The history of the castle
Calliano, surrounded by high walls and a wide moat permanently filled with water, was a true fortress for those who tried to access it: the village is in fact perched around the tuff mass on which the castle once stood. Built in the 10th century, it changed hands several times during the battles that involved the territory for centuries.
It passed to the Gonzaga family when in 1536 the Lords of Mantua, after an arbitration by Emperor Charles V, also became Lords of Monferrato until the disappearance of the Marquisate (which became, under the Gonzaga, a Duchy) in 1708 when it became part of the Savoy state. In the “Consegnamento de’ Feudi”, compiled in 1703 at the behest of Duke Carlo Ferdinando, the ancient fortress of Calliano is described as follows: “Castle completely in ruins with an area of land facing the square, once a building”.