Ricaldone: sights, history and trails

Ricaldone originates in the Middle Ages and consists of two words: Runcus and Aldo, the latter in the form of the genitive Aldonis. Run. means rocket, short auction weapon, but it may also mean a tool to extinguish the roars and then reconnects with dirt, roveto, uncultivated soil with thorns. The second part consists of the patronymic Aldo, a name that was introduced in Italy in the 7th century in the Latinized form Aldo, Aldonis. Ultimately Ricaldone stands for "the thicket of the mallard Aldo" who, at the head of Lombard ethnicity, in 642-643 occupied these territories.

The community of Ricaldone was always with its own statutes: the various feudal lords bought rights on territories that sold later to the best buyer. In ancient times there were three families of manfreding origin who ruled Ricaldone: they were the lords of Canelli, then the lords of Ricaldone, branch of the family of the lords of Canelli, who inherited the fiefdom from Alberto Montabone. Finally the Colombos, lords of Cuccaro Monferrato, in the lower Monferrato who also had some jurisdiction over Ricaldone.

In 1100 are the lords of Canelli to dominate the fief of Ricaldone that in the Aleramic brand was part of the consortium of Barberio-Alice, one of six (consul Agliano Terme, Canelli, Calamandrana, Lanerio, Melazzo) countries that constituted the Acquesana committee in the 11th century. In 1178 it was mentioned among the assets of the Abbey of San Quintino Spigno Monferrato. In 1199 it was destroyed by the Alexandrians. On 3 August 1240 Frederick II invested some marquises as rulers of Ricaldone. In 1430 i Marchesi di Incisa, allies of Milan and Monferrato, obtained the lordship of Ricaldone from the Viscontis, which was confirmed by a bull from Emperor Sigismund. In 1518 the Marquis Guglielmo left Ricaldone to his wife Anna d'Alençon; then the town passed into various hands, from the Paleologi, from the Colombo, from the Beccio, from the Peretti until reaching the Gandolfi family of Melazzo, originally from Porto Maurizio. In 1774 it gained independence.

The most important business activity in Ricaldone is viticulture. The social cellar, called "Three Centuries s.c.a." following the merger in 2008 with the social cellar Mombaruzzo, gathers over 200 partners and transforms beyond 60 000 quintals of grapes, producing about 50 000 hectolitres of wines denominated in controlled and guaranteed origin.

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

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  The hills of wine
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  The valleys and vineyards in the surrounding area of Ricaldone
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  The vineyards in the surrounding area of Ricaldone
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  Luigi Tenco Documentary Centre

• Aldo di Ricaldone, Manfredingi, sognori di Canelli, Signori di Ricaldone (prove di nobiltà), Casale M.to, La Grafica Monferrina, 1967, pp. 94