“Terra ricca di risorgive”: questo il significato del nome di questo borgo, un luogo particolarmente ricco di acque di sorgente che andavano ad alimentare piccoli corsi d’acqua, paludi e perfino un lago nella Valle del Rodiano nonché lavatoi, uno dei quali del 1687 è ancora visibile in paese.

Over time, this abundance has greatly diminished, but the name has endured for centuries.

The first permanent settlements in the area are believed to date back to the 4th and 5th centuries AD, when populations from the plains moved to the hills, fleeing successive raids by the barbarians and later the Saracens.

As with most villages in this region, the earliest historical records of Fontanile appear around the early years of the first millennium. From that time onward, the village—protected by two concentric defensive walls topped by four tall towers, surrounded by a moat with drawbridges, and anchored by a fortified palace—began its long historical journey, sharing in the fortunes of the Monferrato and Piedmont territories.

The period between the 14th and 17th centuries was particularly eventful, marked by the rise and fall of noble families and the village’s attainment of a degree of self-governance under its own Statutes.

Among the medieval remnants, one of the original four towers survives—the Ansaldi Tower—along with two main gates: Porta Maestra and Porta Ottoniana.

The village skyline, from any angle, is dominated by the imposing 52-meter-high dome of the parish church of San Giovanni Battista.

This grand church, built in an eclectic Neo-Gothic style, began construction in 1898 on the ruins of a previous religious building, from which the portal, part of the apse, a wooden door, and the bell tower still remain.

Also noteworthy are several small rural churches within the municipality, including the chapels of San Sebastiano and San Rocco.
Since 2015, Fontanile has hosted a remarkable artistic and cultural initiative. In selected locations around the village, the talented artist Luigi Amerio has painted scenes of daily life that tell the story of the village. The project, called “The Walls Tell Stories”, is enriching the village with murals that evoke distant atmospheres and, with rich detail, guide visitors through a past that is not too distant yet wonderfully evocative.

The initiative is ongoing and constantly evolving.
Additionally, near Fontanile is Big Bench Verde Acqua no. 25, a point of interest for visitors and photography enthusiasts alike. 25.