Atlas of Monferrato

Altavilla Monferrato: sights, history and trails

Alessandria

Elevation: 256 m above sea level
Area: 11.33 km²
Demonym: [Chuckles] 1 ]
Patron saint: San Giulio d'Orta

A closer look

Discovering Altavilla Monferrato

Altavilla Monferrato (Altavila or Autavila in Piedmont) is an Italian municipality of 383 inhabitants^[2] from the province of Alessandria, at Piemonte. It is now included in the register of Italian municipalities with the highest rate of depopulation, after having let go of 24% of residents in just nine years

It is located on the border between the provinces of Alessandria and Asti. It was an agricultural center in the lowlands Monferrato, the territory which it had as its capital Casale Monferrato and as main centres Acqui Terme And Ovada. The town dominates the valley of the Grana stream to the north. On the other side of the valley, on the ridge that slopes towards the south-east, it is located at 205 m above sea level. the Franchini hamlet.

The patron saint of Altavilla Monferrato is Saint Giulio d'Orta, whose anniversary is celebrated on 31 January.

The patron saint of the Franchini fraction is San Defendente, which is celebrated on January 2nd.

History of Altavilla Monferrato

SymbolsExplore this chapter

The territory of the municipality was granted in fief in 1026 to the Abbey of Novalesa, by Emperor Corrado II and was among the countries that settled in 1320 with Teodoro I del Monferrato who included it in his domains by cingendolo of walls and building a castle. Of this ancient manor remains only a few ruins, today incorporated into a residential building built in the most recent era.

The village in 1708 passed under the dominion of Savoia house. Altavilla gave birth in 1773 to Luigi Montiglio di Villanova d'Asti who was president of the Piedmontese senate.

Symbols

The town is identified with the coat of arms depicting the Casato dei Marchesi Bellone.^[5] Freely used by the Municipality and in use since 1861, you can blason: silver, the four-lobed frame bordering full of gold, with four poles of red, to the pure silver band, crossing all over.^[6]

I do. Piedmontese civic coat of arms edited by the Institutional Communications Directorate of the Regional Assembly (2016) describes it "red, to the three gold poles, to the silver uniform. Arms in quadrilobata gothic shape^[7]» as also reported in site of the Municipality.

The coat of arms is sometimes mistakenly reproduced with a blue background instead of gold due to the poor quality of the image that distorts its colors.

What to see in Altavilla Monferrato

Explore this chapter

Church of San Giulio. The parish church of San Giulio preserves inside some works by Guglielmo Caccia, called "il Moncalvo", famous painter from the area. The church was consecrated in 1630 and presents inside theLast Supper by Guglielmo Caccia and the Weddings of Cana by Giulio Musso. The main altar is onyx and has a fine balustrade.
Town Hall Palace, in Savoy style.
Monument to the Falls, erected to remember the victims of the two world wars. Near the monument there is the statue of Liberty, which was designed and built by Paul Landowski, designer of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Society

Demographic evolutionExplore this chapter

Demographic evolution

In the last hundred years, as of 1921, the resident population has decreased by 75%.

Inhabitants registered^[8]

Economy

The economy of the country is purely agricultural and the main resources come from vines producing renowned wines, cereals, vegetables, forage and...Explore this chapter

The economy of the country is purely agricultural and the main resources come from the vines producing renowned wines, cereals, vegetables, forage and livestock breeding, practiced to an increasingly reduced extent. Altavilla boasts two of the oldest distilleries in Italy: l'Ancient distillery of Altavilla, located in Cittadella, e Mazzetti di Altavilla in the country. In the same town of Cittadella, at the distillery of the same name, you can visit the Grappa Museum.

Also in the town of Cittadella is the warehouse of the Bus Company autoservizi, which occupies the structures of the beginning century of the deposit of the old steam tram whose lines from Altavilla reached Casale Monferrato, Asti and Alessandria. In the storage spaces, the "Museum of steam and electric tramways" has been established since 1998.^[9]^[10], which preserves some examples of carriages and steam locomotives.

Infrastructure and transport

Between the end of the 19th and 1935 Altavilla was an important knot for the Astesi Monferrine tranvies: from Altavilla, in fact, the tram lines for Alessandria, Asti...Explore this chapter

Between the end of the nineteenth and 1935 Altavilla was an important knot for the Astesi Monferrine tranvies:^[11] from Altavilla, in fact, the tram lines for Alessandria, Asti and Casale Monferrato started.

Currently it is served only by the Bus Company auto-rail service.

Administration

Below is a table relating to the administrations that have succeeded one another in this municipality.Explore this chapter

Below is a table relating to the administrations that have succeeded one another in this municipality.

Period		First citizen	Match	Load	Notes
June 21, 1985	May 19, 1990	Giulio Bracco	-	Mayor	^[12]
May 19, 1990	April 24, 1995	Enri Bo	Civic list: Hand rod with ears	Mayor	^[12]
April 24, 1995	June 14, 1999	Enri Bo	Civic list: Hand rod with ears	Mayor	^[12]
June 14, 1999	June 14, 2004	Enri Bo	Civic list: Hand rod with ears	Mayor	^[12]
June 14, 2004	June 8, 2009	Pier Giuseppe Fracchia	civic list	Mayor	^[12]
June 8, 2009	May 26, 2014	Pier Giuseppe Fracchia	civic list	Mayor	^[12]
9 June 2014	May 26, 2019	Massimo Arrobbio	Civic list: Hand rod with ears	Mayor	^[12]
May 26, 2019	June 9, 2024	Massimo Arrobbio	Civic list: Hand rod with ears	Mayor	^[12]
June 9, 2024	in office	Massimo Arrobbio	Civic list: Spighe di grano	Mayor	^[12]