Rocca d'Arazzo: sights, history and trails

Set in ancient Rupes, then Rocca San Genesio and Rocca Ayraci^[4], which had always been a fiefdom belonging to the bishop of Asti, in 1198, bishop Boniface I gave in to the continuous pressure of the Municipality of Asti to leave the fiefdom under their jurisdiction, putting forward the thesis that the bishop did not have sufficient means to defend and maintain such an important bastion on the road to the capital.

On 27 May 1198, the podestà of Asti took possession of the fief of Rocca became from that moment Rocca d'Astisio.

The cession, however, was not approved either by the archbishop of Milan (under whose jurisdiction it was the diocese of Asti), nor by the pope, who considering the act of the excessively arbitrary bishop, removed him from office and invalidated the agreement with the priests.

The rocchesi, too, did not see their passage under the aegis of the municipality of Asti, since they wanted to turn the country into a military stronghold.

For three years then, hostility and clashes broke out between the two factions and only on 29 April 1202 a truce was signed that forced the citizens of Rocca to submit to the Astigian government.^[5]

The Rocchesi accepted the agreement badly, in more than one occasion they turned to the bishop of Asti Guidetto who finally in 1217 referred the matter to the Court of Rome.

Pope Innocent III delegated the pretext of Torino Ottone to address the question that was not accepted by the Astigians.

Then two wise men were appointed to represent one of the Municipality of Asti and the other of the diocese. The question came to no solution, so that a third arbitrator was appointed super partes.

He was appointed bishop Giacomo of Turin, an imperial vicar, assisted by the podestà of Asti Guido di Landriano. In 1221, the decision was nominated: the fief of Rocca would remain to the Church of Asti, but the municipality could have used it as a garrison in defending its territory.

The bishop, in the meantime become James, went a house in the castle "for the holiday". On 8 June 1221, at the Cathedral of Asti, there was a solemn restitution of the fief to the Church of Asti.

Following from 1237 with William I^[6], the Cacherano family had seigneurial rights in the vicariate, although the possession of the fief always remained with the Church of Asti. In the 13th century, the Cacherano family allied themselves with the De Rocca and De Arazzo families and created both an economic (with the opening of pawnshops in Northern Europe) and a matrimonial Hospicium.

In 1305 the castle was besieged by the Prince of Acaja and after twenty days of siege was destroyed. In 1342, the County of Asti passed to Visconti, dukes of Milan.

In February 1379 the bishop of Asti Francesco Morozzo^[7] the castle of Rocca d’Arazzo directly granted to the Duke of Milan Gian Galeazzo Visconti, opening him the way to the definitive insignorment (in Codex Astensis, probably written a few years later, the castle of Rocca d'Arazzo is depicted with the Visconti snake and no longer with the flag of Asti). Gian Galeazzo then enfeoffed the Dal Verme family together with bishop Francesco Morozzo starting from Bartolomeo Dal Verme^[8] who was invested in half of the manor of the lordship of Rocca d'Arazzo, rights inherited by his son Taddeo Dal Verme and his son Eleuterio who left all feuds to the Imperial Count Luigi Dal Verme, count of Bobbio and Voghera.

16 April 1439 Brunone Cacherano^[9] Philip Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan, had the recognition of total possession on Rocca d'Arazzo and feudal investment, followed by the oath of loyalty of the men of Rocca, the investigation was renewed in 1446 and in 1454 in favor of the sons of Cacherano.

In 1499 the county of Asti passed to Louis XII and finally to Emperor Charles V.

John Cacherano obtained the right to beat money from Emperor Charles V in 1538. Of this privilege the Cacheranos never earned themselves.^[10]

In 1705 the fief passed to Casa Savoia.

• Pieve di Santo Stefano e Santa Libera, is a sacred building in Romanesque style dating back to the 11th century which stands at the southern end of the town and is located on a hilltop which dominates the panorama of the valley below Tanaro to Asti; on clear days the view extends to the surrounding hills of Monferrato and to the Alps, from Monviso to Monte Rosa.

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

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• A. White, Asti Medieval, Ed CRA 1960
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  • From charity to credit, C.R.A. 2005
  • Iron, Arleri, Campassi, Antique Cronists Auctionists, ed. dell'Orso 1990 ISBN 88-7649-061-2
• Gabiani Nicola, Asti in his main historical memories vol. 1, 2, 3, Typ. Vinassa 1927-1934
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• Stefano Giuseppe Incisa, Asti in his churches and inscriptions, C.R.A., 1974
• V. Damn it. Asti ancient and noble houses, Il Portichetto, 1982
• A.M. Patron, The Astigian House in Savoy, Dep. Subalpina di storia patria, Turin, 1959
• A. Peyrot, Asti and Astigiano, typ. Torinese Ed., 1983
• Quintino Sella, Codex Astensis qui De Malabayla Comuniter nuncupatur, of the Codex De Malabayla, memory of Quintino Sella, Accademia dei Lincei, Rome 1887.