Castello Roero di Monticello d'Alba

The Roero castle of Monticello d'Alba preserves the form of a medieval stronghold within a later country residence. Associated with the Roero family since 1376, it combines distinctive towers, adapted interiors and an English-style park around its hilltop setting.

Why it matters

The castle's long family history helps explain the accumulation of defensive and domestic features. Rather than replacing the medieval building, later generations altered it for more comfortable residence. The result records changing priorities, from controlling territory to the architecture and landscape of a noble country house.

What to notice

Three towers have different plans: square, circular and octagonal. Ghibelline merlons and machicolations preserve the fortified silhouette, while the internal courtyard retains its medieval arrangement. The rooms include an armoury, a chapel dedicated to Saint Barbara and the Gallery of Diana the Huntress. The park's mature planting provides a contrasting, informal setting for the masonry.

Context and history

The castle was rebuilt in 1348 and came to the Roero in 1376. Oddone II enlarged it during the fifteenth century. In 1787 Carlo Emanuele Rangone di Montelupo directed a residential transformation, filling the moat and replacing the drawbridge with a stone staircase while preserving the exterior's medieval form. Xavier Kurten redesigned the grounds in the English landscape style in 1827, completing a further stage in the estate's evolution.