History and Places

The city of Roddi extends over an area of 9.4 square km including, in addition to this surrounding area, Elia, Ravinali, Toetto and Piana di Roddi.
The road network consists of 13,433 kilometers of commune roads, 7,318 kilometers of provincial roads and 6,605 kilometers of local roads.
It has a population of 1,350 inhabitants.
The most captivating site is the small town Hall square (considered by the region to be one of the most beautiful squares in the Piedmont) where the Parish Church of the Assumption can be found, with its late Baroque façade. The square, along with the medieval castle built around the year 1000, tower above the Tanaro Valley from the highest part of the village.
The thirteenth century bell tower and the manor anchor the nucleus of the old town whose streets wind in concentric circles.
On clear days, one can admire from Belvedere Square at the end of Via Sineo the vast landscape of rolling hills with the Cozie Graie Alps, overwhelmingly dominated by the so-called mountain of the "King of Stone”: Monviso, in the distance.
The town’s name, derived from the Celtic “Raud” or “rod” meaning “river” is a clear reference to the Tanaro, which flows into the region’s many valleys.
In Roman times, it was a strategic stopover point between Alba Pompeia and the great settlement of Pollentia, confirmed by the funeral aediculae recovered dating back to the era.
The area is known for two major battles: that of the Raudii Plains, when Mario defeated the Cimbri in 101 BC, and the battle of Pollenzo, when Stilicho, in 402 AD defeated the Alaric’s Goths.