The settlement, located on the left bank of the Caramagna stream, is divided into two hamlets, as often happens in this region following the construction of new roads and, later, the arrival of the railway. Thus we have Prasco Stazione and Prasco Centro, which developed around its castle.
Documented history begins around the year 1000, when Emperor Otto granted Prasco and other lands to Aleramo. Over the centuries, the fief changed hands many times, passing through some of the most prominent dynasties: the Paleologi, Malaspina, Doria, Gonzaga, Spinola, Savoia, and finally the Gallesio-Piuma family. Of all these rulers, the Gallesio were perhaps the most significant, and their descendants still own the castle today.
The fortress itself probably dates back to the 12th century, built with defensive purposes to control the many trade routes between Liguria and Upper Monferrato. In the 16th century, the Gallesio family made important alterations. The quadrangular structure features three massive towers in brick and local stone, enclosing three courtyards set on different levels. Within the courtyards are hanging gardens, while outside the walls stretches a park with four wells and a 17th-century neviera—an underground icehouse where winter snow was stored to preserve food supplies. Similar structures can be found throughout Monferrato.
After further modifications and 19th-century restorations, the castle became what it is today: part of the “Castelli Aperti” network and open to visitors. Inside, it offers splendid furnished halls, residential rooms, and historic spaces once used for administration such as the armory, audience hall, and guards’ loggia. The dungeons still survive in the basement. The castle also houses a collection of traditional tools, a small museum of material culture that illustrates the evolution of winemaking and beekeeping techniques.
It is also home to the Study Center dedicated to Giorgio Gallesio—a man of many talents in administration, politics, and above all, natural sciences. He is best known for his monumental work Pomona Italiana—a richly illustrated treatise on fruit trees that describes the finest varieties cultivated across Italy.
Religious architecture is another hallmark of Prasco. The countryside is dotted with ancient rural chapels, far more numerous in the past. One of the oldest is the Pieve of Saints Nazario and Maurizio, dating back to the year 1000 and now located within the cemetery. With its simple gabled façade and distinctive bell gable, it once stood on a pilgrim route and remained active until the late 1500s, when the current parish church was built. It also served as a lazaretto and cemetery church during the 17th-century plagues.
The parish church of San Nazzaro e Celso, built in 1575 alongside the rectory, has been repeatedly altered, especially in modern times.
Lastly, in the hamlet of Mongiut lies the fascinating Almond Tree Botanical Garden, covering more than 15,000 square meters and hosting around 1,500 plant species—many prized for their decorative or collector’s value. The garden is organized into themed areas, including Mediterranean flora, a rose garden, aromatic plants, a shade garden, a pond, and a section dedicated to shrubs.

The settlement, located on the left bank of the Caramagna stream, is divided into two hamlets, as often happens in this region following the construction of new roads and, later, the arrival of the railway. Thus we have Prasco Stazione and Prasco Centro, which developed around its castle. Documented history begins around the year 1000, when Emperor Otto granted Prasco and other lands to Aleramo. Over the centuries, the fief changed hands many times, passing through some of the most prominent dynasties: the Paleologi, Malaspina, Doria, Gonzaga, Spinola, Savoia, and finally the Gallesio-Piuma family. Of all these rulers, the Gallesio were perhaps the most significant, and their descendants still own the castle today.

The fortress itself probably dates back to the 12th century, built with defensive purposes to control the many trade routes between Liguria and Upper Monferrato. In the 16th century. The Gallesio family made important alterations. The quadrangular structure features three massive towers in brick and local stone, enclosing three courtyards set on different levels. Within the courtyards are hanging gardens, while outside the walls stretches a park with four wells and a 17th-century neviera—an underground icehouse where winter snow was stored to preserve food supplies. Similar structures can be found throughout Monferrato. After further modifications and 19th-century restorations, the castle became what it is today: part of the “Castelli Aperti” network and open to visitors. Inside, it offers splendid furnished halls, residential rooms, and historic spaces once used for administration such as the armory, audience hall, and guards’ loggia. After further modifications and 19th-century restorations, the castle became what it is today: part of the “Castelli Aperti” network and open to visitors. Inside, it offers splendid furnished halls, residential rooms, and historic spaces once used for administration such as the armory, audience hall, and guards’ loggia. The dungeons still survive in the basement. The castle also houses a collection of traditional tools, a small museum of material culture that illustrates the evolution of winemaking and beekeeping techniques.

It is also home to the Study Center dedicated to Giorgio Gallesio—a man of many talents in administration, politics, and above all, natural sciences. He is best known for his monumental work Pomona Italiana—a richly illustrated treatise on fruit trees that describes the finest varieties cultivated across Italy.

Religious architecture is another hallmark of Prasco. The countryside is dotted with ancient rural chapels, far more numerous in the past. One of the oldest is the Pieve of Saints Nazario and Maurizio, dating back to the year 1000 and now located within the cemetery. With its simple gabled façade and distinctive bell gable, it once stood on a pilgrim route and remained active until the late 1500s, when the current parish church was built. It also served as a lazaretto and cemetery church during the 17th-century plagues.

The parish church of San Nazzaro e Celso, built in 1575 alongside the rectory, has been repeatedly altered, especially in modern times.

Lastly, in the hamlet of Mongiut lies the fascinating Almond Tree Botanical Garden, covering more than 15,000 square meters and hosting around 1,500 plant species—many prized for their decorative or collector’s value. The garden is organized into themed areas, including Mediterranean flora, a rose garden, aromatic plants, a shade garden, a pond, and a section dedicated to shrubs.