Just over a thousand people live in the village of Gabiano, some in the upper part of the town, climbing a hill at 300 meters and dominated by the medieval castle, others in the lower, more recent area, which developed around the large parish church of San Pietro Apostolo. Founded around the year 1000, the church was rebuilt in the 17th century and underwent further renovations in the 19th century. It features a single nave, a Neoclassical façade, and a Gothic bell tower that traces back to the original Romanesque structure.
The upper part of the village has a typical medieval layout known as a ricetto, essentially a cluster of houses, palaces, and churches enclosed by walls and narrow towers surrounding the castle, forming a highly effective fortified structure.
The town hall stands out from the village’s style, and its square is the perfect vantage point to admire the panorama, dominated by vineyards stretching toward the distant Po Valley.
The true centerpiece of the village, however, is undoubtedly the castle. Its origins may even date back before the 8th century, and it has witnessed countless political events, including wars, plundering, and bloody sieges. After the destruction of Asti, Frederick Barbarossa granted it to Marquis William II of Montferrat. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of the Montiglio and Gonzaga families, before Duke Ferdinand of Mantua ceded it to Agostino Durazzo Pallavicini to settle substantial debts, making him the Marquis of Gabiano.
In 1907, the descendants of the Marquis began a meticulous restoration, entrusting the project to a renowned architect. Work was completed in 1935, carefully restoring the castle, its interiors, furnishings, decorations, frescoes, and the surrounding village in a historically faithful manner. The castle is also surrounded by a significant park, home to a rare Piedmontese labyrinth—a historical monument whose orderly lines contrast beautifully with the natural landscape of the rest of the park. Created in the 1930s, the labyrinth is lovingly maintained and open to visitors and castle guests, with certain areas dedicated to hospitality.
The current descendants, Giacomo Adorno Giustiniani, together with his wife and children, continue both the preservation of the castle through regular restoration work and the centuries-old winemaking tradition, incorporating modern technological innovations into production.
