Cereseto
Cereseto is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont. Location Cereseto is about east of Turin and about northwest of Alessandria, on the trunk road linking Asti to Casale Monferrato. It borders the municipalities of Moncalvo, Ottiglio, Ozzano Monfer, Pontestura, Ponzano Monferrato, Sala Monferrato, Serralunga di Crea, and Treville. The commune covers an area of , and is above sea level. The town is perched on a hill, and is dominated by the castle. History The town was probably established around 500–600 AD. It is mentioned in records of the Bishop of Asti from around 957 AD. Names included Cirisidum, Cerisido, Cirisito, Cirisido, Cerexeti, Cireseto and finally Cereseto, probably referring to the many cherry trees in the area. The town was the property of the Graseverto family of Asti, who probably built the first castle around 900–1000 AD. The municipal statutes were first drafted in 1358. The castle was completely demolished in 1600. In 1910, the financier Riccardo Gualino and his wife launched construction of a new castle with almost 150 rooms in Cereseto. The Castello di Cereseto, in Neo-Gothic Piedmontese-Lombard style, was completed in 1913. In 1931 Gualino was confined by the fascist