Cassinelle: sights, history and trails

The center of the village rises on the hill between the valley of the Amione torrent (the tributary of the Orba stream) and the Caramagna Valley^[5].

The municipality extends over a territory of 23.81 km² with an altitude that varies between 220 m and 829 m s.l.m. of the Bric dei Gorrei (the capital is located 387 m of quota).^[6]

The first historical news on the territory of Cassinelle date back to the end of the 10th century. It was part of the Mountain Community Suol d'Aleramo. At the beginning of the 13th century, Cassinelle was under control of the Marquisate of Bosco^[7], to then pass under the influence of Malaspina. Documents report an arbitration, which took place on 9 April 1284, by Tommaso Malaspina (who had taken office 6 years earlier), between Morbello and Cassinelle, relating to the right to graze in the Bandita area, assigned to the second^[8][9].

At the end of the 14th century, in 1390, the Malaspina family received from the doge of Genoa the territory of Molare, Cremolino, Cassinelle e Trisobbio, a decision later confirmed by the French of Charles VI after they took control of the Republic of Genoa in 1396. In 1417 the Genoese, at the time under the government of Tomaso Fregoso, removed the marquises of Malaspina from the control of Molare, Cassinelle and other territories in the area.^[10]

Subsequently the Cassinelle area passed under control of Marquisate of Monferrato and, from the beginning of the eighteenth century, with the remaining territory of Monferrato, under the control of Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy, thus remaining part of the future Italian state.^[7]. In the middle of the century, as part of the War of the Austrian Succession, Cassinelle was the place chosen by the Franco-Spanish troops as an operational base for operations against the Austrian soldiers stationed in Roussillon.^[11]

Early in October 1944, it was the scene of the clashes between partisans and Nazis, especially on October 7 in the hamlet of Bandita, following a rastrellation, six partisans and four peasants were shot.^[12]

In the village there are several churches and buildings of historical value. Among these is the church of San Defendente (Parrocchiale di Santa Margherita), located in Piazza San Defendente, along the road leading to the hamlet of Bandita and the municipality of Ponzone. The building in the past was a sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto^[14].

Inside the building there are some marble and wood altars, including one dating back to the 16th century. The main altar is adorned by a niche that contains a representation of the Black Madonna of Loreto. Inside the building, in the right nave are kept what are believed to be the relics of San Defendente, transferred from Rome in 1742.

Another place of interest is the Oratory of San Giovanni Battista^[15], headquarters of the brotherhood of the same name.

In the fraction of Bandita (in texts of the past sometimes referred to as Baldita^[16]) there is the church of Santa Croce^[17], more recent, whose construction began in 1834, while the bell tower was built between 1859 and 1870. The building was restored in the early years of the 21st century^[18], losing the characteristic appearance with exposed stones. Also in the hamlet of Bandita there is the oratory of San Rocco, home of the local brotherhood of the same name dedicated to the saint^[19].

In the path that connects Cassinelle and Bandita, placed just before the junction for SP 210 Strada Provinciale Ponzone, there is a church dedicated to the Madonna (Maria Mater Gratiae), erected in 1854 as thanks for saving the nearby towns from a cholera epidemic that was spreading in the area. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1928. The church is popularly called church of Madonnina, due to the presence inside of a small marble statue of Mary, a gift from the first custodian.^[20]

Much of the territory of Cassinellese is characterized by an interesting rock formation called "Pietre Verdi", due to the dominant color. Its formation dates back to the Jurassic-Cretacean period when the Apennine chain was formed on the seabeds of a large ocean, later submerged above the continental zolla. For this reason in Cassinelle, and especially in the area of the Amione stream, it is possible to find fossils of plants, shells and animals lived millions of years ago.

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  The sixteenth century church of San Defendente
• 
  The Oratory of San Giovanni Battista
• 
  The church dedicated to the Madonna sita on the intersection that leads to the hamlet Bandita
• 
  The church of Santa Croce in Bandita
• 
  The oratory of San Rocco in Bandita

The area in which the municipality is located is known for the production of Dolcetto (it is one of the municipalities authorized to produce DOC wine "Dolcetto d'Ovada"). It is part of the agrarian region 8 High Bormida Hills^[6].

Below is a table relating to the administrations that have succeeded one another in this municipality.

Cassinelle is the starting point of SP 208 Strada Provinciale Cassinelle - Cimaferle and is crossed by SP205 Provincial Road Molare - Visone. It is crossed by a bus line S.A.A.M.O., with terminus in the hamlet of Bandita and at Ovada.

Drawing about 12 km from the highway toll of Ovada/Belforte Monferrato, 15 km from the Acqui Terme And 25 km by Sassello.

In the territory of the municipality there are no railway stations, but a little less 10 km There are stations of Molare (actually located in Coinova resorts Ovada), and Prasco-Cremolino, on the territory of the municipality of Prasco, both belonging to the Acqui Terme-Genova line.