Mondovì

Mondovì, a town rich in arts, history and studies, has a scenic position, near the Langhe and Alpi.

Its profile is delicate, with the highest part (Piazza) surrounded by medieval walls, with its districts (Breo, Carassone, Piandellavalle) at the foot of the hill.

The Moro, which is the symbol of this town, tolls on the top of the church dedicated to Santi Pietro e Paolo.

We point out the cathedral, in the sacristy of which some remains of the old cathedral are kept, the churches dedicated to Missione, Misericordia, San Francesco.

We mention, at last, the Maggiore square, the Vescovado, which once was the seat of an old university, Giolitti’s native house, the old Jewish ghetto, Belvedere gardens with Bressani tower, dated back to the 14th century.

History

The first news are of the year 1198, when people from Vico, Vasco e Carassone founded a village on the Vico mountain (from where the name Mondovì), to escape the feudal power of the bishop of Asti.

The bishop reacted immediately and the whole new village was knocked down.

It was rebuilt after 1231, but had to bear the influence of the Angiò, the Visconti, the town of Asti, the marquis of Monferrato, the Acaja, and lastly (since 1418) of the Savoia.

In 1388 it was given a dioceses and the title of “città”.

It was conquered by the French in 1537, and couldn’t be regained by the Savoia until 1559. Emanuele Filiberto established some faculties of the University there and built its citadel.

On April 21st, 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte fought there the final battle for his conquest of Piedmont.

In the nineteenth century Mondovì was involved in the wars for the independence and unity of Italy, just as it was later deeply involved in the Resistance against the Germans (1943-45).

Since the second half of the nineteenth century many schools and colleges had a great success there, and the town grew more and more big and important.