Castagnole Delle Lanze

The origins of the settlement are ancient. In Roman times, the territory was crossed by a branch of the road that connected Acqui to Pollenzo, the ancient Pollentia. The archaeological findings made at the beginning of the twentieth century confirmed the use of the area along this connecting axis.

The name of the town also preserves a trace of the past. The first part of the toponym is traditionally traced back to the Latin castinea, meaning small chestnut; the second instead recalls the Lancia family, present in these lands between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century. Manfredo I, Marquis of Busca and Count of Loreto, is said to have originated the dynasty after serving as a spear-bearer at the court of Frederick Barbarossa.

The Middle Ages and the relationship with Asti

In the Middle Ages, the Codex Astensis places Castagnole among the possessions of the Counts of Loreto. A castle must have stood at the top of the town, probably destroyed in 1255 during the struggles between the Municipality of Asti and the County of Loreto. Later, Castagnole permanently entered the Asti orbit, sharing its alliances, conflicts, and political changes.

In the 14th century, the territory returned to the Visconti domains. The municipal papers record the oath of loyalty of the community to Valentina Visconti, who had received the Patria Astese as a dowry for her marriage to Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans. Between the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 17th century, the town was part of the Capitaneato d'Astesana and remained directly under the governor of Asti. During this period, the settlement was protected by a city wall with cylindrical towers, of which few traces survive.

From the Savoys to the end of the fiefdoms

In 1573, the territory passed to Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy. Castagnole was then divided between the fief of the Asinari and the lordship of the Catalano Alfieri, who were succeeded at the end of the 18th century by the Birago-Alfieri counts. On the opposite side, the Asinari possessions passed by inheritance to the Marquises Carron of Saint Thomas.

The last forms of feudal rule ended in the first half of the 19th century. From 1850, the town followed the events of the House of Savoy and, subsequently, the Kingdom of Italy.

The nineteenth century, wine, and the growth of the town

The second half of the 19th century left still visible marks in the historic center. In 1864, the redevelopment of some buildings along the current Via Ener Bettica gave rise to the porticoes that would become one of the most characteristic elements of the town. In 1880, Count Paolo Ballada of Saint Robert had the circular tower used as an observatory and place of study built at the top of the village.

In the same period, the winemaking vocation of Castagnole was consolidated. Between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, businesses specialized in the production of wine, vermouth, and sparkling wines were born, contributing to the economic development of the territory. The new village grew mainly around San Bartolomeo and the railway station, while the post-war period brought new activities and the arrival of families from other Italian regions, particularly from the South.