Castelletto Molina: in the hills of High Monferrato the church that “escaped” from the castle walls.
Landscape.
Castelletto Molina is located on the hills of High Monferrato.
It covers an area of 3.07 km² and has a population of about 160 inhabitants.
It is about 40 km from Asti, the provincial capital.
History.
The toponym of Castelletto Molina derives, for the first part, from the Latin “castelletum”, meaning small castle, while Molina could be a reference to the most common surname in the town.
The origins of the village date back to Roman times, as confirmed by the discovery of archaeological finds.
Notes from the Municipality of Castelletto Molina: most of the information on the history and monuments of Castelletto Molina were taken from the book: “Appunti storici su Castelletto Molina” written by Gin Matteo Mecio edited by Litografia Domenicane, Alba.
Administration.
Food and wine and typical products.
The typical wines of the area are: Barbera d’Asti, Barbera del Monferrato, Moscato d’Asti, Brachetto d’Acqui, Dolcetto d’Asti, Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato and Chardonnay.
To be seen.
The main places of interest overlook the main square of the village.
The Castle of Counts Veggi, inhabited by several co-owner families, the parish Church of Saint Bartolomeo Apostolo, in front of which the elegant municipal building stands out.
Also, worth seeing is the Oratory of Annunziata (or Church of the Castle) and the Sanctuary of Madonna della Neve.
In via Roma, there is an interesting mural painting dedicated to Don Amilcare Ruella.
On the premises of the local Bottega del Vino, there is also a small museum dedicated to agricultural arts.
Curiosity.
Castelletto Molina is still one of the few centers in the Asti area to keep alive the practice of the “balon”, today “fist-ball”.
Information synthesis and/or re-elaboration was taken from the website of the Municipality of Castelletto Molina
Cover image source: Provincia di Asti