Palazzo Baronale Grella

Grella Baronial Palace is the historical residence of the homonymous family and is located in the Municipality of Sturno. 

The building, constructed in neoclassical style, dates back to the end of the 18th century and was created by the successive agglomeration of artefacts in the large area occupied by them.

The ancestors of the current owners were prominent in the cultural and political life of the entire nation, as well as the region, from the time of the Neapolitan Republic. Baron Edoardo Grella, deputy to the 1st Italian Parliament in Turin, was linked to representative members of the liberal and enlightened class of the new Italy, who were often hosted in the Palace with sumptuous and aristocratic parties, of which family memories are preserved. After 1860, the Palace housed the operational command of the Piedmontese in the fight against banditry, which raged throughout the Province of Avellino. Today, it is used as a venue for cultural events and private ceremonies, in an enchanting historical setting.

The main floor houses the reception hall, a vaulted room with its large bronze chandelier with seventy lighting points. In addition to the private flats, there is also a large terrace with a spectacular view over the Ufita Valley, ranging from the Matese and Maiella mountains to Daunia and Vulture. 
On the ground floor, however, there is a large entrance door leading to an airy loggia courtyard, from which there is access to other private flats and to the cellars, in which objects from the farming activity are collected. Another courtyard, known as "del pozzo" (of the well) because it is adorned with that artefact, has in the past hosted the Classical Music Festival and book presentations.

The garden of Grella Baronial Palace, an English-style garden created in the 19th century by the Grella family to complement their main residence, is another remarkable feature. It is preceded by an exedra ending in ornamental niches and a high handcrafted wrought-iron fence. Inside, the "Villa" - the term used by locals to identify the garden - is home to a rich natural heritage, with trees that have reached a considerable size (horse chestnuts, yews, palms, etc.) and borders and floral decorations that refine its forms. A giant sequoia stands out among these, the only one in the province of Avellino, planted around 1850 and still visible today.

The garden is an evocative photographic set for ceremonies and represents a green oasis in the heart of the Ufita Valley, giving Grella Baronial Palace considerable environmental interest as well as historical, cultural and architectural interest of great importance.