The Facility
Our history
“From June to September many notable people, to escape the suffocating air of the summer heat of the Piedmontese plains, come reside in elegant and comfortable villas that, seen from the outside, seemingly contrast with the asperity of the place and of the surrounding rocks. These villas are summer gatherings for the noble society.”
These are the words chosen by Luigi Clavarino in his “Paper on Corography, Statistics and History of the Lanzo Valleys” to describe the small village of Bonzo in 1867. These words perfectly picture the spirit of Ca’d’ambra that, built in the 1850’s and known for a long time as “Villa Pipino”, was conceived as a simple but elegant retreat, nestled at the foot of the Oriental Levannas. As a comfortable escape from the city. As a cultivated getaway into the savage nature of this corner of the Italian Alps.
The simple but elegant house maintains the spirit of the time, with his French sundial on the main façade, the garden fountain commissioned by Adele Pipino in 1913, the low ceiling rooms painted in flowers, the British-stile living room and the ancient chimneys to give a sense of elegance and familiar warmth.
The villa, originally conceived as hunting and fishing escape by its wealthy founder, has then been house to generations of women, thus acquiring the cozy, peaceful, graceful and cultivated atmosphere it still keeps today. Angela Savarro, who inherited the house from its founder, was the first of this generation of women. She passed the property to her three daughters: Anna, Agnese and Adele Pipino who, not having direct heirs, then left it to a female cousin through indirect heritage. The villa has thus passed to Maria Teresa Rivolo and to her niece Paola before being recently bought by Silvia, the current owner.
Each of these women, who are described by those who got to know them as strong and extremely cultivated, have left their personal mark on the villa. Mark that the recent renovation has tried hard to keep, out of respect for the history of the house and its female keepers.
The House
Ca’d’ambra is located in Val Grande di Lanzo and precisely in Bonzo: a tiny group of mountain houses within the small village of Groscavallo.
Only 55 Kms away from the city of Turin, Ca’d’ambra is in the middle of the Italian Alps: around 1000 mts above the sea level and surrounded by a fascinating amphitheater of peaks reaching up to 3000 mts.
The house, a 1850’s historical villa, is been recently renovated and made into a small Bed & Breakfast featuring
Up to 5 spacious and cozy rooms, each one with its private bathroom, elegantly renovated preserving the original spirit of the house and provided with all the comforts
An elegant and comfortable British-stile living room: a common area where to read, enjoy some quiet in front of the chimney, chat or just relax enjoying the view of the front garden
A cozy breakfast room that is also available for lunch and dinner in case guests like to order their food in
A hidden and pleasant private garden, perfect to relax in front of a cup of coffee or tea, enjoy the sun on one of the garden deckchairs or read under the old birch trees.
The host
Originally from the Lanzo Valleys, it has taken quite some time to Silvia to come back to this corner of the Alps.
A university degree in foreign languages, a deep interest in cultural diversity and a thing for travel, she has spent most of her working life abroad before coming back in 2018
Villa Pipino, a house long inhabited by independent women, seemed the perfect place for a homecoming. The idea of making it into Ca’d’ambra exciting enough to stay.