Quargnento: sights, history and trails

The Roman origin of Quargnento is witnessed, as well as by historical quotations also from some archaeological finds, among which a tombstone of the Roman period that mentions the gens Posilla, Roman families permanently settled in the nearby area Tortona around 200 B.C. I was supposedly born as a Roman military garrison in strategic position to control the tribe of the States, which occupied large areas of the Apennines and the Monferrato, Quargnento was preserved as a stable settlement of the Romans even after the end of the Gallic war and was gradually transformed into a large agricultural village, which the nearby Roman cities of Hasta Pompeia, Derthona, Augusta Taurinorum certainly resorted to for their needs.

With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Quargnento became a patronage of the bishop-conte of Asti, which represented the closest established center of power. Towards the end of this historical period, in 907 an important episode occurred, the translation of the relics of the Christian martyr Dalmatius to Quargnento, ordered by the Bishop of Asti, Audace, being Pedona subject to raids by the Saracens. Even in this case, although the fact is certain (the relics are still kept and venerated in Quargnento), there are disagreements about the date of the event, which some believe dates back to an earlier period.

Quargnento was the subject of important royal and imperial privileges: Berengario and Adalberto, both King of Italy to Longobards, with act of 25 May 935^{[not clear]} they established a market at the Calends of each month; Emperor Henry III, with act of 19 January 1041^{[not clear]} , later confirmed by Pope Eugene III II 16 May 1158^{[not clear]} , identified among the lands in possession of the Bishop of Asti, Quargnento with castle, church and appurtenances.

Quargnento was one of the eight settlements, called Static^[8], who contributed to the foundation of the city of Alessandria in the second half of the 12th century^{[Biblio 1]}. Forty families, by order of the Bishop of Asti, settled in the civitas nova.

The city of Alessandria was born^[10], it was initially founded by the demic union of Castellazzo Bormida (Gamondio), Marenghum (Marengo) e Bergolium (Bergoglio). This can be seen in the text of Emperor Frederick's complaints against Cremona in 1184 where he indicates the promoters and authors of the foundation of the new city: de tribus locis, Gamunde vicelicet et Meringin et Burgul. The name of the meeting place is not described, although it seems already indicated with a certain precision in the specification of the site on Tanaro where the transfer was shorter: Bergoglio^{[bibliography 2]}. The three places mentioned were added later Roboretum (Rovereto), Solero (Solero), Forum (Villa del Foro), Oviglio (Oviglio) e Quarries. In this the populations were supported, economically, by the "Superba" and by the municipalities of the Lombard League in contrast with the Marquisate of Monferrato, main ally of Frederick Barbarossa.

The official foundation date of Alexandria is 3 May 1168, although at that time it has already reached a topographic, urban and administrative configuration defined. The name "Alessandria", confirmed later, will be assumed in honor of Pope Alexander III, a broad supporter of the Lombard League's actions against the Holy Roman Empire and who had excommunicated Frederick Barbarossa.

In the 13th century, there was a definitive conclusion of the disputes between the bishops' jurisdictions of Asti and Alessandria on the "Bishopric Mass" of Quargnento, with the intake of the quargnentino territory in Alexandria.
From this moment on the history of Quargnento follows that of the nearby capital: Municipality against Federico Barbarossa, which seems to have established just to Quargnento his headquarters, suffered the retaliation of the Emperor who, angry for failure in the siege of Alessandria, destroyed and burned the castle Quargnento to the point that of such construction there was no trace, except for the dialectal saying "a chaste" (to the castle) to indicate the area where it stood.

Quargnento later passed under the domination of the Visconti-Sforza of Milan, to whose Duchy was given in fief in 1467.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries he followed the alternating events of Franco-Hispanic wars; a miraculous circumstance (now remembered every year with a religious ceremony called "Allegrezze" in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary) made Quargnento immune to the plague of 1630.

In 1723 Quargnento, who became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, was assigned to the Marchesa Vittoria Ghilini Cuttica di Cassine, whose last descendant, Giulia, was related in the early 20th century with the noble house of Barons Guidobono Cavalchini Garofoli of Tortona, still owner of land and the 18th century villa built in 1763.

On November 5, 2019 the country was the scene of a serious crime of black chronicle that saw as victims three firefighters, an event called "Quargnento massacre".

The coat of arms and gonfalone of the municipality of Quargnento were granted by decree of the President of the Republic of 22 October 1987.^[11]

In the coat of arms are symbolized the most important periods in the history of the Municipality: under the episcopal jurisdiction of Asti (the silver cross and the bishop's miter in the red field) and under that of Alessandria (silver, with the red cross) and later under the Visconti-Sforza family of Milan (the biscione).^[13]

The banner is a blue cloth.

Inhabitants registered^[15]

• Cinemacorto in Quargnento, annual short film festival started in 1999 and suspended in 2006 for economic difficulties. The First Prize was titled to sociologist Maria Teresa Torti.
• Award of narrative and poetry "Gian Stefano Primo Raiteri", in memory of the homonymous poet quargnentino. Annual competition started in 1998, biennial since 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 (10th edition with publication of the book "The Muses sing..." Florilegio of the G.S.P. Literary Competition Raiteri) and 2012.
• Estemporanea of painting The street of the house dedicated to the famous quargnentino painter Carlo Carrà. Editions 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
• Symposium of Sculpture in tufa del Monferrato, editions 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

• Patronal/aubergine festival (first edition in 2005), curated by Pro loco and the Municipality. Last weekend of August
• Gold Spiga Festival. Curated by the Pro loco and the Municipality. The 1st weekend of June

• Coubon.