Gavi (commune)
Encyclopedia
Gavi is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Alessandria
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, located about 100 km southeast of Turin
and about 30 km southeast of Alessandria
.
Gavi borders the following municipalities: Arquata Scrivia
, Bosio
, Carrosio
, Francavilla Bisio
, Isola del Cantone
, Novi Ligure
, Parodi Ligure
, San Cristoforo
, Serravalle Scrivia
, Tassarolo
, and Voltaggio.
times; later it perhaps housed a Roman military outpost defending the Via Postumia
. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
it was captured by the Magyars and later by the Saracens. According to the legend, the current name would derive from that of a princess of the latter, Gavia or Gavina, who had established herself in a castle here.
Later in the Middle Ages the town was under the Marquisses of Gavi, allied with Frederick Barbarossa, who took refuge here after the Battle of Legnano
. In 1202 Gavi was sold to the Republic of Genoa
. After a parenthesis under the Visconti
and France, it returned to Genoa in 1528.
In 1625 , during the First Genoese-Savoyard War, it was attacked and stormed by French-Savoy
troops, but the Genoese retook it after only 21 days. It was decided to turn Gavi into a powerful fortress. After a French domination from 1804, in 1915 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Sardinia
.
The fortress was later turned into a penitentiary; during World War II
it was used as a POW camp.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Alessandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, located about 100 km southeast of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and about 30 km southeast of Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
.
Gavi borders the following municipalities: Arquata Scrivia
Arquata Scrivia
Arquata Scrivia is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 35 km southeast of Alessandria....
, Bosio
Bosio
Bosio is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 35 km southeast of Alessandria....
, Carrosio
Carrosio
Carrosio is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 156 km southeast of Turin and about 45 km southeast of Alessandria. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 468 and an area of 7.2 km².Carrosio borders the following...
, Francavilla Bisio
Francavilla Bisio
Francavilla Bisio is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southeast of Alessandria....
, Isola del Cantone
Isola del Cantone
Isola del Cantone is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 25 km north of Genoa....
, Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure
Novi Ligure is a town and comune north of Genoa, in the Piedmont region of the province of Alessandria of northwest Italy.The town produces food, iron, steel, and textiles. It is an important junction for both road and railroad....
, Parodi Ligure
Parodi Ligure
Parodi Ligure is a comune in the province of Alessandria, part of Piedmont, in northwest Italy.-History:Evidence of the existence of the Parodi Ligure region goes back as early as 937 when it was identified as "Palode." It later was assigned to the Castiglione monastery. The town was fortified...
, San Cristoforo
San Cristoforo
San Cristoforo is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km southeast of Alessandria...
, Serravalle Scrivia
Serravalle Scrivia
Serravalle Scrivia is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southeast of Alessandria....
, Tassarolo
Tassarolo
Tassarolo is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southeast of Alessandria. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 598 and an area of 7.1 km².Tassarolo borders the following...
, and Voltaggio.
History
The area of Gavi was already settled in NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times; later it perhaps housed a Roman military outpost defending the Via Postumia
Via Postumia
The Via Postumia was an ancient Roman road of northern Italy constructed in 148 BC by the consul Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus.It ran from the coast at Genua through the mountains to Dertona, Placentia and Cremona, just east of the point where it crossed the Po River...
. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
it was captured by the Magyars and later by the Saracens. According to the legend, the current name would derive from that of a princess of the latter, Gavia or Gavina, who had established herself in a castle here.
Later in the Middle Ages the town was under the Marquisses of Gavi, allied with Frederick Barbarossa, who took refuge here after the Battle of Legnano
Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was fought on May 29, 1176, between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the Lombard League.-The Lombard League:...
. In 1202 Gavi was sold to the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
. After a parenthesis under the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
and France, it returned to Genoa in 1528.
In 1625 , during the First Genoese-Savoyard War, it was attacked and stormed by French-Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
troops, but the Genoese retook it after only 21 days. It was decided to turn Gavi into a powerful fortress. After a French domination from 1804, in 1915 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
.
The fortress was later turned into a penitentiary; during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used as a POW camp.
Main sights
- The fortress, rebuilt in the 18th century around the pre-existing castle.
- Church of San Giacomo Maggiore, in RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style - Municipal Palace. Remains of its medieval line of wall can be seen today.
- Franciscan convent of Nostra Signora dele Grazie della Valle, outside the town (18th century). It houses a statue of St. Bernardino and a painting of the Virgin from the 15th century.