The Castle of Caldera

Monesiglio –  Until a few years ago an elders’ residence, the castle is since 1945 a property of the parish of saint Andrew, and has recently been opened to visits.

Its structure alone would be worth a trip, though it hasn’t been totally restored; the only work done have been on definite structural problems. In the last years the tower roof and the bartizans have been restored, along with the big salon inside, probably the most prestigious room of the whole building. In it are the crests of the families who owned the castle: the Calderas, who founded it in 1221, the Del Carretto, the Saluzzo di Valgrana who own it since 1736.

The masterpiece of the castle is the chapel dedicated to saint Andrew (inside the parish house), decorated with frescos by Antonino Ocello da Ceva, who signed it on September 25th, 1532. In it are saint Peter, saint Paul, santa Apollonia, saint Cristopher and saint Sebastian, along with the six Sybilles.