A Medieval Castle in the Napa Valley (Calistoga, Nice: to rent, chapel)

[WesternPilgrim]

Castello Di Amorosa is a 121,000 sf Italianate castle located just south of Calistoga in the Napa Valley. The massive project was completed in 2007, marking a unique contribution to California art and architecture.

According to one visitor writing in 2008:

"During my conversation with Mr. Sattui, I referred to seeing Disneyland’s castle. I almost made him indignant.

'I do not like Disneyland because it is all fake. When you go through here, you will see that it is all real. We did not fake it. We either used very old materials that are hundreds of years old, made by hand, or we did it the way it would have been done seven or eight hundred years ago. For instance, we did not use any cement. We used lime, sand and water. They did not have cement then. We did not use modern tools. We did almost everything by hand.'

They hauled an estimated 8,000 tons of stone from two local quarries. Pointing to the basalt, he said it took an hour and a half to chisel one into a block. They also used the softer sandstone.

'We chiseled all the stone the way it would have been chiseled. We had as many as seventeen men, day after day. All they did was chisel stone.'

Many of the bricks used to make the underground cellars came from Mr. Gruber in Austria. At one point in the tour, Mr. Sattui stopped to show us a 'mess up' that proved the age of the bricks.

'Most of these bricks were made by the royal brick maker to the Hapsburgs. These bricks are over two hundred years old. See the “H” for Hapsburg? There is a “W” here for Wien or Vienna, a “D” for Deus or God, and the double eagle was a symbol for the Hapsburgs. This is supposed to be an Italian castle, so they were supposed to flip it.'

Castello di Amorosa is a true medieval castle with all that a twelfth or thirteenth century defensive fortress would have. It has a guardhouse, a dry moat and a drawbridge. The high towers and walls are crenellated and contain narrow slits so archers can shoot their arrows from within. There are even holes in one of the towers from which to pour boiling oil on attackers. Underground, there is a dungeon and a torture chamber with real instruments of torture."

A torture chamber? Yikes.

Anyway, the best part about it for me, as a traditional Catholic, is that the Latin Mass is celebrated by a diocesan priest in the castle's St. Catherine of Sienna Chapel every Sunday at 8:30am, which I'm sure must be lovely. It's definitely on my short list of places to visit.

[WesternPilgrim]

Castle Winery - "Castello di Amorosa" - YouTube

[BayAreaHillbilly]

This is on our bucket list. Maybe early summer.

[Bulldogdad]

Very nice. Looks like we'll have to make a stop by on our annual trip to Dillon Beach.

[humboldtrat]

After the castle, visit an abbey in Vina off Hwy 99 (maybe Tehema County ??). The abbey is still being built. The building was imported stone by stone from Europe by William Randolph Hearst who decided not to use it at San Simeon. The monks are slowly building the abbey as money becomes available. The abbey has its own winery.

Abbey of New Clairvaux | Vina, CA - Home

[WesternPilgrim]

Originally Posted by humboldtrat

After the castle, visit an abbey in Vina off Hwy 99 (maybe Tehema County ??). The abbey is still being built. The building was imported stone by stone from Europe by William Randolph Hearst who decided not to use it at San Simeon. The monks are slowly building the abbey as money becomes available. The abbey has its own winery.

Abbey of New Clairvaux | Vina, CA - Home

Yes, it's in southern Tehama County just off the highway. I second the recommendation. Been there several times. The Chapter House - where the monks gather to read (actually chant) "chapters" of the Rule of St. Benedict - is being built from stones recovered from an 800 year old Cistercian monastery in Spain. One can tour the winery and vineyards, attend services with the monks, and even make a retreat.

And their wine is fabulous.

[Visit a Library]

Very nice. I live in L.A., and we'd never have a nice building like that down here, because in a matter of minutes the whole thing would be covered with graffiti.

[Adriatica]

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

Anyway, the best part about it for me, as a traditional Catholic, is that the Latin Mass is celebrated by a diocesan priest in the castle's St. Catherine of Sienna Chapel every Sunday at 8:30am, which I'm sure must be lovely. It's definitely on my short list of places to visit.

I have had the pleasure of attending that Mass! It was lovely and the chapel is beautiful, as is the entire property.

Nice to see another Latin Masser on here.

[BeauCharles]

I'm surprised he has been approached to rent it for a movie set.

[WesternPilgrim]

Originally Posted by Adriatica

I have had the pleasure of attending that Mass! It was lovely and the chapel is beautiful, as is the entire property.

Nice to see another Latin Masser on here.

Likewise!