Ricetto of Candelo

During the Middle Ages, a ricetto was a common structure found in Italian villages. It’s deemed a fortified area used to store agricultural products, livestock, and working tools but was also often utilized as a fort for protection.

The ricetto of Candelo, in Piedmont, is the best-preserved example of such a structure. Dating to the late Medieval period, the area is crossed by narrow roads that run between tightly packed buildings. It’s almost completely surrounded by its original walls, with only a small opening made during the 19th-century. The walls also feature two towers, one was once used as an access point to the ricetto before part of the walls were demolished, while the other served as the local lord’s residents.

Contrary to other similar structures, the buildings inside the ricetto of Candelo were not used as dwellings but only as storage areas, with some of them still retaining this use to this day. Similar buildings are now used for tourism and museum exhibitions. The area was also featured in various Italian movies and series.