Cunico: sights, history and trails

Cunico stands on a hill of the last northwest corner of Monferrato and the extension of the territory occupies almost 7 square kilometers (671 hectares). The territory has a typically hilly conformation and alternates areas cultivated in wooded areas.

The first settlements in the present municipal territory are dated in a very near time to the conquest of Gaul by the Roman people. There was a Roman road that conjugated Hasta (Asti) ad Industry (Monteu da Po), from which one reached Tribe (locality between Monteu da Po and Lauriano); here there was a bridge which, crossing the Po, allowed this road to continue up to Vitio (Santhià) and therefore to definitively join the Via Emilia in Vercelli. It is precisely along this road, therefore in the part where the cemetery is currently located, that Cunico probably arose as a changing station. In fact, until not long ago, building material from the Roman era was frequently found in the area. The very first certain references to the territory and to the name of Cunico date back to the 10th century, as can be read in the news regarding San Martino and Ponengo.

Then it will take about one hundred years before the Lords of Cunico enter into a dispute between the great Italian feudal families and the Saxon emperors. The support of these Lords to Arduino, king of Italy, provoked in 1014 the confiscation of their lands by Emperor Henry II the Bavarian, who gave them to the Bishop of Vercelli, Leo.

In 1164 Cunico was handed over by Federico I Barbarossa, along with Montiglio, to the Marchesi del Monferrato, of which it will follow its destiny in the centuries to come.

In 1462 the Miroglio family gave Cunico its statutes, which were recently restored and found in the reorganized Municipal Historical Archives.

The only architectural testimony of those centuries, the Castle that stood on the hill behind the Parish Church, was unfortunately partially destroyed in 1613 during one of the wars of succession to the Marquisate of Monferrato which fought at the borders of the territory of Cunico. The final demolition of the structure took place in 1861.

In addition to the main nucleus, Cunico includes in its territory ten other places (Bricco Forca, Case Graglia, Case Negro, Castelletto, Lustra, Ronco, Stazione, Valcroce, Vallera, Vallera sul Bricco) located on the hills and valleys.

The economy of Cunico, based almost exclusively on the agricultural activity of small landowners, has known in recent decades deep mutations. Workers in this vital sector have decreased, but at the same time they have refined their specialization, focusing mainly on wine production and maintaining crops of wheat, maize and forage.

In recent years there has been a considerable development of hazelnut cultivation, which finds in the common soil the ideal conditions for its development.

On the territory of Cunico there are special areas with a strong truffle vocation, where you can find both black truffles and the well-precious white truffles, the precious Trifole.

In addition to cultivation activities, we find several farms of cattle and pigs, in some of which we also provide for slaughtering, processing and marketing of meat in full respect of the natural biological cycle.

In the country there are also companies operating in the field of food production, mechanics, construction and marble processing and finally it is based in Cunico also the manufacturer of one of the most prestigious Italian grappas.

The Cunico-Scandeluzza stop, activated in 1912 as the Cunico-Colcavagno station, was located along the discontinued Chivasso-Asti railway, whose operation was definitively suspended in 2011.

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