Castle of the Merli

The village of Castelletto Merli is located in the hilly area of the sacred mountain of Crea and consists of several scattered villages, considered partly heirs of primitive Roman settlements, Lombards and gothic.^[1] Castelletto was first mentioned in a document by Federico Barbarossa, which confirmed its possession to the Marquis of the Monferrato, who enfeoffed it first to the Carelli of Ottiglio, then to the Gaspardoni of Casale and the Vela.^[1] Still today the housing structure maintains its characteristics of feudal age, with the village formed by the various settlements already controlled by the Merli family, infeudata in the territory in the 11th century at the castle placed on the top of the Terfangato.^[2]

The castle, whose first attestation dates back to the 13th century when Ascherio Merli was appointed owner of a house within the fortified city,^[1] it stood on the hill of Terfangato, placed to the north-west of the village at the point of greater elevation of the municipal territory,^[3][4] position that allowed him to act as an outpost for the wide surrounding area.^[2]

Originally the complex included a stately house, the church of San Nicolao (already attested in 1298),^[4] ovens, barns, stables and walls.^[3] During the eighteenth century it was still a fortified area developed in several factory bodies, as evidenced by documents from the Merli family.^[4]

During the 19th century, the castle underwent radical remodeling and today of the original complex there are few traces, largely integrated into structures built later.^[1][3]

• Rosella Seren Rosso, The castles of Piemonte. The provinces of Asti and Alessandria, Cavallermaggiore, Gribaudo, 2000, ISBN 9788880581628.

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