A branch off the road to Castellania leads to Sant’Agata Fossili, a beautiful village located on the hills around Tortona. The enchanting landscape offers cultivated hills, copse woods and vineyards.
The town centre was strongly damaged by an earthquake on 11 April 2003.

The township arose as a settlement around a chapel dedicated to Saint Agatha. The appellative ‘Fossili’ was added in 1871 in commemoration of the many finds discovered in the area, dating from the Miocene period.
Sant’Agata was historically separated from the more famous ‘Podigliano’ or ‘Pugliano’, today hamlet of the district council.
The first mention of the village of Sant’Agata dates back to 1277; it was an autonomous centre belonging to the feudal jurisdiction of the bishopric of Tortona. Then it was fief to the Rampini family from Sant’Alosio (15th century) and to the Count Baldassarre Bossi. On December 1798 it became a republican district council.

The valley is famous for its quality truffles, both white and black and for the excellent ‘porcini’ mushrooms, with their dark brown colour and strong fragrance.

what to see
- the sixteenth century church houses an interesting fresco. The church was completely restored and decorated in the early 20th century by Gambini and the façade was radically changed in 1921.

> hamlets: Podigliano, Torre Sterpi, Giusolana

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