Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
The castle was originally surrounded by a vast floodable moat, currently partially paved. The village of Castelceriolo has very ancient origins, as demonstrated by some Roman ruins and the abundant deposits of wine amphorae from the Roman era that came to light in the past. When in the 12th century, the cluster of houses took on the definitive appearance of a village, the rich Ghilini family, related to the Ghilini di Marengo, built a primitive castle on the site to control and defend the territory. After an initial period of splendor, the castle was no longer suited to the interests of the Ghilini family, and was abandoned and left without any maintenance for a long period. In 1468, Giuliano Ghilini I, already a fief of the place by order of the Sforza family of Milan, took up residence in the castle. Finding it mighty but degraded by years of abandonment, he began its reconstruction. In 1511, his son Francesco, now lord of all of Castelceriolo, began the reconstruction of the complex, giving it a fortress configuration with a central tower and lateral turrets, all surrounded by a deep and wide floodable moat, surmounted by a fixed bridge ending with a drawbridge. On August 15, 1527, the Frenchman Odetto Fois, lord of Lotrecco, gave orders to the Alexandrian captains Giorgio and Luigi Baratta to take over the castle and the town. In 1555, the armed men of the Duke of Alba, in the pay of Spain, took the castle of Castelceriolo, cutting down the thick woods and pillaging the town. In June 1625, German troops took up residence, abusing people and property. In 1643 and 1644, Castelceriolo was pillaged by various troops stationed there. In July 1657, the light cavalry and musketeers of Spain and Alessandria descended on the Castelceriolo countryside to plunder the crops, then setting fires that damaged the fields, the houses and the castle itself. In 1722, with the passage of Alessandria to the House of Savoy after the Treaty of Utrecht, the Ghilini lost the fiefdom, which passed to the jurisdiction of Alessandria. On 5 January 1745, by will of the King of Sardinia Carlo Emanuele III of Savoy, the fiefdom was given to the noble auditor of Tortona Antonio Zenone, with the title of Count, while the castle passed to the Countess Laura di Sambuy. Laura Balbo Bertone, Countess of Sambuy, daughter of Manfredo, married Count Gaetano Galli della Loggia on 10 May 1870, who subsequently took care of the restoration of the castle. Based on primitive documents, he restored the bastions and the moat, reinforced the façade and the towers which he crowned with new Ghibelline battlements, thus restoring the mighty building to its original splendor. Subsequently, the manor passed to the house of the Counts Calvi di Bergolo.
The castle was originally surrounded by a vast floodable moat, currently partially paved. The village of Castelceriolo has very ancient origins, as demonstrated by some Roman ruins and the abundant deposits of wine amphorae from the Roman era that came to light in the past. When in the 12th century, the cluster of houses took on the definitive appearance of a village, the rich Ghilini family, related to the Ghilini di Marengo, built a primitive castle on the site to control and defend the territory. After an initial period of splendor, the castle was no longer suited to the interests of the Ghilini family, and was abandoned and left without any maintenance for a long period. In 1468, Giuliano Ghilini I, already a fief of the place by order of the Sforza family of Milan, took up residence in the castle. Finding it mighty but degraded by years of abandonment, he began its reconstruction. In 1511, his son Francesco, now lord of all of Castelceriolo, began the reconstruction of the complex, giving it a fortress configuration with a central tower and lateral turrets, all surrounded by a deep and wide floodable moat, surmounted by a fixed bridge ending with a drawbridge. On August 15, 1527, the Frenchman Odetto Fois, lord of Lotrecco, gave orders to the Alexandrian captains Giorgio and Luigi Baratta to take over the castle and the town. In 1555, the armed men of the Duke of Alba, in the pay of Spain, took the castle of Castelceriolo, cutting down the thick woods and pillaging the town. In June 1625, German troops took up residence, abusing people and property. In 1643 and 1644, Castelceriolo was pillaged by various troops stationed there. In July 1657, the light cavalry and musketeers of Spain and Alessandria descended on the Castelceriolo countryside to plunder the crops, then setting fires that damaged the fields, the houses and the castle itself. In 1722, with the passage of Alessandria to the House of Savoy after the Treaty of Utrecht, the Ghilini lost the fiefdom, which passed to the jurisdiction of Alessandria. On 5 January 1745, by will of the King of Sardinia Carlo Emanuele III of Savoy, the fiefdom was given to the noble auditor of Tortona Antonio Zenone, with the title of Count, while the castle passed to the Countess Laura di Sambuy. Laura Balbo Bertone, Countess of Sambuy, daughter of Manfredo, married Count Gaetano Galli della Loggia on 10 May 1870, who subsequently took care of the restoration of the castle. Based on primitive documents, he restored the bastions and the moat, reinforced the façade and the towers which he crowned with new Ghibelline battlements, thus restoring the mighty building to its original splendor. Subsequently, the manor passed to the house of the Counts Calvi di Bergolo.
