Belforte Monferrato rises atop a hill, offering a perfect vantage point over the surrounding landscape, with woods that slope gently down to the Stura valley.

The village is renowned for its medieval architecture, including its castle, palaces, and churches. Founded in the 10th century, it appears in contemporary documents as Bellum Fortium, though its history stretches back even further.

The first signs of settlement date to Roman times, but Belforte Monferrato reached its height during the Middle Ages. At that time, the town was governed by local noble families such as the Aleramici, the Malaspina di Cremino, and the Spinola, until the House of Savoy assumed lordship, which lasted until the unification of Italy.

Belforte is dominated by its castle, partially hidden by the surrounding park. Built in multiple phases between the 13th and 17th centuries on the ruins of an ancient Benedictine monastery, the fortress has belonged to the Marquises Cattaneo della Volta since 1652. Its core is the massive tower erected by the Genoese between 1000 and 1100, designed to defend the borders of Monferrato, control communication routes, and signal neighboring castles through the towers of Tagliolo and Albarola.

A grand gate opens onto the inner courtyards, which have been altered and expanded over the centuries. Descending from the castle, visitors reach the 15th-century Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The interior is frescoed and features a stunning high altar of polychrome marble, along with an elegant altarpiece depicting the crucifixion, by an unknown artist. A distinctive gilded bronze statue of the Madonna crowns the church bell tower.

In the surrounding woods, far from the village center, stands the ancient Church of San Benedetto. Likely dating to the 12th century, it rises on the ruins of a monastery founded in the 7th century by San Colombiano.

Belforte is an ideal base for exploring the foothills of the Apennines, set in a particularly unspoiled and tranquil natural environment.