The village, with just over 800 inhabitants, forms a Y shape on the ridge of two elongated hills that act as a watershed between the Amione and Carampana valleys.

Situated in the Ovada area of the Apennines, the village lies at 300 meters, with its municipal territory reaching over 800 meters. The land is ideal for vineyards producing the famous Dolcetto d’Ovada wine and is also renowned for its abundance of porcini mushrooms. Streams, woods, and deep ravines cut through the landscape, revealing geological features linked to the formation of the Apennines.
Here, rock layers contain pebbles and fragments known as “green stones,” technically ophiolites, including serpentinites.

These ancient rocks, originally formed on ocean floors between 180 and 70 million years ago, were pushed upwards during the formation of the Apennines 35 million years ago and metamorphosed into their current form.

The history of Cassinelle is equally rich. Based on the remains of an ancient castle and walls, completely destroyed in 1830, the village has been witness to centuries of events involving Monferrato, Piedmont, and Liguria, including invasions by Austrians, French, and Spanish forces. The municipality’s website offers a summary of these turbulent stories, of interest to history enthusiasts.

Several 17th-century houses remain, among them Casa Pareto and Casa Piola. Religious buildings include the Oratory of St. John the Baptist at the top of the village, with a Baroque façade and a collection of processional crucifixes; the parish church of San Defendente, which houses his relics and a statue of the Black Madonna of Loreto, originally a sanctuary; and the deconsecrated church of Santa Margherita, now home to the Museo del Territorio, located near the former castle site.