The Castello dei Doria in Dolceacqua can be hired for conferences, exhibitions and weddings. Its conference hall seats 100 people, and the castle has a kitchen equipped for catering. The municipality that runs the castle also lists exhibitions and cultural events during the year, so dates for a private event are agreed with the castle team. The castle rises above the old village of Dolceacqua in western Liguria.
Seminars and company events
The Sala Convegni is the room for a meeting, a talk or a training day. The official text gives it a capacity of 100 people. Together with the kitchen, it allows a day program with a catered lunch on site, brought in by a caterer. The castle also has a terrace that can be arranged in theater style, shown on the official page as a second setting for a presentation in the open air.
The upper level holds the Doria-Grimaldi rooms, which use multimedia tools to tell the story of the two families. They are part of the visitor route and can serve as a point of interest for a group program around a meeting. The castle is open to the public in season, so organizers should settle the date and the hours of a private event with the team beforehand.
Weddings and receptions
The castle can be rented for weddings. The kitchen is set up for catering, and the official page points to the municipal site for the wedding procedure. The panoramic route around the castle looks over the whole valley, from the sea to the Rossese di Dolceacqua vineyards, the olive groves and the Maritime Alps. That route gives a wedding party a place for photographs and a drink before the meal.
Rooms and capacities
The official pages name three settings. The conference hall holds 100 people. The terrace is shown with seats laid out as in a theater. The Doria-Grimaldi rooms are multimedia exhibition rooms and are not given a capacity. The entrance garden leads to a wide hall that opens onto several rooms, one of which tells the history of the castle and the village, and another that shows a slideshow of valley images from the late 1800s. A short film recalls the visit of Claude Monet, told through his letters.
History and setting
The first mention of the castle and the village dates from 1177, in a document that records the property of the counts of Ventimiglia. In 1270 the fief was bought by Oberto Doria. The castle now presents about 900 years of history. Works finished in 2018 made almost the whole building accessible to visitors.
In 2019, more than 30,000 visitors came to see Monet's painting of the castle, which is normally shown in Paris. The friendship with the Principality of Monaco allowed a loan of a second Monet, a view of Monte Carlo from Roquebrune, from the collection of the Prince of Monaco. The castle also hosts cultural and music events.
Getting there
The castle stands in the village of Dolceacqua, at the end of the old town, which is reached on foot through the historic center along the signed Tour della Tera. Organizers should plan the last stretch on foot and ask the team about vehicle access for suppliers.
