We fell in love with this house because of its light and the sense of peace we felt as we explored it for the first time. We were filled with sadness to see a building so rich in history falling into disrepair. Although we were fully aware of the difficulties we were sure to encounter, and the great commitment required, we dared to dream of giving it a new life. Making this dream come true has taken four years. We decided right from the start that the house should, as far as possible, remain as we found it, and we should aim for a functional refurbishment which respected the existing spaces and volumes, keeping the original structure, dimensions and details.

We had in mind soft colours that had a link with the land and the sky, to emphasise the naturalness of the place. Many of the windows that had been blocked up were reopened so that the view all around could be enjoyed to the full. The sober elegance of the house, its original furnishings and the large, blossoming garden can thus re-evoke the ambience of the Villa of Delights immersed in foliage, where a noble family of Cherasco once spent their serene summer days, enjoying the cool, hillside air. We would like to offer our guests that feeling of well-being we experienced ourselves when, standing right where the swimming pool is now, enchanted, we gazed around us beyond the vineyards, towards the mountains, towards the horizon

Paola and Edgar

The villa Santa Caterina dates back to the end of the 1600s, when it was known as Cascina Mantoetto. Used as a summer residence, in 1735 it belonged to Count Valerio Saraceno di Brondello, as recorded in a document of 23 November of that year, in which the boundaries and water rights are defined with respect to the neighbouring Cascina Pittamiglio. It was later owned by the Marquis Fracassi Ratti Mentone and by the family of the Counts Tiscornia from 1937. In the 1960s the Countess Maria Elisa Tiscornia added a stable to the original building, with a barn, a wood shed and a small cellar for winemaking. The house became known by the local people as “House of the Countess” or “Cascina Santa Caterina”, because of an icon of the saint on the south side of the house. In 2017 it was bought by the Maeder-Oberto family, who set out to refurbish the villa in depth, taking care to respect the historic spaces and materials, adopting eco-sustainable and energy efficient criteria. In 2022 the adventure of the Santa Caterina Langhe Country House began….