Castle of Roppolo, Castle in the Italian municipality of Roppolo (BI).

The Castle of Roppolo stands on a hill near Roppolo in Piedmont. A fortification existed on the site by the 3rd century AD, and its base was reused when the Bichieri counts turned it into a medieval castle after 1225. Ignazio Anselmi remodelled it in 1837 as a country residence, the form in which it survives today.

A fortification already stood on the hill in the 3rd century AD, and its base was reused for the present building. In 1225 the counts Bichieri of Vercelli turned the decaying hilltop fort into a medieval castle used in the Guelph and Ghibelline wars. The Visconti took castle and village in 1315 and made it a lordly residence; Roppolo passed to the Savoy in 1427 and became the seat of the Valperga counts.

The castle's name comes from the village of Roppolo, not from the Longobards. Its cultural life is tied to the Valperga counts, who held the lordship after 1427, and to a macabre episode: in 1459 the knight Bernardo di Mazzè was walled alive in armour after losing a dispute to Ludovico Valperga di Masino. Restoration in the 20th century reportedly found an armoured body behind a wall, and the Valperga di Caluso-Masino were ordered to return castle and territory to the Savoys, a lawsuit that ran until 1630.

Access to the castle is via a nearby parking area, followed by a short walk uphill; visits are most enjoyable during daylight and clear weather. The site is easily reached by car, and staff can assist with special needs such as wheelchair or stroller accessibility.

In 1459 the knight Bernardo di Mazzè was walled alive in armour inside the castle after losing a dispute to Ludovico Valperga di Masino; restoration work in the 20th century reportedly found the remains of an armoured man behind a wall. The Valperga di Caluso-Masino were then ordered to return castle and territory to the Savoys, a case that ran until 1630.