Carpeneto: sights, history and trails

It is cited as Castrum Carpani in a 999 document.

The Saracens, with their incursions, went into the Ligurian-Pymontesi valleys and in the year 999 destroyed the convent of S. Donino, located in the current Magnona Estate. The inhabitants who lived near the convent, after the raid, fled and settled their settlement on the nearby height, safer and far from the passages of the priests, the current hamlet Madonna della Villa. The historical quotation of these events is found in a Latin language document in which Anselmo di Monferrato authorizes the foundation of the Abbey of San Quintino di Spigno following the destruction of the abbey of the Saviour of Giusvalla operated by Saracens.[4]

It was then fief of the Aleramics, marquises of Monferrato, in whose possession they were confirmed by Barbarossa in 1164. In 1191 the Angevins, allies of Alessandria, they took Carpeneto from the marquis of Monferrato who only partially reacquired it after the peace of 1203. In 1305, following a marriage, the fiefdom passed under the Spinola family. At the beginning of 1600 there were three families who owned it: the Tortonesi, the Roberti and the Soavi.^[4] In 1500 he passed into feud to the Tortonesi, nobles of Alba and in 1567 to Roberti di Acqui and in 1574 to the Soavi. In 1603 the castle of Carpeneto was purchased by Vincenzo I Gonzaga, successor of the Palaologhi, and immediately sold, for political and economic reasons, to the Genoese Giovan Giorgio Marini. Then came the turn of the Dukes of Mantua who immediately sold to the Genoese Giovan Giorgio Marini. In 1618 it was purchased by the Marquis Maria Salvago wife of Antonio Grillo, Duke of Mondragone. In the period following the eversion of feudalism, the only castle was Count Giovanni Gerolamo Rolla (1825) and then the Pallavicini family (1841), relatives of the noble Soavi family of Monticelli d’Ongina. The Soavi, once known as “Soave” (de Suavis), were also tied to the historical events of this territory, leaving a lasting impression in the history of the country. They represented the fief with the title of Consignori di Carpeneto, held together with Pallavicino.

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