Top 7 Castles around Balzola

The Castle of Terruggia is an ancient medieval fortification that was located in the village of Terruggia, in Piedmont, in the Monferrato area (province of Alessandria).

The view of the castle of San Giorgio Monferrato is one of the most evocative panoramas of the Monferrato hills. The castle dominates the town from the top of a hill and stands out clearly in the surrounding landscape.

Nestled among centuries-old trees, Camino Castle dominates the ancient village from above and contributes to one of the most easily recognizable hilltop profiles of the Lower Monferrato.

In the heart of Monferrato, Terruggia preserves a compact historic center and a medieval castle, now a private villa.

The mighty structure of the Castle of San Giorgio dominates the surrounding valleys. The central tower of the castle dates back to around the 9th century, and was built on a spur of rock essentially for sighting purposes. Later the tower was surrounded by four towers with the construction of a defensive structure. Later, a new body was built between the original tower and the towers to contain a larger garrison of soldiers. Later the castle was transformed into a residential palace and in the 19th century it was further expanded. In my opinion, the most singular aspect of the castle is that, starting from the foundation of the original watchtower and up to today, the castle has always been inhabited.

Giovanni II Paleologo, Marquis of Monferrato, ordered the current castle to be built and work continued until 1357. When Casale assumed the role of capital of the Margraviate of Monferrato and obtained the title of city in 1474, it also changed castle, seat of the court, after the restoration with the marquises Guglielmo VIII (1464-1483) and Bonifacio V (1483-1494). When Giovanni II Paleologo died, the Gonzaga of Mantova took control of Casale. The castle was strengthened by new military techniques, so the walls and the plan shape were adjusted so that it became hexagonal (which we can still see today). The towers were also strengthened and four new ravelins were added. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the castle returned to its role as the seat of the court. The Dukes of Mantova, who were busy negotiating with Savoia, stayed there. Later it became the principality of Duke Carlo II Gonzaga-Nevers (1637-1665), who holidayed there many times with his entire court, which gave a boost to the cultural life in Casale. Due to the crisis of the Gonzaga dynasty, the castle was on the verge of decline. The city fell to Savoia in 1708 and the castle became a barracks. In the mid-19th century, Casale was fortified in preparation for a war against Austria and the castle became a defensive structure. The eastern ravelin was demolished, creating the current Piazza Castello, which became an open-air market zone. With the unification of Italy, the other three ravelins were also demolished.

From Piazza Castello you can see some of the main points of interest of Casale Monferrato: The Paleologi Castle and the Church of Santa Caterina. From here you can enter the center of the city passing by the Tower of Santo Stefano up to Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini.

One of the most spectacular castles in Monferrato and equipped with crenellated walls and towers. As with many ancient buildings in Italy, there are many legends about the castle of Camino. One of the most recurrent narrates that in the year 1494, Count Scarampo Scarampi, feudal lord of the Marquis of Monferrato, was accused of making forays into neighboring villages causing problems such as thefts and fires. After a long siege of the castle, which lasted two months, it was captured by the militias of Costantino Aranite, prefect of Casale. His wife, the Marquise Camilla, managed to escape from a secret passage and reach Casale to ask for a safe conduct for her husband's life. Scarampo Scarampi, however, had already been beheaded by those who had imprisoned him. When she learned of her husband's sad fate, out of desperation, the Marquise Camilla threw herself from the tower. Now, she walks around the battlements of the castle crying, while her husband walks around the manor with his head in his hand. Legend aside, in the inner courtyard of the castle of Camino there is the sarcophagus of the noble Scarampo, depicted at rest holding his head with his left hand.