The town's name probably derives from the presence in the village of an ancient castle, built here at the beginning of the XI century. A small town in the province of Cuneo, situated on a ridge in the Roero area, bordering with Monferrato, Castellinaldo is washed by the river Borbore. The main center, built around the castle, which dominates with its imposing bulk the entire area, has a primarily agricultural vocation: the economy is based on the production of fine wines such as: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Roero and Arneis.
Of probable Roman origins, the village was a carriage and coach station located along secondary main road artery that connected Pollenzo to Asti. Documents attest that in 924, most of the surrounding lands belonged to the Count of Asti, who later ceded the rights to the Abbey of Fruttuaria. After year 1000 the area developed under the rule of the Bishop of Asti, who was granted with a series of rights by Emperor Enrico III. In the XIII century, the town became official residence of several noble families: the De Vicia, the Baresani, the Visdomini, the Montefortino and in the next century the Pallidi, the Solaro and the Malabayla of Asti. The Malabayla acquired a large part of the fief and built a fortification, which was demolished in the XIX century because in poor condition. The other portion of territories were purchased by the Damiano in the XV century, who began the construction of a series of small fortresses, that, over the centuries, have been merged into the structure of the present castle.
Not to miss:
- the Parish Church of Saints Sebastian and Dalmazzo, built in the XVI century, was renovated in the XVII century. The church is flanked by a Bell Tower , built in the second half of the XVII century the tower, which was enlarged and made taller in the second half of the XVIII century. In 1752, the small building that reversed in poor conditions, was rebuilt, but only a few years later it submitted serious damage due to a landslide;
- the Church of the Confraternity of the Disciplined, dedicated to the Holy Shroud, was rebuilt in 1626 and refurbished in the XVIII century. On the façade appear four tall columns and a pediment, with an XVIII century bas-relief in wood and a XIX century fresco attributed to the artist Morgari;
- the Church of the Madonna del Rivo, cited for the first time in 1696, it was remodeled in the XVIII century and restored in the early XX century;
- the Church of San Pietro, cited in an edit of year 1041, it was rebuilt in the XVI century and enriched by frescoes by the artist Morgari in the late XIX century;
- the Church of San Servasio, cited for the first time in a document dated 1399, it was refurbished in the second half of the XVI century and decorated with frescoes;
- the Chapel of San Bovo, cited in a census of 1626, has probably older origins;
- the XIV century Church of St. Christopher, already cited since 1345;
- the Castle of the Damiano Family, with valuable frescoes of Morgari;
- the Casa Rossa or Cottalarda, dating from the second half of the XVIII century, it was built by the family Allerino and later owned by the Saracco of Alba. It was acquired by inheritance by the Cottalorda, that had the entire building restructured in the second half of the XIX century. In 1914 a tower was added, which at present is the seat of the Municipal Library.