Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Italy / Bevilacqua / Relais Castello Bevilacqua
Relais Castello Bevilacqua
Bevilacqua, Verona, Italy · Independent · Core Luxury
Originally constructed in 1336 by Guglielmo Bevilacqua as a defensive stronghold, the castle was later modernized in the 16th century by architect Michele Sanmicheli and meticulously restored by the Cerato family beginning in 1990. Today, the estate serves as a prestigious Relais and event venue, preserving nearly seven centuries of history within its crenellated towers and lush hanging gardens.
- 7 rooms
- Opened 2009
- Architect: Michele Sanmicheli
About Relais Castello Bevilacqua
- Built in 1336 by Guglielmo Bevilacqua as a moated fortress with three rings of walls and a drawbridge, the castle served the Scaligeri lords of Verona.
- Around 1532, architect Michele Sanmicheli transformed the fortress into a noble villa for the Bevilacqua family.
- Austrian troops burned the castle in 1848, and it later served as a nursing home and then a Salesian boarding school until a 1966 fire.
- Its hanging garden, covering 25,000 square meters with centuries-old trees, is considered the second-largest of its kind in Europe.
- 13 km from Villa Pojana.
History
Guglielmo Bevilacqua, a timber merchant, raised this moated fortress in 1336 for the Scaligeri lords of Verona: three rings of walls and a drawbridge on the plain between Verona and Padua. His son Francesco finished it. Around 1532 Gianfrancesco Bevilacqua asked Michele Sanmicheli to turn the keep into a noble villa. A restoration followed in 1756.
Austrian troops burned the castle in 1848. Felicita Bevilacqua and her husband, General Giuseppe La Masa, gave it a neo-gothic restoration in 1860. In 1932 it was donated to the Italian state as a nursing home; from 1945 it was a Salesian boarding school, until another fire in 1966. The Cerato family bought it in 1990 and made a seven-suite relais, four of them in the towers.
The hanging garden, some 25,000 square metres, is called the second-largest of its kind in Europe. You sleep inside a 1336 Scaliger fortress that Sanmicheli taught to live as a villa.
The setting
6 km from Villa Pisani. 11 km from Teatro Salieri theater.
Experiences
- Guided tour on request (Sundays) — Guided tour every Sunday, 10.30 to 11.30 am, covering 700 years of history, legends, the torture room, the hanging garden and frescoed rooms.
- Guided tour with museum itinerary — Self-guided visit of about 30 minutes with a map of the museum route, available without reservation; visits may be suspended during events.
- Guided tour for groups — Guided tour of about 45 minutes made by reservation, revealing the history, secrets and mysteries of the manor.
Amenities
- Ristorante All'Antica Ala (Fine Dining)
- Fitness center and wellness services
- Hanging gardens and parkland
- Archery and traditional activities
- Historic frescoed event halls
- Free parking and EV charging station
Open Relais Castello Bevilacqua in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.