Sant'Agata Fossili: sights, history and trails

Built as inhabited around a chapel dedicated to the saint from which he took his name, it has historically remained in dispart compared to the most famous Podigliano or Pugliano, now part of the municipality. Podigliano, the territory of the bishop of Tortona, was the first capital of the domain called "Vescovato". However, more detailed information of the small chapel of Sant'Agata is found only in the 13th century, when a number of settlements began to be concentrated around it, and at 1277 the first mention of the village of Sant'Agata dates back to the first mention.

In 1284 he was curia and became also common before 1311. Further historical information about the country informs us that at the time of the factions followed the Ghibelline part, in 1359 the Podestà of Tortona suspended for six months the sentences pronounced against the inhabitants of Sant'Agata, who in the meantime had to pay a bail of 1000 golden florins. In 1407 the village was infeuded to Antonio Rampini, depending on the curia of Podiliano. Bishop Barbavara (1435-1451) due to the sterility of the soil obtained from Viscounts exemptions from many taxes.

The ancient chapel, turned to the east, was erected parish in 1575 (first pastor was Mons. Andrea Giacobone, Milanese patrizio, who died in Sant'Agata in 1580; in 1703 the church was elevated to the rank of parish church and the rector therefore had the title of archprite: in this year the parish counted 670 souls distributed between Sant'Agata (85 families), Podigliano (26) and Torre Sterpi (37). The church was completely restored and decorated in 1905-1906 by Gambini and the façade was radically modified in 1921; the church is named after Sant'Agata, which is celebrated on February 5.

From the second half of the 19th century, especially due to the impetus of the Corazza archpriest, the cultivation of the vine developed.

The addition of the specification "Fossili" had it in 1871 due to the many fossils found in the surrounding land.

There.11 April 2003 the municipality was epicentre of a sisma of considerable intensity, whose shock, around 11,30, was equal to magnitude 4,6 of the Richter scale: there were wounded, evacuations of schools and public buildings. Entering the village, the temporary housing created to displace the inhabitants from the pericolating houses and need for renovation is still visible.

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

• Giuseppe Bonavoglia, Eraldo Canegallo (edited by), Historical research on Sant'Agata Fossili, 1988.
• Eraldo Canegallo, The testimonials of the Community of Sant'Agata con Giusulana. 1776-1792, 1991.
• Eraldo Canegallo, Memory of the used words, 1998.
• Eraldo Canegallo, Sant'Agata Fossili 1900-1945. History and memory, 2006.
• Gian Carlo Vaccari, Sant'Agata Fossili and its communities, 2006.
• Eraldo Canegallo, Dictionary of Diagnosis Sant'Agata Fossili, 2011.
• Eraldo Canegallo, In the court towards Tramontana, 2012.
• Eraldo Canegallo, Stories of Roncoalto, 2023.
• Eraldo Canegallo, Bell sound and drum strep, 2025.