Monleale: sights, history and trails

The ancient village rises on the top of a hill that reaches 320 m s.l.m., on the left bank of the Curone stream. Other hills extend south of this, such as Monte Lanate (342 m a.s.l.) and, even further south, Mount Cenelli, 439 m high.^[4]

The main center, the townhouse, was built in the 20th century at the bottom of the valley, along the banks of the Curone, and is located about 184 m asl.

The name for the first time appears in a document of 1172, when some nobles of the area donate in fief to bishop of Tortona Oberto and the consuls of the city, Mount of the Forca hereinafter referred Mons Legalis,^[5] that seems to derive from the noun ‘monte’ followed by the personal name ‘Leale’, from which the surname ‘Leali’ came. Another possible hypothesis is that 'legalis' refer to legis (of the law in Latin), therefore with the sense of "legal" or "mount of the law",^[6] that it would therefore wait for the exercise of justice with its death sentences performed therein.

Also in the already mentioned document of 1172, it is read that on the hill a castle with moats and three towers was built.^[7] After the bishops of Tortona, there is a fief ceded by Filippo Maria Visconti in 1403 to Perino Cameri, as payment of a debt of 1 500 florins,^[8] and kept from his descendants until 1727, to which the Calcamuggi of Alessandria.

At the beginning of the duchy of Maximilian Sforza, Ghibelline, the castle will be destroyed by a fire hanged by the inhabitants of the neighbouring Volpedo, led by Marquis Bernabò Malaspina, part Guelph. The castle will never be rebuilt again. On 12 July 1513 Duke Sforza sent a commissioner to Volpedo to restore order and punishment, with the help of 300 monleales, he knocked down the walls of the village.^[9]

With the birth of the kingdom of Italy and the introduction of the mandates (from 1859 to 1926), Monleale entered Volpedo's commission, as part of the around Tortona.

In 1885 the current road between Monleale and Monleale was built. Castellar Guidobono, on which the tramway Tortona-Monleale will run between 1889 and 1933 which, together with the construction of the bridge with Volpedo in 1856,^[10] replacing the old wood,^[11] will favour the settlement of houses along the left bank of the Curone, giving rise to what will become low Monleale.

Between 1929 and 1947 Monleale, together with the municipalities of Berzano di Tortona And Volpeglino, became part of Volpedo^[12].

During the 20th century Monleale Bass became the most populous fraction and here, in 1964, from the historic village on top of the hill is transferred the municipal seat.^[13]

Between 6 and 7 October 1977 a serious flood fell down on the bottom Piemonte^[14] causes significant damage^[15] to the activities and dwellings along the Curone.

• On top of the hill stands the ancient "oratory of the Blessed Virgin of Gonfalone. Built at the beginning of the 18th century and finished in 1742 by order of Count Pietro Guidobone. In this oratory the Brotherhood of the Blessed Virgin of Gonfalone, disciplined according to the rule of San Carlo, with twenty brothers dressed with a white hood, intervenes in processions and public functions."^[17]
• In Cà del Pep, until the early 21st century, a centuries-old oak tree was growing, now dried, considered monumental plant, whose trunk had reached the 575 cm.^[18] The plant, called in some scientific publications from Monleale,^[19] was known in the area as the I'm going to go, the "quercione" in the local dialect.^[20]

Between 1889 and 1934 Monleale was the head of a steam tram to Tortona.

The economy is mainly agricultural. In Monleale, since 1993, the cooperative Volpedo Frutta has been established which brings together local producers^[23] and holds some trade marks related to the fruits of the area.^[24]

Since the 1990s, some local farms have specialised in the cultivation of Timorasso.^[25]

Below is a table which lists the administrations that have happened in this municipality from separation with Volpedo, in 1948, to date.

Monleale has a sports hockey company online. The most representative team was the Hockey Club Monleale Sportleale that from 2009 to 2023 miliated in the top division of the Italian hockey championship in-line. Male and female youth teams have won various championships and trophies.