Castello di Roddi

Roddi's castle crowns its village on a hill facing Alba, a compact medieval fortress managed by the Fondazione Barolo & Castles. Its restored halls, sixteenth-century kitchens and tribute to truffle promoter Giacomo Morra connect the castle with the history of the Langhe.

Why it matters

Architecturally the castle is a rare example of a donjon-style structure in the Langhe, later in conception than the castle of Serralunga d'Alba, and it shows more modern defensive devices such as machicolations.

What to notice

The castle's foundations reach back to an eleventh-century structure; the fortified body is attributed to the Falletti family in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with two cylindrical towers flanking a three-storey central block. Fourteenth- and fifteenth-century decoration survives alongside sixteenth-century kitchens. In the sixteenth century the castle passed to Count Gaio Francesco della Mirandola, grandson of the philosopher Pico della Mirandola. The castle also commemorates Giacomo Morra, the Alba truffle promoter, and the local truffle tradition.

Context and history

The castle dominates the village of Roddi from its hilltop, its silhouette part of the view from Alba. After the Mirandola counts, ownership passed to the Savoia family and eventually to public hands; since 2001 the castle has belonged to the Municipality of Roddi. The Fondazione Barolo & Castles manages the castle in collaboration with the municipalities of Barolo, Roddi, Serralunga d'Alba and Magliano Alfieri. Its cultural programme connects the monument with local history and the Langhe truffle tradition.