The Napa Valley Castle Where Italian Wines Meet Medieval Architecture — Plus Torture Devices

The Castello di Amorosa, Napa Valley

Most Napa wineries settle for a fancy tasting room. Dario Sattui built a castle with historically accurate everything, from the hand-painted frescoes to the dungeon torture devices.

Here are some interesting facts about the gorgeous Castello di Amorosa.

This medieval castle was built using actual centuries-old techniques

You’ll step into a real medieval castle, not some fake tourist trap. Owner Dario Sattui brought over 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled stone and 850,000 handmade European bricks to build this place.

Construction started in 1994 and took 13 years to finish, with doors finally opening in April 2007. The whole castle covers 121,000 square feet with 107 rooms on 8 levels (4 above ground, 4 below), making it California’s most visited winery.

You can explore 900 feet of underground tunnels

The castle has more than 900 feet of underground passageways across four levels below ground. The Grand Barrel Room spans 12,000 square feet with 40 Roman cross-vaulted ceilings built from ancient European bricks.

These underground areas stay at a steady 58°F (14°C) year-round, which is perfect for aging wine the old-school way in French oak barrels.

You’ll cross a working drawbridge over an actual moat

Not many American wineries have a working drawbridge and water-filled moat, but this one does. The drawbridge is made from iron, wood, and heavy metals, leading to the castle’s south tower.

Each stone around it was individually chiseled and carefully placed to create authentic medieval walls, railings, and columns. The defensive towers have the classic castle look with solid upright sections (merlons) and spaces between (crenels).

The owner bought a real Iron Maiden for the Torture Chamber

You can check out a genuine Renaissance Iron Maiden that Sattui paid $13,000 for in Pienza, Italy. The torture chamber has three prison cells, plus hanging and stretching racks made from hand-forged iron.

They designed it exactly like medieval torture chambers—windowless, underground, with walls thick enough to block out screams. It’s a creepy but authentic glimpse into medieval justice.

Wine Ages In Knight Burial Chambers

There are only 6 tomb chambers in the castle, each named after famous Italian noble families—Medici, Borgia, Sforza, Este, Visconti, and Gonzaga. These special spaces have the perfect mix of temperature and humidity.

Each tomb keeps a steady 62°F with 80% humidity with enough space for 14 barrels in each one. The wines aged here are limited to fewer than 100 cases.

A wine called “Requiem” Cabernet Sauvignon from 2019 aged for 36 months in these tombs and got a 97-point score from Wine Enthusiast.

Over 100 Flags Represents European Heritage

The Flag Room located on the upper floor is a grand chamber adorned with an impressive collection of over 100 flags. It was built as part of the larger construction in 1994.

Positioned in the castle’s Italian-inspired Great Hall, these flags represent various European countries. The flags hang from ornate poles which were hand-forged by Italian blacksmith Giorgio Mariani and his family.

The high vaulted ceilings, exposed stone walls, and intricate flag displays are meant to evoke the grandeur of 12th and 13th-century castles across Europe.

European craftsmen created all the chapel’s religious artwork

The chapel features beautiful hand-painted religious frescoes by European artists. The colorful chancel fresco shows the birth of Jesus, with a pointed Gothic-style stone arch framing the doorway.

Light fixtures hand-forged by craftsmen from Umbria, Italy, light up the space. They even imported an authentic 18th-century confessional from Europe to complete the chapel, which follows the medieval tradition of being one of the first structures built in a castle.

The castle’s highest points offer amazing views of Napa Valley

Climb up to the defensive walls for 360-degree views of Napa Valley’s vineyards and Mount St. Helena. These walkways between the castle towers once helped defenders spot enemies approaching.

Today, they give you fantastic photo opportunities of both the castle grounds and the surrounding Diamond Mountain vineyards, which thrive in the region’s perfect grape-growing conditions of warm weather, sunshine, and rich soil.

Award-winning Italian-style wines are made exclusively here

You’ll visit the massive 12,000-square-foot Grand Barrel Room where thousands of French oak barrels store aging wines. The room shows off 40 brick ceiling vaults made from authentic European materials, making it one of the most impressive winery spaces in the country.

During special tours, you can taste wine straight from the barrels at the 40-foot hand-crafted travertine bar, experiencing the aging process firsthand.

Ancient Oak on the Grounds Still Remain

You can see where the stone walls curve around the huge trunk in the north courtyard and outside in the main grounds. One oak has a trunk 7.3 feet across and stands 85 feet tall, with roots reaching out 65 feet from the center.

Dr. Jennifer Prado, a tree specialist from UC Davis, created a special feeding system in 2002 that sends nutrients 8 feet underground through 12 injection points around the tree.

Changing the north wing design in 1997 cost an extra $430,000 and required a special arched foundation that directs the building’s weight away from the roots.

Italian artists spent 18 months painting the Great Hall’s ceiling

Italian brothers Fabio and Elio Sanzogni painted every inch of those frescoes, taking inspiration from famous Tuscan art like Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s “Good Government” in Siena.

They brought in a legit 500-year-old fireplace from Umbria, Italy, and all the iron candelabras were hand-made by Italian blacksmith Giorgio Mariani.

The castle’s Courtyard can fit 500 people for events

When you enter the central Courtyard, you’ll be surrounded by hand-squared stone and antique brick walls in a space that’s nearly 4,000 square feet—big enough for 500 people at seated events.

The Tuscan-style walkways and covered loggias were inspired by Locanda dell’Amorosa in Italy, which also helped name the castle. From the Courtyard, you can see the medieval architecture from all angles, including the defensive towers.

Visiting the Castello di Amorosa

You’ll find Castello di Amorosa at 4045 St. Helena Highway in Calistoga, 3 miles south of Calistoga and 5 miles north of St. Helena. All tours and tastings need reservations, with General Admission starting at $45 per person.