The Castello Visconteo Sforzesco di Novara rents five spaces for conferences, meetings, dinners, cocktail receptions, exhibitions and private ceremonies, from an 80-seat meeting room to a central courtyard that holds up to 2,000 people. The castle stands on Piazza Martiri della Libertà in the center of Novara, in Piedmont, and is managed by the Fondazione Castello di Novara, which also runs its exhibition program.
Seminars and company events
For a conference or company presentation, the Sala delle Vetrate on the first floor of the modern wing is the main room: 561 square meters, up to 300 seated theatre style, with a raised stage, a speakers' table, Wi-Fi, audio and video equipment and a wall projection screen. Smaller meetings and presentations fit the Sala delle Mura on the ground floor, 154 square meters and 80 seats theatre style, also equipped for audio and video. The request form lets organizers add technical services such as sound, streaming, video projection, speakers, room setup, reception staff, cloakroom and ticketing, as well as catering and internet access. Trade fairs and exhibitions are among the event types the foundation accepts.
Weddings and receptions
The foundation lists private ceremonies among the uses of its halls. For dinners and cocktail receptions, the Sala delle Colonne seats 120 guests or holds 220 standing, and the Sala delle Vetrate seats 220 for a meal or takes 400 standing. The two ground-floor rooms can be joined when one is not large enough. The site does not describe wedding packages, so couples should ask the foundation directly what it accepts.
Rooms and capacities
The Sala delle Colonne (353 square meters) is a bright room with inner columns and tall windows. The Sala delle Mura sits within the old castle wall and looks onto the inner courtyard. The Sala delle Vetrate has large windows over the Corte Maggiore and the park. In the old wing, the Ala degli Sforza joins eleven former prison cells into open halls of 611 square meters for up to 300 standing, suited to art shows; the terracotta floors, wooden doors and window grilles are still in place. The Corte Maggiore, about 2,000 square meters, can serve as a stage or arena for concerts and fairs, although it stays open to pedestrians and is shared with other castle services. Behind the south wing there is a green area and several small inner courtyards. Each room has a technical sheet.
Catering
Catering is an optional service on the booking request. The foundation does not publish menus or name a caterer, so the food offer is set case by case.
History and setting
The fortress carries the names of the Visconti and Sforza families, including Ludovico il Moro, and its walls combine Spanish-era structures with Roman foundations visible in the basement. The old wing, facing the square, the baptistery and the dome, housed the city prison until 1973; the poet Dino Campana was held there. A long restoration rebuilt the modern wing in concrete, white columns and glass against the historic walls. The castle now hosts exhibitions and an archaeological museum and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Getting there
Moats surround the castle. A stone bridge on the north side carries pedestrians and vehicles from Piazza Martiri della Libertà, and a wooden bridge on the south side links to the Allea and the Parco di San Luca. Novara sits on the rail line between Turin and Milan.
