Atlas of Monferrato

Vignole Borbera: sights, history and trails

Alessandria

Elevation: 243 m above sea level
Area: 8,65 km2
Demonym: vignolesi (in dialect of Vigneuleisi)
Patron saint: San Lorenzo

A closer look

Discovering Vignole Borbera

Vignole Borbera (Vinegar Borbaja in Piedmontese, And Vigneue in ligure) is an Italian town of 2 073 inhabitants^[1] from the province of Alessandria in the Piemonte.

Located in the Borbera valley, in the alluvial plain of the homonymous stream (which in Precipiano confluences in Scrivia), is about halfway between Alessandria and Genoa, at the slopes of Mount Spineto (468 m).

Landscape and area

Region · ClimateExplore this chapter

Region

The municipality is part of the Union Montana Valle Borbera and Valle Spinti; it is from Alessandria 35 km and from Genoa 48 km.

Seismic classification: zone 3 (low-seism), Ordinance PCM n. 3274 of 20/03/2003

Climate

From the legislative point of view the municipality of Vignole Borbera falls in the climatic classification And as the Grades day of the city are 2660, therefore maximum limit allowed for the ignition of heating is 14 hours daily from 15 October to 15 April^[4]. It has a fairly high snowfall, with around 70/80 cm of accumulation per year.

Origins of the name

The toponym derives from the Latin Vineola, a term that can be "small plot of land cultivated with vineyard"; it is associated with a determining factor indicating the stream...Explore this chapter

The toponym would derive from the Latin Vinegar, a term that can be referred to as "small plot of land cultivated with vines"; it is associated with a determinant indicating the Borbera stream, on whose bed the town lies.

History of Vignole Borbera

SymbolsExplore this chapter

Vignole Borbera in the map Imperial Feudi of the in. Carlo Borgonio from the 17th century.

It is hypothesized that the center was founded by the Romans as agro of nearby Libarna under the name Vinegar.

The oldest safe information on its existence dates from the year 1000, when it is mentioned as a territory belonging to the Abbey of San Pietro di Precipiano (at that time administratively autonomous center).

Having become a fortified village, it was subjected to the Republic of Genoa, which territorially recomposed it in the curia of Gavi; in the 14th century he also enjoyed the status of free common.

Entered the orbit of the duchy of Milan, in 1405 he was infeuded by Filippo Maria Visconti to the Lonati family together with Varinella di Milano Arquata Scrivia. In 1692, Bernardo Luigi Lonati obtained from Charles III of Spain the erection of the fiefdom into a marquisate.

In 1752 he passed to the Savoy (with Tortona) in 1752 and followed its fortunes. In 1797 he joined with Borghetto di Borbera of the Ligurian Republic, then from 1805 he joined the French Empire and since 1815 he was part of the Province of Novi in Liguria, from which it was detached with the Decree Rattazzi in 1859, just before the Unity of Italy.

In 1797, the dissolved municipality of Precipiano was established; in 1815, it was separated from the town by Borghetto di Borbera.

In 2004 Vignole Borbera received the attention of the national media becoming the first municipality in Italy administered by a female mayor of non-Italian nationality, English Susan Lesley Thomas, born in Woking (Surrey) on 27 January 1956, who held office from 14 June 2004 to 30 August 2008.^[5]

Symbols

Heraldic description of the coat of arms, granted together with the gonfalone by decree of the President of the Republic on 2 June 1962^[6]:

"From the blue, to the square tower of silver, walled of black, open and window of the same, merlata of four pieces to the guelfa, accompanied in the left canton of the head from a bunch of black grapes to the natural, leafy of a piece of green, and in the right canton of the tip by a golden bee, whipped. It stamps the shield a mural crown from Commune, formed by a circle open by four pusterles (three visible) with two wall-mounted lanyards on the margins, supporting a belt, opened by sixteen doors (nine visible) each surmounted by a garbelline-tailed crenellation, all of silver and black walled. Decused, under the tip of the shield, and divergent are two branches natural, one olive tree and one of oak bound by a red bow.»

The square tower refers to the only surviving vestige of the ancient abbey of Precipiano (which was incorporated into the estate built by the Cauvin family), the grape represents the vines that gave rise to the town's name and the bee symbolizes man's work.

The gonfalone is a drape party of white and blue.

The Abbey Tower of Precipiano and Villa Ernesto Cauvin

What to see in Vignole Borbera

Explore this chapter

Church of San Lorenzo Martire
Our Lady of the Chioccale
Castello di Precipiano

Society

Demographic evolution · Foreign ethnic groups and minoritiesExplore this chapter

Demographic evolution

Vignole Borbera consists of 951 families. In the period 1991-2001 it had an increase of 2.3% of the population according to the ISTAT census, coming largely from Genoa. However, as can be seen from the chart, demographic growth began in 1961. Noise residents^[7]

Foreign ethnic groups and minorities

The following are the three largest groups of foreigners (as at 31 December 2007):

Pos.	Citizenship	Population
1	Morocco	42
2	Romania	38
3	Albania	29
	Other nationalities	34
	TOTAL	143

Infrastructure and transport

Roads · Bus · RailwaysExplore this chapter

Roads

Vignole Borbera is located along the Strada Provinciale 140 "of Borbera valley", which connects the municipality with the Highway 35 of Giovi.

The municipality is also served by the A7 motorway "dei Giovi", through the exit Vignole-Arquata.

Bus

Vignole is connected to Novi Ligure by means of the bus line managed by Car lines Val Borbera.

Railways

The nearest railway station is Arquata Scrivia, served by the Turin-Genua and Milan-Genova railway line, which is about 3 km from the centre of Vignole Borbera.

Administration

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

The municipal palace of Vignole Borbera photographed in 1941.

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

Period		First citizen	Match	Load	Notes
July 15, 1985	June 27, 1990	Franco May	independent	Mayor	^[8]
June 27, 1990	April 24, 1995	Franco May	Italian Socialist Party	Mayor	^[8]
April 24, 1995	June 14, 1999	Paolo Federico Caviglia	center	Mayor	^[8]
June 22, 1999	June 14, 2004	Paolo Federico Caviglia	civic list	Mayor	^[8]
June 14, 2004	August 28, 2008	Susan Lesley Thomas	civic list	Mayor	^[8]
August 28, 2008	June 8, 2009	Paola Fioravanti	-	Prefectious Commissioner	^[8]
June 8, 2009	May 26, 2014	Giuseppe Teti	civic list	Mayor	^[8]
May 26, 2014	May 26, 2019	Giuseppe Teti	you with us	Mayor	^[8]
May 26, 2019	June 9, 2024	Giuseppe Teti	list civic Vignole common goal	Mayor	^[8]
June 9, 2024	in office	Giuseppe Teti	list civic Vignole common goal	Mayor	^[8]

Sport

The football team is the Vignolese Sports Union; founded in 1919, it has always miliated in the Piedmontese regional championships.Explore this chapter