Serravalle Scrivia
Encyclopedia
Serravalle Scrivia is a comune
(municipality) 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
.
Serravalle Scrivia borders the following municipalities: Arquata Scrivia
, Cassano Spinola
, Gavi
, Novi Ligure
, Stazzano
, and Vignole Borbera
.
city of Libarna after the destruction of that city in 452 AD.
From 1122 Serravalle Scrivia belonged to the bishops of Tortona, until they ceded it to the commune of Tortona
, in exchange for the defence of their lands. Later it was an imperial fief, belonging to the Spinola
(1313), the Visconti (1381), the Adorno (1391), and the Spinola again from 1482. In 1580 it became part of the Spanish-held Duchy of Milan
; after the War of Spanish Succession, in 1713, it became part of the Austrian Empire
.
In 1738, together with the Tortona area, the settlement was acquired by the Kingdom of Sardinia
-Piedmont. In 1745, in the course of the War of Austrian Succession, it was briefly occupied by Franco-Spanish troops. In 1798, after the Napoleonic
invasion of Piedmont, it was annexed to the Ligurian Republic
; the French, who had conquered Serravalle after the battle of Marengo, had its castle destroyed. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna
restored the town to the House of Savoy
.
In 1935 the A7 Genoa
-Serravalle motorway was inaugurated, this became the fastest connection from Turin
and Milan
to the sea.
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 of 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 25 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...
.
Serravalle Scrivia 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....
, Cassano Spinola
Cassano Spinola
Cassano Spinola is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southeast of Alessandria...
, Gavi
Gavi (commune)
Gavi is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km southeast of Alessandria....
, 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....
, Stazzano
Stazzano
Stazzano is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km southeast of Alessandria...
, and Vignole Borbera
Vignole Borbera
Vignole Borbera is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 30 km southeast of Alessandria...
.
History
The settlement was probably founded by the inhabitants of the RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
city of Libarna after the destruction of that city in 452 AD.
From 1122 Serravalle Scrivia belonged to the bishops of Tortona, until they ceded it to the commune of Tortona
Tortona
Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.-History:...
, in exchange for the defence of their lands. Later it was an imperial fief, belonging to the Spinola
Spinola
Spinola may refer to:*Spinola family a leading political family in Genoa in the 13th and 14th Centuries.-People:* Battista Spinola, 16th century Doge of Genoa* Benedict Spinola , a 16th century Genoese merchant in London...
(1313), the Visconti (1381), the Adorno (1391), and the Spinola again from 1482. In 1580 it became part of the Spanish-held Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
; after the War of Spanish Succession, in 1713, it became part of the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
.
In 1738, together with the Tortona area, the settlement was acquired by 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...
-Piedmont. In 1745, in the course of the War of Austrian Succession, it was briefly occupied by Franco-Spanish troops. In 1798, after the Napoleonic
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
invasion of Piedmont, it was annexed to the Ligurian Republic
Ligurian Republic
The Ligurian Republic was a short-lived French client republic formed by Napoleon on 14 June 1797. It consisted of the old Republic of Genoa which covered most of the Ligurian region of Northwest Italy, and the small Imperial fiefs owned by the House of Savoy inside its territory...
; the French, who had conquered Serravalle after the battle of Marengo, had its castle destroyed. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
restored the town to the House of 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...
.
In 1935 the A7 Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
-Serravalle motorway was inaugurated, this became the fastest connection from 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 Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
to the sea.