The town stands out on the only hill in the area and dominates Vercelli's plains from a prized and strategic position: the ridge between the districts of Vercelli and Canavese. From here, it is possible to take in a 360 degree view that spans from Novara to Monferrato, from Superga to Ivrea. After various owners, when the castle became the property of the Savoy around the end of the 15th century, Moncrivello became one of the preferred homes of the Savoy family, in particular of the Duchess Iolanda who had major restoration and embellishment work started on the castle, turning it into a noble residency. Halls, rooms, balconies, stairways, flooring, fireplaces, windows and sills in terracotta were built; outside, the first navigable waterway in Vercelli, the Naviglio di Ivrea, was constructed. Several fires, between 1815 and 1825, destroyed part of the castle which, at the time, still had its enclosing wall with three gates and drawbridges. Today, only the ruins of the two circular wall systems remain. The best preserved part is a quadrangular tower with 15th century windows, which, just like the square tower on the first floor, is decorated with characteristic sills in terracotta. On the west end, a single semi-circular tower with Ghibelline crenellation and with an oven is outlined. The castle, two floors connected by a spiral staircase, still has a large hall on the ground floor and several bedrooms on the first floor, almost all with lacunar ceilings. The castle (Castello di Moncrivello) was declared a national monument in 1908.
