This is s complex consisting of two buildings, built between the 12th and the 14th century and restructured in the 19th century. The Old Castle (Castello Vecchio) built by the Valperga still has many traces of its medieval origins, while the new castle (Castello Nuovo), thanks to the restoration carried out by Alfredo D'Andrade, has taken on a Baroque look and is today the seat of a Contemporary Art Center – a major reference point at a European level – where internationally known artists exhibit their work. The Old Castle still has two corner towers, one of which is very high and crenellated with Gothic terracotta windows. The New Castle was radically transformed in 1835 with the addition of a new wing. The contrast between ancient architecture and modern art makes the Rivara Castle (Castello di Rivara) the perfect setting for shows dedicated to modern artists, as is demonstrated by the one-man shows of following artists: Jurgen Drescher, Paul McCarthy, Luigi Ottani, Lari Pittman, Charles Ray, Oliviero Toscani, and Jeffrey Vallance.
