This area owes its name to the fact that the village is situated at the ninth “nono” mile on the Roman road that linked Hasta (Asti) and Florum Flavii (Villa del Foro). The addition of “Castello” (castle) dates from the start of the twentieth century, in homage to the manor house, destroyed in the seventeenth century by the Spanish, which was of notable strategic importance until then. In fact the fortress and the castle were exceptional strategic points for the control of the region and Asti in particular, a flourishing trading and financial hub both when it was under the church, and as an independent commune.

The archaeological site at the castle opened in 1994 under the care of the Soprintendenza Archeologica del Piemonte (Archaeological Superintendent of Piedmont). The site is of exceptional interest due to the rich variety of artefacts (stone instruments, containers, jewellery), testifying to the fact that the higher part of Castello di Annone was at the centre of a series of exchanges and contracts, no doubt partly due to river traffic on the Belbo.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The beautiful parish church of Santa Maria delle Ghiare, even though of ancient origins, has been adapted throughout the centuries, and no longer retains traces of its past. Within the church an important marble altar dating from the 18th century and originally from the monastery of San Bartolomeo in Azzano d’Asti can be found. The village centre comprises numerous Medieval buildings that still preserve their original architectural characteristics.