Photo Courtesy of Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Tovrea Castle is not like the castles that were built in the Middle Ages. The walls of this castle don’t tell tales of nobility. Instead, these walls tell tales of unfulfilled dreams.

The castle, which today resembles that of a traditional wedding cake, was built by Italian immigrant Alessio Carraro. In 1928, Alessio moved to Arizona with dreams of developing a resort destination and housing subdivision known as Carraro Heights within Phoenix. The centerpiece of his vision was a hotel, which is the main structure we see today.

Carraro’s dreams never came to fruition as the hotel and property were sold in 1932. It is unknown what exactly squandered Carraro’s dreams.

The Castle was bought by the Tovrea family and eventually by the city of Phoenix. Today, visitors of the castle can tour its gardens; walk-in tour requests are based on availability only. There are no tours in the months of July or August.