Immersed within extensive grounds, Masino Castle is the sumptuous residence of one of the most illustrious Piedmontese families, descended from Arduin of Ivrea, the first King of Italy; a thousand years of history encapsulated on a journey through beautifully furnished and frescoed rooms. Acquired in 1988 by FAI from Luigi Valperga di Masino thanks to a donation from FIAT, the Cassa di Risparmio di Torino and Maglificio Calzificio Torinese For more than a thousand years, Masino Castle has overlooked the immense Canavese plain from high ground in front of the evocative morainic barrier of the Serra di Ivrea – an intact and seemingly endless landscape. The strategic location of the castle resulted in it being frequently attacked, but the noble Valperga dynasty – whom, legend has it, are descended from Arduin of Ivrea, the first King of Italy–retained ownership of it right from the very beginning, documented as far back as 1070.