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THE CITY OF TORTONA

Tortona, the heir of a history of commerce and treasuries, but also of hard conflicts and infinite rivalries, is today a city devoted to the future of the economic and social growth and to the promotion of its resources, its products and its beauties. A dinner in Tortona is in fact a continuous comings and goings of delicious dishes, from the "anlot" (pasta with meat stuffing) to the truffles, from the cakes to the wines, above all the Cortese, the Dolcetto and the Barbera.

Correspondent to the ancient Ligurian Derthona (the ancient term “Derton” meant castle), Tortona was founded a second time by the Romans in occasion of the construction in 148 BC of the Via Postumia that was intended to connect Piacenza and Genoa. Between the first cities in Italy to become a free town council, Tortona managed to grow and to get on with the alliances and the fights during the difficult feudal period. Only in 1155 Frederick the Red Beard, after a memorable besieges, conquered and destroyed it. Rebuilt by the Milanese, it was newly caught by the Emperor in 1162, but, with the victory of the Visconti in Lombardy, it was one of the objects of their ambitions and, after several vicissitudes, it finished in their possession in 1347. It followed therefore the fates of the Dukedom of Milan, until, with the treaty of Vienna of 1738, it became part of the Savoia territories

In 1773 Vittorio Amedeo III built a powerful fortress, that was occupied by the French in 1796 and by the Austian-Russians in 1799, until returned to France in 1801, after having been at the centre of the Napoleonic presence in Italy and base of its manoeuvering during the battle of Marengo on June 14 1800. Result of these last events was the destruction of the “castle”: only the tower remained and now it has become the symbol of Tortona. The Italian period finally sanctioned the definitive consolidation of this rich and active city, even if, like the entire Country, the city had to pay to the world conflict its tribute of blood: in March of 1944 ten partisans were shot in the Castle, for a pure reprisal.

The city has today several significant monuments, among which we suggest:

- the Basilica of the Madonna della Guardia;

- the church of the Garofoli Tower;

- the Dome.

beyond the roman testimonies (between which the “Sepolcro di Maiorano”), the medieval rests (with the remarkable “small house of the well”), the Civic Theatre and the historical centre, with many and beautiful churches