The origins of the village of Cartosio, home to around 700 inhabitants on a gentle hill just over 200 meters high, remain uncertain.
What is clear, however, is that the site was already inhabited in Roman times. It was here, during the Augustan era, that the Romans drew water from the Erro stream to carry it, over a 14-kilometer journey, to the town of Acqui Terme, where the remains of the ancient aqueduct are still visible.
Cartosio certainly existed by the year 1000, as does the tower in the town square, which probably dates to the 12th century. Built with local sandstone and standing just over 22 meters high, this important structure was certainly used for surveillance and defense, yet its layout of seven floors allows it to be considered a residential tower. The upper part of the tower was damaged during a siege in 1296, but overall it has withstood the test of time.
The seven floors were connected by trapdoors and internal staircases, with each level serving a distinct function: from a cistern for spring water to a prison, from a warehouse to a kitchen and canteen, and finally to a dormitory and observation point.
An opening just over 11 meters above the ground provided access via a drawbridge to an adjacent castle, whose ruins are no longer recognizable.
The village also features the parish Church of St. Andrew, built in 1600 with three naves and modified several times over the centuries.
In the villages surrounding Cartosio, seven small country churches, all dating from the 17th century.
Have been included in a walking route supported by a rural development program.
The trail, numbered 570, runs from Cartosio to Saquana and, together with trails 569 and 568, forms a circular route called the “Ancient Itinerary in Cartosio: villages, nature, and country churches,” which is 8.5 km long. This route is part of a longer itinerary known as the “Itinerary of Country Churches and Badlands in the Bormida Valleys of Spigno and Erro: a grand tour from the UNESCO ‘Vineyard Landscapes of Piedmont’ to the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri.”
