Mombaldone is a mediaeval jewel, tucked away at the bottom of the badlands in the Bormida valley, clay ridges that have been carved out by nature.
The natural irregularity of the landscape contrasts with the neat order of the stone houses. It is the only village in the Asti Langa area that is still encircled by its original walls.
A stroll through Mombaldone is a walk through history, a place suspended in time: the arched gateway, the narrow main street and concealed courtyards, passing homes that tell the story of the village’s evolution while retaining its original Middle Ages layout.
This is a place that lives in three dimensions: the orderly stone walls contrasting with the rugged clay undulations, a dialogue between the buildings and the natural environment, between culture and geology.
As you walk, you can see the signs of past battles and of community: from the Del Carretto stronghold to the defences against Spanish and French incursions, now memories of the past in the tranquillity of the modern age. The parish church of San Nicola and the Oratory of Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano have welcomed worshippers for centuries.
