Castello Canevaro hosts meetings, master classes, conferences, presentations, tastings, concerts and weddings for up to 200 seated guests in its gardens, or more than 300 at a standing buffet. The castle stands on a rocky promontory in Zoagli, on the Ligurian coast east of Genoa, with the sea on three sides and a park of three hectares facing the Gulf of Tigullio.
Seminars and company events
Five halls on the piano nobile, opened recently, and the two Guarnigione halls on the ground floor take business meetings, courses, product presentations, lectures, tastings and exhibitions. The castle also rents its rooms for photo shoots, video clips and fashion shows. In the warmer months, company dinners and receptions move into the gardens. The site does not list a capacity for each piano nobile hall, so ask for layouts when planning a plenary session.
Weddings and receptions
The castle holds one wedding per day. Religious ceremonies take place in the parish church of San Martino in the old center of Zoagli. Civil ceremonies are held mainly in the Torretta saracena, a medieval tower restored by the town council, and the castle works with officiants for symbolic ceremonies. Receptions use the Guarnigione halls or the gardens, with views toward Portofino and Punta Manara.
Rooms and capacities
The Guarnigione halls, floored in checkerboard marble and slate, open onto the sea through three French windows and seat about 130, or 200 standing at a buffet. The gardens facing Portofino seat up to 200, or more than 300 at a buffet. The Baia di Zoagli garden, facing east, seats about 150 or takes 200 standing under a covered structure. A seaside terrace adds room for an aperitif. Parking is available inside the grounds and in a car park about 100 m away.
Accommodation
The castle rents rooms and apartments: the Appartamento della Duchessa, a full floor with three bedrooms and direct access to the Spiaggia del Duca beach; the Junior Suite Portofino, often reserved for the couple; the Glicine and Cipressi doubles; the Baia di Zoagli apartment for four; and the Attico Torri for six.
Catering
Wedding catering is handled by Manuelina di Recco, the castle's exclusive partner, with Ligurian dishes such as trofie al pesto, corzetti, cappon magro, savory tarts and fried seafood. For corporate events, the castle offers traditional Genoese cooking based on seasonal produce.
History and setting
The complex began with a watchtower built around 1550. The Guarnigione wing followed in the 1700s to house the health officers of the time, and two crenellated neo-Renaissance towers were added in the 19th century. Giuseppe Canevaro, born in Zoagli in 1803, bought the villa and its tower, and his eldest son received the title di Zoagli. Damaged in World War II, the castle was later restored to its 19th-century form.
Getting there
Zoagli lies between Rapallo and Chiavari on the coast road from Genoa to La Spezia. The village has a station on the coastal railway, and Genoa airport is the nearest airport.
