Castello di Orsara

The Castle is located in Orsara in the province of Alessandria and is an outstanding example of a fortified historical residence with a farm attached to it. There are approximately ten hectares of splendid, fully replanted vineyards, sloping down at the foot of the ancient Castle, mostly dedicated to growing the Dolcetto grape variety.

The history of Castello di Orsara
The municipality of Orsara Bormida, which is home to the Castle and the Farm, was mentioned for the first time in a document dating from 1196. The former feudal lords, the Malaspina Marquises, are mentioned in one of the “Purgatory” cantos of Dante Alighieri’s ‘Divine Comedy’, with the Poet thanking them for the hospitality he received during one of his visits. Following the marriage of Violante Malaspina, the land and the castle then passed into the ownership of the Lodrone Counts, who inhabited it until 1530. After numerous transfers across the generations, the Castle has been owned by the Remondini family from Genoa since the beginning of the 20th century, who have carried out major renovation work on the property, as well as restoring the Oratory, which dates back to the year 1000 and is located at the foot of the Castle.

Agricultural activity and winery
Ten hectares of magnificent, entirely replanted vineyards, the majority of them producing the Dolcetto grape variety, lie at the foot of the ancient Castello d’Orsara. Closely linked to the very image of the castle, the owners have established an agricultural activity producing DOC wines, in particular Barbera del Monferrato, Dolcetto d’Acqui, Brachetto, Chardonnay and Moscato. Today, the management of this activity has been taken over by the wife and children of the current owner, who also intend to promote and enhance the value of the Orsara Castle. The current level of production stands at around 50 tonnes of grapes harvested annually, giving approximately 350 hectolitres of excellent quality “DOC” wine.

Other activities:

• Bed and breakfast
• Guided tours
• Helicopter flights
  It is possible to organise helicopter flights over the surrounding area and castles for groups of 5 people, flight time lasting approximately 15 minutes.