Maretto: in the ancient land of apple trees, the mystery of the castle disappeared without leaving a trace.
Landscape.
Maretto rises on the north-western hills of Astigiano.
It covers an area of 4.93 km² and has a population of about 360 inhabitants.
It is 18 km from Asti, the provincial capital.
History.
Certain historical references are lacking on who first dominated the territory of Maretto.
It is known, however, that during the medieval period Maretto was subjected to the Municipality of Asti.
Later it passed into the hands of the Troya family, the lords of Montafia, and the Savoy family.
Administration.
Food and wine and typical products.
Of note is the production of excellent Piedmontese red wines (in particular Freisa and Barbera).
To be seen.
Characteristic is the parish church of Saints Maria e Michele with its exposed brick facade.
Also, worth seeing are the Church of Santa Croce, the Church of Mater Dolorosa, and the Monument to the Farmer.
Furthermore, on the territory, we note the presence of different votive pylons.
Curiosity.
The toponym Maretto derives from the Latin Maletum / Meletum which means “apple orchard”, with reference to the important presence of apple trees in the area.
Mysterious is the disappearance of its castle: it is supposed to have been built on a relief south of the concentric, but there is no information on how and why it was abandoned or destroyed.
Information synthesis and/or re-elaboration was taken from the website of the Municipality of Maretto
Cover image source: Municipality of Maretto