SUNDAY, March 23, 2025
from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Everything is ready at the Royal Castle of Govone for the 25th edition of the “Tulips at Court” event, created to showcase the magnificent wild tulip bloom.
The spontaneous variety Tulipa oculus solis praecox Ten, which has long been endangered yet protected by a regional law, has found its ideal habitat in the historic park, where it has spread widely. This Mediterranean species, known as “Occhio di sole” (“Eye of the Sun”) by the great botanist Jean Florimont Boudon de Saint-Amans (1748–1831) and later confirmed by his colleague Alphonse Louis De Candolle, was then illustrated by the painter Jean Paul Redouté in Les Liliacées.
However, a much older story surrounds this mysterious bulb, originally from the Far East and considered a good-luck charm. Called tulban or turban by the Turkish hordes—perhaps because its tepals resembled the folds of their distinctive headgear—it gradually conquered the entire West, settling especially in the Netherlands. It is said that starting from 1560, one of the most prominent botanists of the time, Charles d’Ecluse, Clusius, began to spread these flowers, which had accidentally bloomed in the garden of an Antwerp merchant who received them as a gift from Istanbul along with fabrics he had ordered. Since “they pleased the eye with their delightful variety,” he sent several specimens to the royal gardeners so they could plant them in the splendid parterres of Europe’s major courts. The growing popularity of tulips led to the propagation of some hybrids, including Tulipa oculus solis.
In the Royal Castle’s park, the bloom begins in late March and intensifies over about ten days. The flaming multitude brightens a stroll along the park’s descending pathways, mellowing into the periwinkle’s blue and muscari’s deeper hues, offering visitors an incomparable palette of colors—a true natural wonder. In the airy spaces of the grounds, you can sense a magical atmosphere reminiscent of the early 19th-century splendor, when grand receptions for distinguished guests took place at the summer residence of King Carlo Felice of Savoy and Queen Maria Cristina.
Included by the Piedmont Region in the Unesco-recognized Royal Residences circuit, the Royal Castle has been listed since 1997 as part of the “artistic and cultural heritage of humanity.”
On Sunday, March 23 we celebrate the arrival of spring with a program full of activities:
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- TOURS OPEN at the Castle, the Royal Chapel, and the Church of the Holy Spirit – 10:00 am–12:30 pm / 3:00 pm–6:00 pm; last entry half an hour before closing
- TULIPASSEGGIATA for children and families to discover the Park, organized by the Govone youth association TempoXTe. Departure from the Castle square at two times: 11:00 am and 3:30 pm with reservation by email at didattica@castellorealedigovone.it
- READINGS FOR CHILDREN on the lawn in front of the Castle, hosted by Nati per Leggere and the Govone Popular Library at three different times: 10:30 am, 3:00 pm, and 4:00 pm
- GOVONE ARTE presents CROCICCHI (di carta, di tempo e di intento), an exhibition by the illustrator from Cuneo, Marco Paschetta: opening on Saturday the 22nd at 5:00 pm, visitable during the usual Castle opening hours, included in the entrance ticket
- GOVONE SMART MUSIC CONCERT at 4:30 pm in the Church of the Holy Spirit
- LUNCH by the PRO LOCO associations of Govone, featuring wines from the local Govone wineries
- VILLAGE MARKET AND STREET ENTERTAINMENT
The event, conceived and promoted by the Centro di promozione culturale “Govone e il Castello”, is carried out under the patronage of the Municipality of Govone, in collaboration with Govone Residenza Sabauda ETS, Associazione Tempoxte, and the PRO LOCO associations of Govone.
For information, please contact the Tourist Office of the Municipality of Govone, tel. +39 0173 58103.
