Resort Pontebosio’s Breakfast Hall offers an ample choice of products to satisfy the request of an international clientele. Guests will have the chance to enjoy freshly prepared dishes, to start their day off right.

Breakfast hours: from 8:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m. Restaurant Hours: the restaurant is open seven days. Launch is served from 12.30 a.m. to 15.00 p.m. Dinner from 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. (room service available, upon request). The restaurant is also open everyday for dinner to non-guests on reservation

MEDITATION BAR
Next to the Restaurant, the bar and the coffee room will welcome the guests and will entratain them with the offer of select teas and coffee, as well as champagne, wine, whisky and amaros from the finest etiquets.

RELAXATION AREA
Pamper yourself and rediscover your psyco-physical balance, away from the rush and the stresses of everyday life, immersed in tuscanian culture… Enjoy the luxury of having at your disposal an exclusive space equipped with all the comforts and services of a private spa.

A secluded and tranquil enviroment where you can experience the benefits of hydroteraphy in the ample hydro-massage bath, detoxify in the finnish sauna, rejuvenate in the steam room and rediscover your mind-body connection during the multisensory shower’s course.

To enter the spa of Castello di Pontebosio will allow you to enjoy a journey of pure relaxation, in a place where time seems to have stopped. *To grant our guests the maximum amount of privacy and the best experience possible, the Castle’s wellness area is at their diposal everyday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., following a reservation, to be made at the reception desk.

FINNISH SAUNA
Discover the benefits of a true finnish sauna. Your skin will be purified and detoxified, gaining back its softeness and elasticity in a heartbeat.

STEAM ROOM
The heat and humidity produced in the steam room will help you to soothe muscle pains as well as to relieve everyday stresses and strains, coming to a state of complete relaxation.

HYDRO-MASSAGE BATH
The hydro-massage bath is the ideal treatment to awaken the body. Regain your energy, rediscover your psycho-physical balance, the armony between mind and body, that so often is lost during the course of a long day.

MULTISENSORY SHOWERS 
Showers that are capable of stimulating different emotions, offering intense moments of complete physical and mental wellness.

PRIVATE SPA
Enjoy the luxury of having at your disposal an exclusive space equipped with all the comforts and services of a private spa.

WEDDINGS
A true 17th century castle as the impecable location for the cerimony of your dreams. The great halls and the elegant lounges of Castello di Pontebosio will transport you and your guests away into a magic atmosphere and will treat you to an unforgettable day. It is said that dreams do come true, if the context is right. In this respect, Castello di Pontebosio goes beyond even the highest of expectations.

The regal halls for Receptions, the huge Restaurant room, the grand staircases, the intimate corners, like the main cloister, will be decorated, thanks to the experience of our employees, to the exact taste of our guests and the Castle will be tranformed into the ideal setting for your special day.

Each one of the Castle’s halls has been adorned with art pieces and luxurious furnishings. It is all planned to enchant, to give you the chance to live your perfect romantic fairy tale.

BUSINESS EVENTS
An historical mansion where one breathes an atmosphere of culture, elegance, class, longevity and stability. The Resort is the ideal setting for meetings, conferences, congresses and business events.

We offer a plethora of options for ur guests to choose from: noble halls, a magnificent library as well as various board rooms. They are all equipped with every comfort as well as with all the supplies needed for business meetings and conferences. Moreover, our staff will be pleased to present your guests with services like coffee breaks, welcome cocktails, buffet lunches and dinners.

HALLS & PARLORS
Resort Pontebosio is equipped with numerous common spaces, elegant and refined lounges that the guests will have the possibility to freely enjoy during their stay. To enjoy a pleasant moment of relaxation, simply reading a book or sipping onto a drink, will be a unique experience thanks to the luxurious furnishings and the evocative atmosphere surrounding the Castle.

Our Giovan Spinetta terrace is the ideal place to abandon the stress of your every day life and live moments of tranquillity, enchanted by the breathtaking view of the sweetly declining Lunigiana’s hills.

LIBRARY WITH ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS
The historical importance of the castle isn’t preserved only by its aristocratic 17th century structure, but also on the inside of its halls. Library Angel Maria was restored with extreme care to the manuscripts that it carries.

These are ancient texts, compiled on parchment by amanuenses monks. The manuscripts are often finished with gold foil and covered with prescious velvet bindings, encrusted with precious stones and embossed in silver and gold. These are unique volumes, which will fascinate you and transport you back into a different time, to help you trace the roots and discover the cultural tradition of the Tuscanian territory.

LUNIGIANA
Lunigiana, lying at the feet of the Appenino Tosco-Emiliano, offers the chance to experience unspoiled nature. The wilderness surrounding the castle is perfect for hikes and for excursions on horses or mountain bikes. There are many fascinating itineraries to follow if you wish to learn the history of the castles and of the medieval villages in Lunigiana.

We recommend visiting Pontremoli, with its Piagnaro Castle and the Stele Statue’s Museum, Filattiera, with the Ponticello tower-houses and the Sorano parish church, Villafranca, with the Magrate Castle, and the charming Filetto village.

MARBLE QUARRIES
Not far away from Lunigiana, right in the heart of Alpi Apuane, there are the Quarries. The finest marble in the world, raw material of countless masterpieces, is extracted right from the side of these majestic mountains. A visit to the Marble Quarries offers the view of breathtaking scenaries, as well as iteresting excursions lead by expert tour guides.

VERSILIA
Only 50 km away from Resort Pontebosio you can find Versilia. Forte dei Marmi and Pietrasanta are well-known vacation spots, with their historically famous clubs and beautiful promenades in which shopping and love for art meet. Here, the shining shop’s windows are punctuated with giant sculptures by the famous artist Botero.

PISA
Easily reacheable by means of the highway, just about an hour away, there is Pisa. Here stands the Leaning Tower, probably the most recognizable italian monument in the world.

The Tower, together with the Catheral and the Battistero, is part of Piazza dei Miracoli’s monumental complex. In Pisa you can also find the Intercontinental Airport “Galileo Galilei”, the main airport in Tuscany. It is a layover for international flights to and from New York, as well as the major european capitals.

LUCCA
At about an hour’s drive from the Resort, the city of Lucca is proposed as one of the pearls of Tuscany. Enclosed within a beautiful sixteenth-century walled town, the historic center of Lucca, an ancient town of merchants and weavers, will welcome you in its alleys, its beautiful squares and the many medieval churches of remarkable architectural importance. A city full of history, art to live 365 days a year thanks to its great cultural events, first of all the Lucca Summer Festival.

PORTOFINO
Less than 100 km away from Pontebosio there is Portofino, a small town that is truly one of the best jewels that the italian peninsula has to offer. A true corner of paradise, famous for it suggestive scenaries and because of the rare beauty of its harbour, often appreciated by famous personalities.

CINQUE TERRE
Less than an hour away from Pontebosio’s Castle you can discover the Cinque Terre’s enchanting itineraries: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. They have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage site’s list since 1997.

Here, besides the beautiful organized beaches, it is possibile to admire the distinctive conformation of the villages, carved directly into rock, reaching right into the sea. Along the coast there are a great number of pathways. They connect the villages to each other and offer the chance to enjoy the Cinque Terre’s beautiful scenary from above, in the beautifully terraced hillside vineyards.

GULF OF POETS
Just over 40 km away, the Gulf of Poets is a large and deep inlet of the Ligurian coast, located at the eastern end of the Liguria region, within the province of La Spezia. In the Gulf there are the suggestive villages of Porto Venere and Lerici, overlooking the sea, surrounded by jagged shores, islets, blue sea and crystal clear water.

Rooms: 14

Price: from 149 EUR per night

Source: www.castellodipontebosio.it