The lost toll road to stone mills

The ruins of Castello di Castruzzone sit atop a rocky outcrop in the frazione Airale of the commune of Carema, in Piemonte. The official place name is Castello di Castruzzone, but it was previously known as Castrum Ugonis. The Carstrusson or Castruchon were among the antique lords of Carema, according to the historian Jean-Baptiste de Tillier. The Ugoni were feudataries of Castello di Castruzzone, followed by the counts of Cavaglià and the viscounts of Valenza in shared ownership.

The castle was destroyed during the 16th century war. Its strategic location allowed the local feudal lords, particularly the Ugoni, to exercise a rigid military and economic control, exacting a toll on transiting goods along the ancient Via delle Gallie. A significant commercial activity taxed by the castle’s garrison was the lucrative trade of stone mills, coming from the Valle d'Aosta and heading for the plain markets. Today, the castle ruins are accessible via an ancient cobbled path that starts from the Carema settlement and crosses the characteristic terraced pergolas (the tupigni) used historically for alpine heroic viticulture.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons