Giovanni was the son of a wealthy Marseille pastry shop owner, who after becoming a successful businessman returned to his family's ancestral village.

Under the direction of Milanese architect Giovanni Crassi Marliani the exterior was redone in a Moorish inspired Neo-Gothic style.

In 1961 the heirs sold the castle and surrounding lands to the local government of the Circolo di Bregaglia.

On the second floor is the Archivio Storico, an archive that stores and researches documents relating to the Val Bregaglia region.

Additionally on the second floor there is a permanent exhibit dedicated to the history of Graubünden's pastry bakers, a tribute to Giovanni's upbringing.