Atlas of Monferrato

Montaldeo: sights, history and trails

Alessandria

Elevation: 332 m above sea level
Area: 5.38 km2
Demonym: mountaineering
Patron saint: San Martino

A closer look

Discovering Montaldeo

Montaldeo (Montondé in Piedmontese, Montaldeo in Liguria) is an Italian municipality of 203 inhabitants^[1] from the province of Alessandria in the Piemonte, located on the last slopes of the Ligurian Apennines not far from the valleys ovadesi. It is one of the municipalities of Ovadese, historical-cultural area of Basso Piemonte and the Monferrato, which takes its name from the city of Ovada.

History of Montaldeo

Appointed as Mons Alpeo in documents of the 10th century, in which result given in donation to the Abbey of S. Martian of Tortona, was part of the obertenga brand and especially...Explore this chapter

Named as Mons Alpeo in documents of the 10th century, in which result given in donation to the Abbey of S. Martian Tortona, was part of the Obertenga brand and in particular was the domain of the marquises of Gavi.

Destroyed by Genoese in 1224, it was rebuilt in 1271 by the municipality of Alessandria, and became part of the territories of the marquis of Monferrato. In 1431, occupied by Francesco Sforza, it was incorporated into the fortified Duchy of Milan and granted as a fief to Gian Galeazzo Trotti.

In 1528, the inhabitants of the village, tired of the frigate Cristoforo Trotti, unleashed a revolt, which ended with the massacre of the whole family of the feudal lord.

In 1531 the domain passed to the Doria family, whose firstborn still bears today the title of Marquis of Montaldeo^[4].

Monuments and places of interest

Civil architecture · Religious architecture · SymbolsExplore this chapter

Civil architecture

Montaldeo Castle (or Castle Doria): fortified complex with a compact structure with an almost cubic body, divided into two floors in addition to the wall walk; access is via a cobbled climb that leads to a rectangular internal courtyard.^[5] In the description of the General Catalogue of Cultural Heritage, among the main environments, there is a hall known as "the coats of arms" and "the court room", in addition to the presence of underground premises; the same tab shows that the complex is open during periods and arrangements linked to initiatives for opening to the public.^[5]

Religious architecture

Parish Church of San Martino: a single aisle building with neoclassical characters; the hut façade is scanned by hinds and timpane, while the interior is described as a unique nave divided into spans with vaulted covers.^[6] The bell tower, leaning to the right side, has square and cusp-shaped copper.^[6]
Oratory of the Assumption: cult building censused in the repertoires of ecclesiastical cultural heritage.^[7]
Oratory of Saints Sebastian and Rocco: cult building censused in the repertoires of ecclesiastical cultural heritage.^[8]

Symbols

The coat of arms and gonfalone of the municipality of Montaldeo were granted by decree of the President of the Republic no. 9623 of 25 November 1989.^[9]^[10]

Society

Demographic evolution · Foreign ethnic groups and minorities · ReligionExplore this chapter

Demographic evolution

Inhabitants registered^[11]

Foreign ethnic groups and minorities

On 1 January of the last years, the presence of foreign citizens resident in the municipality is numerically contained, in line with the demographic profile of the small towns of the Piedmontese Apennines. The nationalities represented and their percentage incidence are recorded by the ISTAT through the annual demographic budget of the resident population.^[12]

Religion

The historically prevalent religious tradition is the Catholic one, as witnessed by the presence of the parish church dedicated to San Martino and other buildings of worship in the municipal territory. The municipality is part of the territorial area of the diocese responsible for the Ovadese area.^[13]

Culture

Education · Traditions and religious lifeExplore this chapter

Education

In the municipal territory there are no offices of state school institutions; for the frequency of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools students refer to the neighboring centers of the ovadese area, according to the organization of the provincial school network.^[14]

Traditions and religious life

Among the identity elements of the local community are the celebrations related to the Catholic liturgical calendar, in particular the patronal feast of St. Martin, owner of the parish church of the country.^[15]

Landscape and area

Morphology and territory · Hydrography · ClimateExplore this chapter

Montaldeo is a municipality located in the region Piemonte, in the province of Alessandria, within the area called Ovadese. The municipal territory extends on the northern slopes of the Ligurian Apennines, in a transition zone between the Ligurian-Piedmontese Apennines and the Alexandrian plain, with geographical coordinates of 44° 40' 5" 16 N and 08° 43' 52" 32 E.^[16] The altitude of the communal house is 332 meters above sea level, with variations reflecting the hill morphology of the area.^[17]

Morphology and territory

The communal territory covers an area of 5.38 km2, mainly hilly and characterized by moderate slopes typical of the Piedmont Apennines.^[18] The area is part of the Area 73 (Ovadese and Novese) of the Regional Landscape Plan Piemonte, which ranks the landscape as a transition between pedemontan plains and hills, with emphasis on soil conservation and erosion prevention.^[19] The morphology includes forest and agricultural areas, with high capacity soils subject to measures of protection against consumption and degradation.

Hydrography

The municipality is included in a hydrographic context characterized by lower surface water courses, typical of the Ligurian-Piedmont Apennines, with drainage networks that contribute to the major basins. According to the Regional Landscape Plan, the area is subject to objectives of protection of water bodies, including torrents and irrigation channels, to mitigate anthropic impacts and preserve the quality of underground and superficial waters.^[19] There are no large rivers in the municipal territory, but the area is exposed to hydrogeological risks related to intense rainfall.

Climate

Montaldeo is classified in climate zone E, with 2666 degrees day, according to the national regulations for winter air conditioning of buildings.^[17] The climate is continental temperate, influenced by the Apennines position, with fresh winters and mild summers, subject to variations due to altitude and proximity to the Ligurian Sea.

Natural hazards

The seismic classification of the municipality is zone 3 (low seismicity), as defined by the updated national legislation.^[20] In addition, the area is monitored for hydrogeological risks, including erosion and flooding phenomena, in line with regional directives for soil and water protection.^[19]

Economy

The economy of Montaldeo is mainly agricultural and subsistence, typical of the small towns of Ovadese and Alto Monferrato, with a strong wine vocation.Explore this chapter

The economy of Montaldeo is mainly agricultural and subsistence, typical of the small municipalities of Ovadese and Alto Monferrato, with a strong wine vocation.

The municipality is part of the production area of Dolcetto di Ovada DOCG, red wine obtained mainly from Dolcetto grapes grown on the hills well exposed.^[21] Although the surface is limited by the small municipal extension (5.23 km2) and strong depopulation, production contributes to the terraced landscape and indirect local economy, thanks to its proximity to the enological polo of Ovada.

Alongside the vine, there are traditional cultures such as chestnuts (for chestnuts and flour), meadows, cereals and small fruit productions. There are also handicraft goat farms, with family dairies producing goat cheese (e.g. tome and robioline), sometimes valued in Slow Food circuits or local markets.^[22]

Rural and cultural tourism is growing slowly, favored by Doria Castle (with the famous legend of the "Spettro della Monaca" linked to Sister Costanza Gentile in the 17th century), from the historic village and hiking trails towards Mount Tobbio and the Ligurian Apennines. The municipality organizes or participates in events such as "Paesi in Festa" (June) and the "Sagra del Tacchino e del Dolcetto" (August), which attract visitors from the ovadese area.^[21]^[23]

The marked demographic decline (from 291 ab. in 2001 to 208 in 2025)^[24] has reduced commercial and artisan activity, pushing many residents towards commuting towards Ovada, Alessandria or Novi Ligure.

Image gallery

Explore this chapter

Moltaldeo Castle
Church of San Martino

Administration

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

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

Period		First citizen	Match	Load	Notes
June 27, 1985	May 25, 1990	Pink Ares	Christian Democracy	Mayor	^[25]
May 25, 1990	April 24, 1995	Pink Ares	Christian Democracy	Mayor	^[25]
April 24, 1995	June 14, 1999	Francesco Baiardi	centre-left	Mayor	^[25]
June 14, 1999	June 14, 2004	Francesco Baiardi	civic list	Mayor	^[25]
June 14, 2004	June 8, 2009	Antonello Pestarino	civic list	Mayor	^[25]
June 8, 2009	May 26, 2014	Antonello Pestarino	Civic List Together for Montaldeo	Mayor	^[25]
May 26, 2014	May 27, 2019	Antonello Pestarino	City list Montaldeo future	Mayor	^[25]
May 27, 2019	June 9, 2024	Giovanna Maria Calcagno	Civic list The future of Montaldeo	Mayor	^[25]
June 9, 2024	in office	Marco Delorenzi	list of Montaldeo for all	Mayor	^[26]

Notes