Comune Alluvioni Piovera

Developed from the union of the Municipalities of Alluvioni Cambiò and Piovera. The area of Alluvioni Cambiò stretches to the meeting point of the Tanaro and Po rivers, between the Provinces of Alessandria and Pavia. The name of the capital (once the Alluvioni di Cambiò) and its hamlet Grava (Celtic term meaning gravelly area, as the riverbeds had been abandoned by the rivers) inextricably links the history of this village to that of the rivers. The territory to the left, which stretches to the Po, was called “Campus Minatus” (threatened); beyond the Po it was called “Campus Beatus” (beatified) from which comes the name Cambio, due to the intense exchange of goods in the area of Cambiò, for the changes caused by the waters. In this region, in the Middle Ages, stood Sparvara, extreme corner of the Diocese of Tortona. For some, the origins of the place are late Roman, dating to 276 AD, for others Longobard, according to the origin of the name itself (Sparguara) which means “commander’s house”. A boat port constituted the main transit route for commercial traffic. For centuries, the River Po was a threat because once its bed was abandoned it changed the shape of the territory and swept away any form of civilisation. A frightening flood engulfed the town in 1716, and the inhabitants who survived found shelter in a pre-existing community called “Vulgo Alluvioni” (later called Le Alluvioni di Cambiò) composed by eleven families; the memory of the tragedy was crystallised in the name of this very town that enlarged itself shortly after. As regards Piovera, its origins precede the fall of the Roman Empire, when many Plebeian males of Rome and former members of the imperial legions came here to increase the production of assets for the immense state and to preside over the lands of the Empire, increasingly less safe. In the Early Middle Ages, the Town of “Plovara” experienced very difficult moments: the area was the stage of many strong disputes among the invaders from beyond the Alps (Longobards, Franks of Charles the Great), especially for its closeness to the capital of the Italic Kingdom Pavia, which each faction attempted to besiege. Charles the Great seized the city in 774, and joined the Longobard Kingdom and the Frank Kingdom; he was credited with the intent of restoring order to civilian and military matters of the kingdom and later with the refurbishment of the consular roads and the construction of defence systems for the area of Plovara. This gave way to the “Castrum” of Piovera, those of Rivellino, Sale and Castelnuovo, and the town centre developed around the fortress of Piovera; however, the boundary walls were never finished. The castle of Piovera, together with that of Rivellino, was enhanced over the centuries, especially during the Duchy of Milan, and remained efficient until the period in which the fiefs were constituted. It is the most interesting monument of the Municipality, and definitely worth a visit.