Rocca Grimalda Castle

The construction of Rocca Grimalda Castle developed over centuries around a majestic circular tower dating to the late 12th or early 13th century, under Malaspina rule. The castle remained a fief of the Marquises of Monferrato until 1431, when occupation by the Duke of Milan marked its transition from defensive fortress to noble residence, with the Grimaldi family taking ownership for more than 250 years.

In the 18th century the western facade was built, and the work was completed by expanding the front courtyard and creating the hanging garden over the Orba valley. Today the castle combines accommodation, wine production, and event functions, with guided tours of its halls, garden, great hall with side rooms, chapel, and old cellars.

The Grimaldi family's 250-year ownership connects this Piedmontese castle to a name most associated today with the ruling house of Monaco, a genuine historical link between a rural Monferrato fortress and one of Europe's more visible noble families.

The 18th-century addition of the western facade and hanging garden reflects the same broader pattern seen elsewhere in this collection: a medieval defensive structure reshaped in a later century to serve a more residential and aesthetic function once military necessity had faded.

The castle's participation in "Castelli Aperti," Piedmont's regional castle open-day circuit, gives it a public heritage dimension beyond its function as a hotel, with periodic guided tours and tastings open to non-guests.

The surrounding Gran Monferrato, with its own open-castle tourism circuit and wine culture, gives guests staying at Rocca Grimalda easy access to a landscape built around exactly this kind of historic-estate tourism.