Comune Montegioco

Frazione Palazzo, 20 - 15050 Montegioco (AL)
Tel. +39 (0131) 875.132
Fax: +39 (0131) 875.132
E-mail: info@comune.montegioco.al.it
http://www.comune.montegioco.al.it

Montegioco, Monte del Gioco, Monte di Giove, Monte del Giogo? Not at all; Montegioco means Monticello. In fact, the village sits atop a conical hill with a truncated peak. An ancient cemetery once stood in the cornu evangeli (the Gospel's horn): another was built behind the church; the present one was built in 1927; that location was chosen to prevent the parish from being moved downstream. In 1600, all the bodies were buried in the church. In 1700, almost all were in the cemetery. The parish in 1682 was composed as follows: in Montegioco, 18 fires; in Segagliate, 20 fires; in Palazzo Busseti, 13 fires; in Pragasso, 1 fire. In Montegioco, they celebrate San Fortunato because once a raging fire broke out that could not be put out due to lack of water: the population prayed to San Fortunato and immediately a torrential rain fell, putting out the fire. The parish of Montegioco is one of the few that have commendably retained the title of priory. As in other places, the population in the lower parts of the town had grown, and for their spiritual care, a new church was built there by Monsignor Melchiorri about twenty years ago, and it was declared a curacy. The village was and still is on a conical hill with a low peak and belonged to the district of Tortona. It was involved in the struggles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and in 1305 was handed over to the della Torre family. In the following century, having become part of the fiefdom of Garbagna, Montegioco was an imperial territory under the Doria family, but shortly thereafter, together with Cerreto Grue, it freed itself from all feudal vassalage by paying the sum of £2,700 to the Ducal Chamber. It remained in this state of freedom until 1647, when, having renounced its enviable prerogative, it was sold to the brothers Biagio Gaetano and Carlo Alessandro Busseti, who were invested with it on 22 September 1689, becoming part of the Marquisate of Avolasca until the extinction of feudalism.