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Situated at 123 m., on the left of the Tanaro, in the beautiful Monferrato hills, the town was once a Ligurian settlement and Roman municipality, it was occupied by the Ostrogoths, the Lombards (569) and the Franks (774). In 961 Ottone I appointed bishop Brunego as ruler of city an of all his lands. Pillaged in 1154 by Frederick I Barbarossa, in 1159 the Commune was recognized by the emperor, and in 1168 joined the Lega Lombarda, to return on the side of the emperor during his fifth descent in Italia (during the truce of Venezia of 1177 and the peace of Costanza Asti was on the emperor's side). The end of the XIII century saw the start of the struggle between the Solaro and Castello families. The Solaro were casted out from the city in 1303 and the Castello in 1304 when the Savoia became rulers of the city, followed by the Monferrato and the Visconti. |