The lower castle rises on a crag and was the original castle of the lords of Barge, the consortial lordship that held the village in the eleventh century. Those lords never managed to become independent: they had to swear fealty to stronger lords, and while some branches tied themselves to the Savoy, others chose the Saluzzo, with tensions that turned bitter in the fourteenth century.
What to see
The building has changed job more than once, and this was the first change: in the fifteenth century the castle was turned into a Franciscan friary, which is why the place is also known as the former convent of San Francesco.
Visiting
In the nineteenth century the complex became a private residence, and private it has remained: it is looked at from outside. Between 1904 and 1940 it passed into public hands, then returned to private owners, who keep it in that use to this day.
Our editors' tip
It is worth arriving knowing that Barge had more than one castle: this is the lower one, and higher up stood a second, raised by the Saluzzo in the fourteenth century against the Savoy. The crag it sits on explains the choice of site on its own.