Comune Ponti

piazza XX Settembre, 1 - 15010 Ponti (AL)
Tel. +39 (0144) 596.142
Fax: +39 (0144) 596.273
E-mail: info@comune.ponti.al.it
https://www.comune.ponti.al.it/it-it/home

The origins of the village of Ponti date to the pre-Roman era: historical records date its foundation to the same time as that of the nearby Acqui Terme (Aquae Statiellae). During Roman domination the village was given the name of Pontum, from the bridges the Romans built on the tributaries of the River Bormida during the construction of the Via Emilia Scauri. A landmark (colonna Antonina) dating to the 2nd century A.D. is preserved under the portico of the town hall and can still be admired today.
The column bears witness to the first restoration of the via Julia Augusta, the important road built by the Emperor Augustus to replace the aforementioned Via Emilia Scauri which led from Rome to Gaul.

Given its geographical position it was probably inhabited in more remote times, by the Liguri Statielli, the founders of Aquae Statiellae, now Acqui Terme. The information we have been able to gather on our village is still somewhat fragmented so for now we are can only provide the following confirmed dates.
- 6 July 1209 – Ponti is one of the areas which the Marquis Ottone del Carretto sold to the municipality of Asti.
- 1267 – Clemente IV excommunicates Bonifacio of Ponti, as a supporter of the Marquis of Monferrato.
- 24 February 1285 - Bonifacio of Ponti, Marquis del Carretto, makes a will.
-1288 – A daughter of Guglielmo di Ceva marries Guglielmo Ponti, Marquis del Carretto.
- 1322 – Guglielmo di Daniele del Carretto gives the fiefs of Ponti, Casale, Loazzolo to his son Luchino.
- 16 November 1340 – Ottobono di Ponti rents Oddone del Marchesi of Ponzone some of the property belonging to the Church of Acqui for a decade and signed this deed in “castro Pontis”.
- 1343 – On a document we find the names of Gioanni Pascarino. Enrico, Luchino, Percivale and Bonifacio, brothers “marchiones de Ponto sive De Carretto”.
- 1491- Investiture of Cristoforo del Carretto who became a vassal of the Marchese Bonifacio.
- 1510 - Cristoforo Del Carretto of the Lords of Ponti and Cristoforo Rogero of Cartosio act as arbitrators in a dispute between Giorgio Dei Marchesi di Ponzone and Caterina, widow of Teodoro dei Marchesi of Ponzone.
- 1604 – Giorgio Guerrieri is the Lord of Ponti: (in addition to the aforementioned Guerrieri and Cristoforo del Carretto) Gio Francesco Del Carretto and Mag.co Mr. Antonio Passero, Doctor, also have feudal assets in this village. (In this year, Ponti had 115 families, 448 mouths to feed and 90 soldiers.
– Register L.98

In 1461, the records of the notary Giovanni Berruti (1461-1503) already mention the “villa nova Pontii” or “borgo novo Ponti” identifiable with the current village at the bottom of the valley. This “villa nova” seemed to be protected by a moat (mentioned in 1464) and not by walls. The walls (1464) defined municipal, that descended from the castle and englobed the area of Assunta, stopped at the start of the mule track where there was a gate which, in 1545, perhaps in relation to a renovation of the walls, is given the name of “nuova”. Outside the gate, near the municipal wall, there was a square overlooked by the porticoed palace “Del Carretto” (in 1465) and where, in approx. 1466, the house of the municipal bakery is documented in which, in agreement with numerous other places, the law was upheld. Here, in 1553, the municipal well is also mentioned, while in 1560 this was the location of the Casa della Comunità. At the end of the 15th century, there was still building sites in the villa nova, and it was also the location of the Lords Del Carreto tax office (1512) and the Church of San Sebastiano with its bridge (1528). As regards the castle, at the time of our notary, it was known to be inhabited by several branches of the Del Carretto families. In 1587, they had their burial sites in Santa Maria precisely in the Chapel of San Giovanni. In addition to Santa Maria, the documents considered also mention San Martino which no longer has parish functions in 1464, but will still be defined as an ancient parish in 1577.

Tourist attractions: the ruins of the castle of the Marquises Del Carretto and the parish church of the Assumption. Every year, the Polenta Festival is held the last Sunday of April, a tradition begun three centuries ago by the Famiglia Del Carretto.

(Text and image taken from the municipality website)