Built between 1899 and 1904, Savoia Castle in Gressonay-St-Jean was where Queen Margherita, widow of King Umberto I, lived for many summers up to 1925, the year before she died. It was designed by Stramucci, who also designed the Neo-Baroque decor in the Royal Palace in Turin, and the Quirinale in Rome. Externally covered in grey stone from the quarries in Gressoney, Gaby and Vert, Savoy Castle is split over 3 floors comprised of living quarters, royal apartments and gentlemen’s rooms. The original kitchens were separate and connected by an underground railway. A few pieces of original furniture and some tapestries remain, as well as ornamental paintings by Cussetti and other furniture by Dellera. The foot of the manor hosts a rocky garden full of Alpine botanical species.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.