50 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF CASTELLO DI AMOROSA - JIM SULLIVAN “Here in the Napa Valley, people can be critical, and I wanted to get it authentically correct.” BUILDING THE CASTLE Initially envisioning an 8,500-square-foot structure that would take five to six years to build, Dario realized that framework was too constraining. Instead, over 15 years, the project morphed and expanded into what’s now the 121,000-squarefoot Castello di Amorosa. Drawing on exhaustive research and accumulated knowledge, Dario remained faithful to his authenticity pledge. “You cannot build something that looks old using new materials,” he explains. “If you study the walls of European castles, you can see their history over time. Often, castles took hundreds of years to really finalize.” For Dario, achieving that same aesthetic meant sourcing only old or handmade materials and employing 800-year-old building techniques. From battledamaged tower to castle moat, the level of detail is staggering. Umbria. “I was mesmerized, totally passionate about medieval architecture,” he recounts. “And when I would get into places, I would sketch them, I would measure them, I would photograph them.” A few years later, in search of an idyllic property to settle on in Napa Valley, Dario came across a 171-acre parcel that had belonged to Colonel William Nash, known for planting one of California’s first vineyards back in 1846. Dario was instantly enchanted by the site’s Victorian three-story home with a wrap-around porch. “When I bought the property, I didn’t buy it to build the castle,” Dario says. “I bought it because I love the house. But I kept thinking and thinking…” Dario’s thoughts led him to a fantastical idea—a way to honor his passion and heritage: create a medieval castle setting for making and showcasing Italian-style wines. “I didn’t want it to be something like Disneyland,” he emphasizes. ABOVE: Paolo Ardito and Dario Sattui review Castello di Amorosa building plans in December 2010.
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