Villalvernia

  • Twitter
  • Google Bookmarks
Stampa la pagina
viewtown hall
via Roma 12 

phone/fax number
+39 0131.83152/  0131.83509

e-mail
info@comune.villalvernia.al.it  



Villalvernia is an agricultural and industrial town located on the right bank of the Scrivia river, where the Ligurian Apennine ends and opens on the western part of the Padana plain.

This town, whose origins date back to the early middle Ages, is member of the Community of the hills of Tortona. Once called ‘Villa’, it was given as a fief to the bishop of Tortona by the pope Adrian IV in 1157. Its present name comes from the French nobleman Guglielmino de la Tour d’Alvernia, who ruled over this territory in the fifteenth century and obtained the feud by Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan. The members of the noble family d’Alvernia have been owners of the town for one century. In 1652 a member of the d’Alvernia family sold the feud to Claudio Spinola and then it obtained the title of marquisate from Filippo IV of Spain. After being ruled by the Passalacqua family and the restoration of the Savoy dynasty, the town became the administrative centre of the district.
The Town Hall was constructed at the end of the 19th century. During the Second World War the town underwent a massive bombardment by the allies on 1st December 1944.
The town is made from an ancient part and from a modern one.

The naturalistic area in the neighbourhoods of Villalvernia along the Scrivia river is an important place of flyaway, where many species of birds are ringed.

notable people
- Generale Passalacqua: he was born in Turin on 9 December 1794. He studied law and then entered the army, where he held important offices. During the battle of Novara, on 23 March 1849, he was accidentally killed by a rifle shot. On 13 July 1849 Passalacqua was decorated with a purple heart. He is buried in a small church in the castle of Villalvernia

what to see
- the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta in neo-classical style, built in 1841-1848. The octagonal vault in the interior is decorated with the four evangelists by the painter Adriano Sicbaldi, who also painted the Last Supper in the apse and decorated the inner façade. Under the vault there are three monochrome panels depicting scenes from the gospel by Pietro Mietta from Tortona

> patronal day: 1st Sunday in October