Guido Herald
in place names in the province of Cuneo slender recollection of the name is found in Monastero Vasco. Nothing is known of the old political structure - Directors of Terra Alta Langasco. It is reasonable to assume that in Roman times was divided between the towns of Alba Pompeia (now Alba), Aquae Statiellae (Acqui Terme), Pollentia (Pollenzo) and Augusta Bagiennorum (Benevagienna).
Finds of gravestones at St. John Sale, more precisely in carts, with citations of Pobilia gens, leading to suppose that the ancient and powerful town hall Ingaunorum Alba (Albingaunia, then Albenga) would include the Val Tanaro up Ceva and spaced at the Langa Ceban famous for its dairy cows, low stature, and for its cheese market in Rome, as documented by writers Columella and Pliny the Elder.
Val Bormida of the West, to Millesimo, was probably part of the municipality of Alba, the plaques found in Gorzegno and Vintage, which is cited in the gens Camilla who gave Rome the Emperor Pertinax.
Val Bormida of the East, to Spigno, belonged to the town hall instead of Aquae Statiellae.
Certainly the "Terra Alta Langasco" was affected by a major road network, very old, which connects the Monferrato and sub-alpine valley with ports riparian of Vada Sabatia and Albenga
The later times, overwhelmed by the barbarian invasions, are immersed in the deepest darkness. There are vague and fragmentary reports of the Byzantine forts: fortifications, since the invasion of the Lombards was stopped for more than fifty years from prepared defenses along the river Stura Tanaro. The dark slightly thin out until the last, worst invasion of the Saracens!
E 'at this point that emerges from the darkness of the little light imperial diploma dated 23 March 967, written by Otto I in Ravenna. In this document, which some historians do not feel authentic, but the tampered copy of an original has been lost, are mentioned sixteen curtes located in locis desertis as "Terra Alta Langasco! There is described a land emptied of men listed as "desertis locis" means the Waste! The 16
curtes are native to the core brand Aleramo for granted: the leader who had finally defeated the invading Saracens, according to tradition. Tradition is not confirmed by historical documents.
The only historical record on the Saracen invasion in Piedmont in Chronicon Novaliciensis is given, which relates how in 906 the abbot of the prestigious William Novalesa Abbey was forced to a stampede, with its monks, carrying the relic more preziosa, quella di San Secondo, martire della legione Tebea; ma non esiste un riferimento preciso ai Saraceni, agli Arabi, ai berberi islamizzati. Tant’è che alcuni storici si spingono a considerare l’invasione araba una favola, proliferata in epoca romantica, nonotante nella toponomastica abbondino località come “Casa saracene”, “case del Moro”...
La marca aleramica presentava confini precisi, specificati nel diploma ottoniano: era delimitata dal fiume Tanaro a occidente e a settentrione, dal torrente Orba a oriente e dal Mare Ligure a meridione; il Vasto originario! E del Vasto la “Terra Alta Langasca” ne era il cuore, l’essenza!
Da allora i discendenti di Aleramo became known as the "Marquis of Waste".
Later, between the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the Vast or Guasco year old and very much swelled to identify with the domain of the Marquis Bonaficio, covering roughly the current provinces of Asti, Alessandria, Cuneo, Imperia and Savona, the Roya Valley. One was remarkable for its time!
Abbey Novalesa
Early in the twelfth century, the Marquis Boniface was one of the most illustrious princes of the Holy Roman Empire and boasted personal friendships with popes and emperors. He was the son of Berta and Tete and on the brand Aleramica reigned for forty years: 1090 to 1130. His story is exemplary for the age in which he lived and, in addition marked by four marriages with several children.
The scant information about him suggest that Boniface did not hesitate to fight Manfredo brothers Anselmo and to ensure their dominance on the brand of his father. Legend has it that in the quarrel with Anselm had crept a matter of heart: Bonifacio madly in love with the bride's brother. ("Woman desponsata" already committed, it is written in old parchments). A woman of extraordinary beauty.
Boniface Anselm and eliminated in some way managed to marry her, provoking the ire of Pope Gregory VII, famous for Canossa. That warlike Pope non esitò a scomunicarlo nell’anno 1079 e impose ai vescovi di Torino, Acqui e Asti di opporsi in ogni modo a quel matrimonio “che gridava vendetta al cospetto di Dio”. Per contro, l’antipapa Clemente III, fedele alleato dell’imperatore, lo assolse; ma i figli che nacquero da quel matrimonio tormentato furono considerati illegittimi dal diritto canonico.
Qualche anno dopo la giovane marchesa morì, forse per un parto, e Bonifacio convolò in seconde nozze con Alice di Savoia, figlia di Pietro, conte di Susa, e da quell’unione nacquero cinque figli: Tete, Pietro, Manfredo, Ugo, Guglielmo, e una figlia, Adelaide.
Alice di Savoia, marchesa notoriamente virtuosa, che si denudava sotto the blankets to her husband for undisclosed "foul as Eva, died in 1111. Now the prolific Bonifacio, who was resigned to the role of inconsolable widower, moved to third wedding. This wife is not known by name and even the family, but we know that it had four children: Anselmo, Bonifacio, "the young man," Henry and Otto. Following this wife also died, and then the Marquis of Waste brought to the altar Agnes, handsome lady, some sources pointed out as the grandson of Philip I, King of France.
The second marriage, the one with Alice of Savoy, had been particularly fruitful, since it had allowed the Marquis of Waste to claim rights to the southern domain Arduinica brand, which corresponded to the lands from Ivrea to subalpine Ventimiglia. As son of Count Peter of Savoy and the grandson of the Duchess Adelaide, sister of his mother, Berta, face assert these rights. Thus Boniface succeeded in unifying the lands that stretched from Monte Viso to the Riviera Ligure di Ponente and the Langhe, despite the opposition of the bishop of Asti, the Municipality of Genoa and the counts of Savoy, who resented the birth of such a marquis power on their borders.
Bonifacio of the Waste was also the last Marquis to play an important role nell'inquieta city of Savona, next to standing up for a free commune, and also had a major role player in the events of the Great Lombardia. He succeeded, in fact, to impose its own favored Grosoli Ferrania already canonical, as archbishop of Milan in the frantic days when it was organized the crusade of Lombardi. A company that claims to be
Bonifacio was influential, especially when you consider that it was a dark GROSOLI canonical Ferrania
happened at the time that the bishopric of Savona was vacant and two emissaries were sent by the archbishop of Milan with a view identify who should sit on that chair important in a city notoriously riven by internal feuds. The divisions, in fact, seemed incurable in the great seaside village, where the marquis authorities struggled to impose themselves. For this reason the archbishop of Milan, first time also included the Lombardy, Liguria, had decided to intervene personally. And who met the emissaries in Milan? The Marquis Boniface, of course! And where do they meet? A Ferrania, at the abbey he founded, away from prying eyes and ears.
Abbey Ferrania
In those times close to the Marquis pointed yoke mount his own candidate for the office of the bishop of Savona: Canon GROSOLI with which lingered in long games of chess every time he came to Ferrania, which abounded in the vast woods to hunt deer surrounding where the summer is never hot to the constant wind that blows from the sea.
In fact, faced with the unusual proposal, the envoys of the archbishop were amazed: the Abbey of Ferrania of recent foundation, belonged to the diocese of Alba and, consequently, the same canon was alien to the clergy of Savona.
Bonifacio sporting a disarming smile and explained that this characteristic was not an issue, and indeed in some ways could be beneficial. The GROSOLI good, in fact, was no stranger to the convulsive events of those troubled streets, where the same authority as the Marquis struggled to assert itself. It would have been a kind of "ecclesiastical mayor"!
Thus the canonical Ferrania became bishop of Savona and with this appointment the Marquis Boniface succeeded in humiliating the arrogant people of that proud city, the enemy of Genoa, but willing to do the same in the municipal statutes. In fact, the election of GROSOLI provides a unique opportunity to assert the authority of a marquis within those walls, where stands the tallest towers, showing the power of the merchant families. The Canon
GROSOLI all amazed at the way he dresses, too spartan: he liked to wear a humble hood and was so thin that it seems skeleton, because of prolonged fasting to which submitted. But even if Less attractive, canon that shy and reserved, dedicated to the ascetic life, was endowed with great culture was certainly the Latin and is clearly a good command of the Greek language of poetic technique, unusual for a cleric. From that day
GROSOLI star began to shine like a comet, more and more vivid.
Bonifacio, Marquis realized, was right! The canon of
Ferrania was warmly embraced by Savona, both by supporters and families marquis merchant, as a stranger, a stranger to their intrigues, and therefore considered a "super partes". But it was his short stay in that city! The fate unpredictable GROSOLI claimed elsewhere. After the acclamation
in the cathedral, the new bishop to the archbishop's emissaries in the distant city of Milan, in order to be consecrated by Archbishop Anselm himself, who in those days was about to leave for the great crusade in Terrasantascortato hundred thousand Lombardi.
A pilgrimage in arms as had never seen: the crusade of the Lombardi!
In the great city of Milan the art of diplomatic Bonifacio winds with undoubted skills and achieves an extraordinary imposed at the top of the archdiocese's trusted GROSOLI! Radi
documents show that in this he found a valuable ally in Azzone: potente vescovo di Acqui, che molto si adoperò in favore di Grosolano.
L’austero canonico di Ferrania, solito a indossare “un’horida capa”, fu acclamato vicario dell’arcivescovo nella chiesa di sant’Ambrogio e non tornò più a Savona. Dopo la partenza dell’arcivescovo si trovò a reggere la vasta arcidiocesi e, ben presto, ne divenne il naturale successore, nonostante l’ostilità dell’aristocrazia milanese che lo considerava un forestiero: un intruso, per giunta dai modi assai poco urbani. Bonifacio lo sostenne strenuamente e riuscì persino a trovare un incondizionato appoggio nello stesso papa.
Bonifacio del Wasto, pur figurando tra i più importanti feudatari the "Great Lombardia", did not attend the "Crusade of Lombardi." Then, to atone for this failure, bestowed gifts to churches and monasteries. Another important
his political action dipanò year 1111, during the investiture controversy, with other dignitaries in northern Italy when he accompanied Henry V in Rome, the pope refused to crown. After intensive discussions, such as Boniface himself was not a stranger, the dispute was resolved in favor of the emperor that he obtained the imperial crown.
single fault, historical, very serious: do not let its brand to a wide sole heir, but allowed it to be divided among his many children and so the waste, corresponding roughly to the provinces of Cuneo, Savona and Imperia, including the southern part of the province of Asti, disappeared from history.
The next and final grinding of the largest among the many descendants of Bonifacio (Marquis of Busca, Monferrato, Clavesana, Savona, Saluzzo and county of Loreto) resulted in the disappearance of the same name, which remained the prerogative of the Marquis of Savona, which, however, Savona and Noli lost, took the name of the Del Carretto.
Castello di Noli
We followed the brief decline, the gradual degradation del Vasto;
1) big brand with Bonifacio, including the Southern Piedmont and western Liguria,
2) small brand with Henry nicknamed "Guercio, reduced the current province of Savona with vast holdings of the Langhe.
3) After the death of Henry "Guercio, occurred approximately in the year 1188, the two children who are not bishops, Henry and Otto, were divided in peace, his father's wealth. And since the city of Savona was able to break away to set himself free city by the Marquis, Otto and Henry divided the brand's main concern control of roads leading to Lombardy and Monferrato, taxes on the successful. Obtained si prese la fetta orientale della marca: da Varazze e Albissola a Cortemilia, dove batté moneta; mentre Enrico si aggiudicò la fetta occidentale: da Noli e Finale fino alle colline del Barolo, passando per la Val Bormida di Millesimo. Subito dopo anche Noli riuscì a sganciarsi dall’autorità marchionale e diventare una repubblica marinara.
4) I beni di Ottone non tardarono a dissolversi come neve al sole; mentre i nipoti di Enrico II si divisero i possedimenti del nonno il 12 ottobre 1268. Nacquero così i terzieri di Finale, Millesimo e Novello.
5) Un secolo dopo, nel 1345, il terziere di Millesimo subì una nuova scissione, dopo che i fratelli Bonifacio e Corrado riuscirono a togliere di mezzo, eliminandolo fisicamente, il primogenito Tommaso. Sorsero allora i marchesati distinti di Millesimo e Saliceto.
6) Quest’ultimo marchesato finirà nel 1450 quando verrà aggregato al Marchesato di Finale, dopo la lunga e drammatica “guerra del Finalese”. In quell’occasione, sbagliando i calcoli, il marchese Giorgino di Saliceto, alleato del cognato Marco di Calizzano, si schierò con i Genovesi, tradendo la “lega carrettesca”, per l’ambizione di costituire un marchesato che dalla Val Bormida raggiungesse il mare. All’epoca la “lega carrettesca” comprendeva almeno nove marchesati, conseguenze di continue divisioni, e lo stato più importante era indubbiamente il marchesato di Finale, articolato in 12 "companions" (the Village, the Marina, Pia, Varigotti, Pert, Calvisio, Rialto Bridge, Gorra, Chalice, Orc, Feglino).
7) When in the first half of the eighteenth century, peace treaties of Utrecht and Vienna put an end to the last marquis (imperial fiefs), the ancient capital of Boniface del Vasto was reduced to sparse patchy countries around the Langhe, is intended to inevitably end up in the clutches of the King of Sardinia. Among these Millesimo Monesiglio, Santa Giulia, Prunetto, Gorzegno, the cart, Cairo, Cravanzana, Spigno, Bossolasco ... firaiye would say Bonifacio del Vasto!
Guido was born in Saliceto Herald, based in Cuneo. Author of 44 works including novels and essays, some of which appeared in France by Editions Harmattan, Paris. In 2000 he won first prize in the literary "Ladie's cart" with the book Prèscricia, the stone inscription. His books are found in the online catalog Feltrinelli. For more detailed information please consult the website Editoriale L'Espresso "ilmiolibro.it.