The lords who built this tower-house in the middle ages did not start from nothing: they set it on a quadrangular plinth that was the base of a Roman temple. In town it was the only ready-made stone platform, and using it meant saving on foundations and rising a few metres above the neighbours.
What to see
It is the most imposing medieval building in Alba and in all likelihood was a noble residence meant also for defence. The plan is rectangular, the long side almost three times the short one; the base is of stone, which lasts longer than brick, and on all four sides run three rows of small hanging round arches, not always regular. Between the second and third order are two courses of bricks laid saw-tooth fashion.
In the nineteenth century the buildings leaning against it were demolished to tidy the square, and more recent restorations have partly recovered its medieval features and brought to light the Roman temple under its foundations. The people of Alba have always called it the Castellaccio, and despite its bulk they count it among the town's famous towers.
Visiting
The building faces piazza Pertinace, opposite the church of San Giovanni, in the heart of the old town; you can look at it from outside at any time, while getting inside depends on openings. A quarter of an hour.
Our editors' tip
Stand on the west side and look for the grey stone lozenges set into the wall. Nobody knows for certain what they are: they may be mere decoration, or the arms of the family that lived here. Look at them and form your own idea, because on this the scholars have not decided yet.