As regards its political-strategic importance, the XII century was Gavi's golden
age. A time when, represented by that great figure of the
day, Marquis Alberto, it dealt on an equal footing with Tortona, Genoa
and the newly emergent Alessandria. It was not by chance that half-way
through the century, work began on constructing the lovely and
awe-inspiring San Giacomo's Church, after having pulled down the house
that had stood there since Roman times and that had served as a
resting-place for pilgrims on their way to Compostela, in Spain. At the
same time, defensive walls were erected around the increasingly awesome
castle. These walls, with their four gates of which the only one
remaining, the Portino (little gate), is a fine example of mediaeval
military architecture, were
destined to encircle Gavi for more than seven centuries. Frederick I and
is son Henry VI had very close relations with the Marquis of Gavi, a
fact that considering the city's strategic position, played an important
role as regards the Empire. When in fact, in 1177, following the
congress of Venice, the Emperor had to move his Court and family, he
chose the castle of Gavi as an ideal imperial seat; and for eight months
Gavi basket in the splendour of being an European capital. From Provence
and Borgogna, birth-place of the Empress Beatrice, arrived minstrels,
poets and musicians, and it is possible, as some art experts believe,
that it was at this time that skilled Burgundian stonemasons were
brought in to put the finish touches to the parish church of San Giacomo.
In fact, the hanging arches that decorate the walls, the apse and the
bell-tower are all characterized by that type of architecture
typical, in those days, of French cathedrals. Barbarossa took over one
of the three towers in the castle of Gavi and a house in the village (
In Italy, only Viterbo can vaunt another example ). Hes stays were
also justified by the fact that Gavi bordered on the lands of other
As regards its political-strategic importance, the XII century was Gavi's golden
age. A time when, represented by that great figure of the
day, Marquis Alberto, it dealt on an equal footing with Tortona, Genoa
and the newly emergent Alessandria. It was not by chance that half-way
through the century, work began on constructing the lovely and
awe-inspiring San Giacomo's Church, after having pulled down the house
that had stood there since Roman times and that had served as a
resting-place for pilgrims on their way to Compostela, in Spain. At the
same time, defensive walls were erected around the increasingly awesome
castle. These walls, with their four gates of which the only one
remaining, the Portino (little gate), is a fine example of mediaeval
military architecture, were
destined to encircle Gavi for more than seven centuries. Frederick I and
is son Henry VI had very close relations with the Marquis of Gavi, a
fact that considering the city's strategic position, played an important
role as regards the Empire. When in fact, in 1177, following the
congress of Venice, the Emperor had to move his Court and family, he
chose the castle of Gavi as an ideal imperial seat; and for eight months
Gavi basket in the splendor of being an European capital. From Provence
and Borgogna, birth-place of the Empress Beatrice, arrived minstrels,
poets and musicians, and it is possible, as some art experts believe,
that it was at this time that skilled Burgundian stonemasons were
brought in to put the finish touches to the parish church of San Giacomo.
In fact, the hanging arches that decorate the walls, the apse and the
bell-tower are all characterized by that type of architecture
typical, in those days, of French cathedrals. Barbarossa took over one
of the three towers in the castle of Gavi and a house in the village (
In Italy, only Viterbo can vaunt another example ). Hes stays were
also justified by the fact that Gavi bordered on the lands of other
allies, like the Marquis of Bosco of Monferrato, of Genoa itself and
from 1176 of Tortona too.
At one point the Empire took over the important toll, excluded the
Marquise, and nominated Siegfried of Lautern commander of the castle. So
it was that a protected toll-road existed from Genoa via Novi to the
castles of Annone (Asti) and of Ivrea; a road that the Empire could use
for itself and its allies. After the deaths of Barbarossa and Henry IV
at the end of XII century, Frederick II was unable to protect the
Marquisate of Gavi, and Genoa bought it up in 1202 as already said , paying
out 4000 liras for it.
Thus began Gavi's long Genoese period, which apart some sporadic moments
when the Republic's strength was temporarily on the wane , was to last
right up to the time of Napoleon. The whole of the XVI century was to
see Gavi under Genoa's yoke, with its castle protecting the Lemme valley
and keeping Genoa's traditional northern enemies, Milan and Savoy, at
bay.
The castle's transformation into a fortress by the Republic came about
during the 17th century. After the war of 1625, which saw it fall into
the hands of the French ( Descartes was present as an extempore army
consultant ), to be won back by the Genoese after only five month, the
castle suffered serious damage, due to which it was decided to transform
it into a solid fortress. The planing and supervision of the work was
entrusted to the famous Dominican architect - and future Cardinal -
Fiorenzuolo, responsible for fortifications in Rome, Genoa, Malta and
Savona. He managed to complete the imposing construction, impregnable
for that time, in less than three years. The total cost amounted to more
than 60,000 liras. Its garrison normally numbered sixty men, but it
could lodge up to nine hundred armed men if the need arose.
The XVIII century saw Gavi occupied for three years by the
Austrian Succession. It was hardly touched at all by the foreign armies
in 1799/1800. After 1814 Gavi found itself under the Savoys,
thought it remained a Ligurian province until 1860, when it
definitely became Piedmontese. Its fortress lost its military importance
and became, from 1848, a rigid penal institute; and so it remained until
1891, when it was transformed into a district prison, a role it kept
until 1907.
In 1821 a road was build from Genoa to run through the Giovi pass,
Scrivia valley and on to Novi. Thus it was that for almost one and a
half centuries the Lemme valley was cut off, uncontaminated, left on its
own to become a pleasant, wooded, vine-growing area. From the seventies,
the Lemme valley, but above all Gavi, where seven roads meet, as gone
back being crossed, visited and savoured, finding itself once
again in its role as the crossroads between Genoa and the North; a
role that in the past had helped confer on it a certain economic and
artistic prestige.
Due to its being Genoa's hinterland satellite, Gavi had always been an
administrative , trade and craftwork centre. Even today it retains its
importance as a craft centre. The most important craft industry is that
of men's socks; the agricultural sector, on the other hand, is almost
entirely centred on Cortese wine-making, which has spread the name Gavi
to the four corners of the world. Even trade as grown up again over the
last twenty years in Gavi, reviving old traditions.
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