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Rocca Grimalda (La Ròca Grimàuda in Piedmont, Ra Ròca locally; In Roca in Liguria) is an Italian municipality of inhabitants of the province of Alessandria, in Piedmont, located in Alto Monferrato, on a rocky spur to the left of the river Orba.
It is one of the main municipalities of the Ovadese, historical-cultural area of Lower Piedmont and Monferrato, which is named after the city of Ovada.

History
The traces of settlements of Ligurian populations in the valley of Orba and in particular in the municipality of Rocca Grimalda are lost in the past: the existence of the Roman city of Rondinaria, attested by numerous documents and the discovery of a Celtic necropolis in correspondence of the plain of Silvano, at the foot of the rocky spur on which the village rises, suggests the existence of fortifications and settlements already in pre-Roman times.

In the municipal territory, near the border with the municipality of Carpeneto, in Trionzo, the discovery of the remains of a castle of Lombard times, built with pavements and palisades, confirmed the importance of the place that had been in the centuries enveloped by legends of witches and sabbas.

The village was mentioned in documents of the 10th century, as territory of the Aleramic brand, was among the assets donated for the foundation of the monastery of San Quintino in Spigno Monferrato.

In 1164 it was ceded to the Marquis of Monferrato, in the thirteenth century it passed to the Marquis of Gavi, in the form of pawn.

Counted by the Alexandrians and the Marquisate of Monferrato, it was later conquered by the Genoese who infeuded it to the Malaspina.

Due to its conformation of natural fortress overlooking the valley of Orba was long disputed by the Republic of Genoa, the Marquis of Monferrato and the Duchy of Milan. In 1355, he was again granted to the Marquis of Monferrato. It was occupied by Filippo Maria Visconti, in 1444 it was ceded to Galeazzo Trotti.

In his history Rocca Grimalda assumed different names, from "Rocca Val d'Orba" to "Rocca De Trotti". The hills of the manor of Rocca Grimalda remained until the 18th century mostly covered by dense forests where the brigantage flourished.

The border territories allowed the families of bandits to escape the authorities and to spread over the territories of the over yoke while the local lords were sometimes guilty to the popular support they enjoyed.

After alternating events, the Trotti sold the fief to the Genoese family of the Grimaldi, who retained it until the 19th century and gave the village its definitive name. The Grimaldi brought from the Republic of Genoa the cult of Saint Limbania and the cultivation of the vine that overwhelmed the landscape of the surrounding hills where the wood was gradually replaced by the vine.

Of the extensive forest of the Orba valley, quoted by Alessandro Manzoni, there were only small crops such as the Savoy Villa Park in San Giacomo (a