Albaretto della Torre

Albaretto della Torre stands on a hill ridge between the Belbo and Talloria valleys, and is known from afar by its thirteenth-century tower, well preserved beside the parish house. Tower and name come together in the coat of arms, which is canting: on a sky-blue field a poplar and a square tower in natural colours, on a grassy plain. Albaretto is thought to come from the dialect albra, poplar, with the suffix -etum: a wood of poplars.

Roman origins are attested by archaeological finds, but the village's early history is little known and the explanations of the name remain uncertain; in the Middle Ages Albaretto belonged to the marquisate of Gorzegno. The municipal archive keeps a letter from commander Branda Lucioni setting out guerrilla tactics against the invading French Jacobins: lances, poles, pitchforks, arquebuses and watches kept on the bell towers. The economy once rested on vineyards and now draws much of its income from hazelnuts.