This centre is located in the 11th-century Roppolo Castle, which stands in an ancient mediaeval village on the borders between the provinces of Vercelli and Turin overlooking Lake Viverone and was a strategic stronghold in days gone by. Its deep 17th-century cellars carry a selection of local wines. The tower with its double-light windows dates from the I Ith century. There is a hotel alongside the castle. The story goes that the ghost of a certain Bernardo di Mazze, who was walled up alive in a niche in the middle of the 15th century, still haunts the castle's dungeons. The prisons are now open to visitors. Today, their inmates are bottles of wine from the Canavese, Vercellese and Novarese areas: Ghemme, Gattinara Fara, Sizzano, Erbaluce di Caluso and Caluso raisin wine. There are also wines bearing the names of neighbouring municipalities.
Last updated 04-Jul-97
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