Castello di Montaldeo, Montaldeo

The landscape of the village, from whichever side you look at it, is characterized by the overwhelming presence of the castle, an imposing parallelepiped-shaped structure which, with its bulk, seems disproportionate compared to the modest size of the settlement. The single-body type is canonical for fortified noble residences in certain regions, such as the Aosta Valley. Instead, rare examples are found in northern and central Piedmont. Rigidly parallelepiped, indeed, almost cubic, with two floors plus the patrol one (fully equipped with a projecting apparatus), it stands on a base in turn fortified with sentry boxes and remnants of ancient towers, still surrounded on three sides by the garden. The typological and formal similarity to the castle of Verres is striking. The building is accessed by a steep cobblestone slope, which continues beyond the pointed entrance arch, near which the guard post is located, and from which one enters the large rectangular courtyard. The first floor is characterized by a spacious hall, called the “coat of arms hall,” equipped with a late sixteenth-century fireplace, as well as the tribunal hall, where the low justice was exercised by the feudal lords. The underground areas, where the prisons are preserved, are particularly suggestive; they are accessed through a series of labyrinthine passages and staircases carved into the thickness of the walls, including trap wells and torture instruments. During the summer months, the castle is inhabited by the current owner, Marquis Clemente Doria, a descendant of the family that dominated the village for centuries, who, by an act of generosity, makes the lower courtyards and gardens available to the Community for entertainment events organized by the Pro Loco.

For further information regarding opening days, guided tours, and hours, as well as the Municipality of Montaldeo, contact the ALTO MONFERRATO ASSOCIATION, OVADA,