The history of Albenga originates from a village of the Ligurian people, later a Roman municipium, and then becomes a medieval municipality: the Centa that flowed into the sea with a delta mouth changes its course becoming an estuary mouth. Albenga is engaged in constant clashes with Genoa which requires the maintenance of a Genoese platoon in the city. From this period Albenga will lose its ancient maritime strength and fortune, with the displacement of most of the sailors in the nearby and safer Gulf of Alassio; from this time the Albenganian economy will be based on agriculture. Submitted to Genoa, then under French rule, given to the Savoy family. Under these domains it will never be able to have the importance of a time. From the mid-nineteenth century, the alluvial regime was linked by new embankments and many marshy lands were reclaimed, increasing the agricultural economy, restoring prosperity and wealth. Albenga changes its urban planning by leaving the medieval walls. In 1900 it became an important center of the western economy and agriculture has prestigious products exported all over the world

Origin

The first settlements of which we have certain evidence are from the sixth century BC. The company they form is agro-pastoral. This people founded what the Romans call oppidum, a fortified center, with the name Albium Ingaunum, "the fortress of the Ingauni". The oppidum was located near the sea, probably near a large inlet that served as a natural harbor.

The Ingauni, in the 4th century BC they have considerable maritime knowledge that will lead them to create a powerful fleet, which will create lucrative profits, through trade and piracy; the main enemy of the time were the Greeks from Marseille, the two powers fought for the dominion of the northern Tyrrhenian, the Ingauni practiced piracy against the Marseillais. The Roman historian Tito Livio describes that corsair ships were lean and fast, for which racing warfare was the main activity. Together with the Sabates of Savona and the Intemelii of Ventimiglia, the Ingauni were a fairly homogeneous ethnic group that went from Savona to Monaco and that the Romans united in the name of Ligures Alpini. However, the Ingauni ruled over the territory that goes from Finale Ligure, bordering the Sabates, up to Sanremo, bordering the Intemeli, larger than the neighbors. In this period the prevailing economy was that due to the exploitation of the surrounding territory, through agriculture and pastoralism, while in the coastal areas the main source of livelihood was the activity linked to the sea.

The Roman Republic aims to conquer Liguria, to have safe land routes towards Gaul and Iberia, as well as having safe harbors where to dock. In the third century BC the Romans have as their point of reference in Liguria the city of Genoa, a pact that will never fail, however the Genoese policy was not shared by the rest of the Ligurian populations, who were more closely linked to Carthage through commercial ties.

In the Second Punic War (218 BC - 201 BC), when Hannibal tried to defeat Rome, Albium Ingaunum allied himself with the Carthaginian, who will base himself on the plain several times also through his brother Magone Barca who, according to a tradition, will die in these waters after having plundered Genoa and divided the booty between Savona and Albenga, the pact made with this was to help the Ingauni to defeat the population of the Epanteri, which was in the mountain areas. The damage due to the sack of Genoa was so enormous that the dialect term "magone" is still used today to indicate the lump in the throat caused by crying.

After the defeat of the Carthaginians, the Ingauni allied themselves with Rome while remaining economically autonomous through a foedus, stipulated in 201 BC. This pact allowed the Romans to communicate freely with Marseille and Iberia for at least a decade. But the piracy activity had been renewing itself, moreover due to the wars of Rome against the Apuan Ligurians, new anti-Roman ferments were born in the Ligurian west. Rome no longer willing to tolerate, he sent in 185 BC. an army commanded by the proconsul Lucio Emilio Paolo who will defeat the Ingauni by annexing in 181 BC. all their territory under the dominion of Rome. The clashes were described by Tito Livio: the first victory was ingauna, which according to tradition took place through deception, which however forced the Romans to lock themselves up in their fortification. However, these remained smaller in number, but with great military capabilities, managed to win. Exactly in 181 BC the proconsul had a notable land victory together with a naval victory by the duumviro Matieno, who managed to capture 32 pirate ships, which led to the definitive surrender of Albium Ingaunum. Shortly after with the victory over the Ligurian Montani, the Romans obtained complete control over Liguria. Lucio Emilio Paolo decided not to rage on the defeated populations, he decided to destroy the city walls and to prevent the construction of large tonnage ships. This policy was typical of the Romans, who aimed to conquer the populations by leaving freedom and introducing elements of Roman civilization. The oppidum ingauno is razed to the ground from the foundations, so much so that no signs of the ancient settlement have been found. Some findings of pre-Roman Ingauna antiquity have been made at Monte, dating back to the 4th century BC

Roma

The Celtic people of the Ingauni were overwhelmed by the Republic of Rome. From 180 BC the Romans built a military castrum on the oppidum they razed to the ground. This fortification will expand becoming a real Roman city with the name Albingaunum which in 13 BC. the Via Julia Augusta, built by Augustus to unite Rome with Gaul, passes through its territory. In these some Ligurian troops participate in the expeditions of Rome. In 89 BC Latin law was extended to all Italic populations, Albingaunum became a municipium, like the other civitates foederatae, and its inhabitants later received the title of Roman citizens, elected their own magistrates and senators. From the 1st to the 3rd century Albingaunum enjoyed the Pax Romana, becoming a prosperous city as evidenced by the numerous archaeological finds, in fact the demolition of the ancient walls and the enlargement of the building bear witness to this. The ancient Roman amphitheater of Albenga was found at the beginning of the twentieth century and is the only one known in the entire western Liguria, giving a clear signal regarding the centrality of the city under Rome. On the Via Julia Augusta, which connects Albenga to Alassio, several Roman necropolises have been found, including the Pilone which is one of the most important funerary monuments in north-west Italy. It is easy to think that the plain was intensively cultivated, but being subject to the floods of the Centa river, several settlements were born in the hills, among which the Roman Villa in the hamlet of Lusignano emerged to light; this toponym also derives from the Latin with which rustic funds were indicated, such as Antognano, Aregliano, Velirano, Verano. It is difficult to quantify the number of inhabitants present in this era, however it is enough to consider that the amphitheater could accommodate about 10,000 people, to understand that Albingaunum was a populous city. In 2001, following the new regulation of the Centa river, the spa complex emerged which was calculated to be 2000 square meters.

To understand the wealth of the city well, just think that one of its citizens, Proculus, in 280 armed his 2,000 slaves in the plain and had himself elected emperor by the legions in Lyon; but he was quickly eliminated by the reigning emperor Probus. From the Roman era we have several finds of material in San Calocero al Monte where some sepulchral material was found with the stamp of Sextus Murrius Festus which appears in many funeral objects in Albenga, as well as African Sealed material type A, such as the same blue plate made in Egypt.

Albingaunum enters into crisis together with the Roman Empire. The Visigoths in 402 sack Albingaunum reducing it to ruins, but Flavio Costanzo, general of the Emperor Honorius, during an expedition to Gaul, in 414 or 417 decided to rebuild the city by creating coves, tecta, portus, commercia, portas, that with extensions and reinforcements will resist throughout the Middle Ages; it is certain that Costanzo also built port structures but nothing has been found. The portus of Albingauno would have been located at the mouth of the Marura, now known as Centa. Also in this period the first Christian structures were built, the Cathedral and the baptistery. In 451 there is the certain testimony that it becomes a bishopric, knowing that the bishop of the time was a certain Quinzio, present at the Synod of Milan. The Baptistery and the extension of the Cathedral are probably from this period, but nevertheless the first testimonies of the Christian life of the city date back to the two cemetery basilicas of San Vittore and San Calocero, the latter near the burial of San Calocero, a Christian martyr who was killed. in the riverbed of the Centa for his faith. However, Christian life was prior to that period, in fact according to tradition it was St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, who in the fourth century who chose the Gallinara Island as a hermitage, to spread Christianity throughout the territory of Albingaunum. On the island there is a cave where according to tradition San Martino resided, in which following archaeological excavations medieval tombs were found that suggest that in the past this place was considered by the monks who resided there a marker, that is a burial place. privileged whose prestige was underlined by the choice of the cave linked to San Martino. To commemorate the pilgrimage he made on foot from Sabaria, today Szombathely in Hungary to the island, the Via Sancti Martini was established within the European New Pelgrim Age project.

In the fifth century it will pass under the Ostrogoth domination and after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Albingaunum passes under the control of the Byzantine Empire, improving its military organization. The city is governed militarily and civilly by a magistrate called comes et tribunus. There is evidence of one of these counts named Tzittanus in 568, thanks to an epigraph of his wife Honorata found in the excavations of San Calocero al Monte , the year in which Alboino crossed the Alps. From the stratigraphic evidence of the excavations, from the epigraphic testimonies (numerous compared to other Ligurian cities), it can be assumed that the city lives centuries of growth and peace, with the renovation of the Cathedral.

Medieval age

The first descent of the Lombards in Italy stops between the border of the Alps and the Apennines with the plain, where the limes between the two peoples stands. Liguria, known as Marittima Italorum, is reduced to a strip of land between the mountains and the sea, but thanks to the opening on this it manages to have contact with the Byzantine fleet that controlled it. In this period the city continues to maintain a Roman-Byzantine organization, with all the consequences that this entails. The port remains the center of city life, with the ensuing commercial, human and military contacts, remaining one of the centers of the Marittima. Binding to understand this period is the military organization of the limes, organized on a castra system to which a part of the territory and its population, which was probably framed according to military schemes, belonged. The sources mention various places under the control of Albenga: the castrum Tabia, Portus Maurici, the castron Baractelia (Toirano), Varigotti, and according to the studies of Nino Lamboglia also Cisano, Pietra and Giustenice, since they have foundations on fortified centers built in Byzantine age to control the routes between the hinterland and the coast. The end of the Roman era came with the Lombard king Rotari, who in 641 conquered Liguria and began the era of Lombard domination. Albenga was conquered in 643, but managed to keep its walls intact even if it was sacked. It submitted to the Lombard domination maintaining an economic prosperity, even if temporarily reduced to the condition of vicus. There is little certain information about this period, although excavations have shown that the baptistery and cathedral were not destroyed; it is likely that it was in this period that the cathedral was dedicated to San Michele Arcangelo, one of the national saints of the Lombards. From this period we have news of the participation of the Incaunian bishop Bono in the Roman Council of 680, which testifies to the continuity with civil and religious life. Unlike other realities, the city retains its Roman walls, as it did not happen in Ventimiglia and Savona, as it preserves the urban network that has lasted to this day. In the first decades of the seventh century there is a rich production of Lombard art, with the restructuring of important monuments and structures, which prove the civil and cultural rebirth of the city, with the integration of the two Roman and Germanic cultures.

The tombstone commemorating the discovery of the monumental tomb of San Calocero, by the abbot of Gallinara Marinaces, was made in these years, which makes us understand that already in that period it is likely that the monastery on the island had expanded its jurisdiction in the Monte di Albenga area.

Following the fall of the Lombard kingdom in 774, Albenga and Liguria became part of the kingdom of the Franks. The Ingauni area becomes the countryside with a territory that goes from Sanremo to Finale Ligure and of which Albenga will become the capital. Under Charlemagne it became part of the Litora Maris dukedom, participating in the Carolingian rebirth. In a hymn by Paolino di Aquileia, Herica is named count of Albenga, as well as duke of Friuli and champion of Charlemagne. This is the period in which the city begins to call itself Albìnganum. In 825 Albenga is one of the cities (together with Ventimiglia and Vado) where the boys from the capitular of Lothair I must go to study while the clerics must go to study in Turin. In the year 836 Liguria is under the continuous threat of the Saracens until 952, the year in which their base located in Frassineto in Provence is destroyed, in this period the city is not invaded by the Saracens, even if the news is very scarce .

In the 10th century following the defeat of the Franks by Berengario II, Albenga entered the Marca Arduinica together with Ventimiglia, maintaining its status as the capital, assigned to the Marquis Arduino III Glabrione.

In 940 the bishop of Albenga Ingolfo assigned the monastery of San Martino in Albenga to the monks of the abbey of Saints Maria and Martino of the Gallinara Island, which became the mainland seat of the abbey, together with the basilica of San Calocero and the church of S. Anna ai Monti and later also the Church of Santa Maria in Fontibus and other properties in the surrounding area. In 1011 the abbey is documented with vast possessions and the feud of the ingauno countryside. In 1044 the monastery obtained from Pope Benedict IX exemption from episcopal jurisdiction and various properties and munificences in Italy, Catalonia and Barcelona, ​​in Provence in the area of ​​Fréjus and in Corsica.

Then the Albenga committee was formed which was governed until 1091 by Adelaide di Susa who had her own royal court in the city. In 1064 it donated the monastery of the island of Gallinara and its possessions in the Ingauni and half of Porto Maurizio to the abbey of Abbadia Alpina di Pinerolo until 1169. During this period the city is located within a large state that includes part of Piedmont and the Liguria, in this period new trade routes were opened linking Albenga to Northern Italy, through the Val Tanaro and crossing the Alps. A period of great economic development followed, as evidenced by the construction and expansion of many buildings such as the Cathedral of San Michele Arcangelo.

Medieval commune

After the death of Adelaide, the Committee of Albenga passed to the Marquis Bonifacio del Vasto di Savona, subsequently to the nephew Marquis Bonifacio di Clavesana who gave the name of Marca Albingane; until the 14th century the Clavesana family asserted their rights over the territory of Ingauno.

In 1098 Albenga will become a free municipality by participating in the first crusade with its own contingent and its own fleet. It is thanks to this fight that the banner of the cities, the red cross on a gold field, the colors of Rome are born. In 1109 the ingauni citizens were granted important maritime and commercial privileges in the Levant by the King of Jerusalem Baldwin. This period of independence creates a prosperity that the city has long lacked: there is the rebuilding of the cathedral, the construction of towers and many palaces. In addition, there is the development of many craft industries. Albenga participates together with Genoa, in the siege of Como in 1127, conducted from Milan. In 1145 he signed a treaty with Pisa which outlined a city district from Oneglia to Pietra Ligure.

Guelphs and Ghibellines

The city has always been closer to the Empire than to the papacy, so much so that the bishop Eremberto who participated in the Synod of Pavia in 1046 convened by Henry III the Black. In 1159 the city of Albenga received the imperial investiture over the whole its territory, after the bishop Roberto, together with a Consul and other representatives, went to meet the Emperor Federico Barbarossa in Marengo while he was going down to Italy to make him a confession of Ghibelline faith, which was never betrayed even in the following centuries. In the twelfth century we have the era of the maritime republics, Albenga comes into conflict with both the Republic of Genoa and Pisa. In 1165 the city was sacked and burned by a fleet of Pisans; but the Albenganese found the strength to rebuild the city and resume trade, thanks also to an alliance with Genoa stipulated in 1179. Savona did the same thing in 1153 and also the Counts in 1166. The pact was that the cities would be protected each other in the event of an attack; but it happened that Genoa heavily interfered with the life of the allies, limiting their trade and independence.

Following the action of the Genoese policy of controlling the Riviera, in which he avails himself of ecclesiastical power, it was in 1163 that Pope Alexander III, fleeing from Barbarossa, found hospitality on the Gallinara Island. In 1169 with the bull of Pope Alexander III, the abbey of San Martino of the Gallinara island returned to being autonomous and independent and was placed under the direct protection of the Holy See, but starting from the 13th century, the monastery underwent a progressive decline and ended under Genoese control.

In 1177 the city of Albenga is still considered as free, among the cities loyal to the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the peace of Venice. In 1194 the bishop is Alnardo, he also holds the office of mayor of the city, and sends the consuls and archpriest of San Giovanni (the baptistery was named after him) to negotiate peace with Pisa. In 1199 a new agreement between the city of Albenga and Genoa, signed by the notary Lantero Riccio, provided that these would be allies against the city of Ventimiglia; but it also provided that the ingaune ships could no longer go to Sardinia independently, but had to leave from the port of Genoa. The Albenganese began to find these measures tight, so they asked for help from Emperor Otto IV of Brunswick, who reaffirmed his alliance, as Frederick the Barbarossa had already done, in the diploma given to Marenco on 18 February 1159, renewed on 25 May 1200. where quod non teneantur alicui Civitati was quoted, Loco vel Personae responder de aliquo. Genoa asked that their pacts be renewed every five years, but each time the measures were more stringent for the Albenganians. So much so that in 1226 Albenga, Savona and Ventimiglia, together with the Marquis Enrico del Carretto, allied themselves by resorting to Tomaso di Savoia, Vicar of the Empire, to be helped in keeping the Genoese within their borders, but this was not the case, since the empire was engaged in the reconquest of Turin which had escaped control. It must be said that in the Diet of Cremona the Albenganians did not define themselves as subjects or inferior to the Genoese, nor did they boast domination over Albenga. The ingauni tried to go directly to the Emperor in Cremona, to ask him for help to maintain independence. The Emperor consented, sending two armies to the two rivieras in 1227, which camped in the west at Albenga, Savona and Finale Ligure.

In the thirteenth century the Municipality and the Diocese form a unicum in terms of views and politics, so much so that the municipality will acquire the capitulum in 1275, the building placed in front of the Cathedral of Albenga which will become the seat of the Municipality, then also renting the house with the tower at the beginning of the fourteenth century to buy it half a century later, buildings that will then be rebuilt becoming the palacium comunis. The bell of the cathedral sanctioned the call for the meetings of the city council, the working hours of the workers and the opening of the shops. In this period Albenga, thanks to the solid relationship with the empire, seeks hegemony in the Riviera, managing to oppose the power of Genoa. For this reason, a period of rebuilding of the city also starts, with the rebuilding of the cathedral and the construction of many important city palaces, including towers, still present today.

To counter the Genoese hegemony on the Riviera, many municipalities allied themselves with the Emperor Frederick II of Swabia in order to continue to maintain their independence. The Ligurian west is all in arms, so much so that even Albenga in this period is governed by an imperial captain. In 1227 the Emperor sent his Imperial Legate Otto I Duke of Bavaria to the city to verify military strength and support the city against Genoa.

In 1238, supported by the empire, a league was created between Savona, Ventimiglia and Albenga, which was a Ghibelline city. The death of the Swabian emperor in 1250 forces Albenga to surrender definitively to Genoa, which will punish her: in addition to a military contingent, he must accept that the podestà and the judges are chosen by the Genoese and must also depend on the Senate of the Superba; this situation was officially declared in 1251 with the signing of the Pacts of Genoa. As in the rest of 14th century Italy, Albenga is also subject to wars between Guelphs and Ghibellines; after the demolition of the port this conflict is added which causes the closure of many industries and the degradation of many buildings.

The Centa deviation dates back to this period. Genoa decides that the river should be diverted towards the natural bay, where the port was, to cover it up and thus cancel the marine trade. This measure will have repercussions on the geography of the plain, in fact the beach will move away from the village which will forever lose contact with the sea. The archaeologist Nino Lamboglia states, however, that the Centa deviation preceded this decision by Genoa: to give water to the tanneries built outside the walls, the inhabitants dug a canal between the river and the port, south of the city. The assessments on the behavior of the waters were wrong and frequent floods soon discharged sediments into the canal and harbor. The Genoese limited themselves to closing the other arms of the delta, accelerating the silting process. In 1286 there is an epigraph in which the remains of San Calocero were translated by the abbot Giovanni of the monastery of the same name and by the bishop Lanfranco; what may seem a purely ecclesiastical act was instead extremely significant, because it creates a newfound climate of harmony between the two institutions at the top of the ingauna church and provides powerful legitimacy to the abbot Giovanni and bishop Lanfranco, by binding their images to the Saint's hagiography.

In 1288 the Statutes were issued where the laws of the municipality were collected from a text already published in 1222: at the top of the municipality were the podestà and the judge of Genoese extraction (from a convention of 1251) who centralized all the powers in the administrative field , military and judicial; in particular they presided over the Municipal Council, made up of ninety-six members of annual duration, half nobiles and half boni mediani (middle class), elected by neighborhoods by a restricted commission of eight, with the exception of populares.

In 1292 the bishopric of Albenga was vacant, and Nicolo Guascone (or Vacone of the Marquises of Ceva) was appointed by Pope Niccolò IV on January 29 of the same year. He was not well remembered by the ingauni for some damage caused to the curia, such as the sale of the principality of Oneglia to the brothers Nicolò and Federico Doria, Genoese nobles, for eleven thousand Genoese liras, which according to what was requested by the Vatican the sum should have been hidden in a church in order to be used by the bishop's table, instead it is not known what happened to this money. In 1306 he passed away.

In 1436 Albenga, now linked to the Superba which rose up against Milan the year before, entered directly into direct conflict in the war between Genoa and the Visconti, in fact Filippo Maria Visconti decided to send the leader Niccolò Piccinino against the ingauna city, using the Marquis del Carretto of Finale Ligure, still under the Milanese dominion; Genoa has Tommaso Fregoso as Doge, who instructs him to respond to the siege with Captain Tommaso Doria and the condottiero Baldaccio d'Anghiari; its ancient walls resist the siege, the Marquis del Carretto is captured and is about to be taken by sea as a prisoner to Genoa, but near his city, he throws himself into the sea and manages to escape by swimming; the effort suffered by the city of Albenga is such as to produce an unprecedented economic crisis: Genoa does not intervene to help Albenga to make up for the damage suffered, the lack of funds for the care of the plain and the river Centa sees the latter owner of the land, turning the Florida plain into unhealthy and smelly swamps. The fleet is no longer able to recover and many ships prefer to port in the closer and safer Alassio. From this epoch for the following centuries Albenga will undergo an unprecedented economic crisis. The victory was however so great and so resonated in the city of Albenga, that even much later, in 1800, it was celebrated by the painter Giovanni Gifo with a painting made on the curtain of the Ambra theater, then demolished during the Fascist era and preserved in the warehouses of the municipality. It was then recovered, restored and placed hanging in the municipal council chamber.

The presence of the Knights Templar

The presence of the Templars in the territory of Albenga is certain, in fact there are documents that testify the sale of the domus of San Calocero de Pratis in 1191 to the bishop Alnardo of Albenga, for the sum of seven hundred and fifty Genoese lire plus 10 soldi annual. This property was located in the Calende di Campochiesa region, commonly identified with the church of San Giorgio, this church appears to have been built or enlarged at the time of the arrival of the Templars. Excavations near the historic center, near the old hospital and the church of San Clemente have brought to light the presence of a commenda.

The importance of the Templars of Albenga exceeded the local levels, in fact it was demonstrated that their importance was at the European level. The many remaining documents of the Templar presence in Albenga mark their presence from April 5, 1143 and January 3, 1267. There are many notarial documents that testify to the donations made to this order, such as that of 1143 in which a certain Lombarda donates an asset to Oberto misso de Templo de Jerusalem, who a year later bought a lawn near the church of San Calocero de Campora; a short time later a certain Robaldo del fu Alberico bought a plot near Albenga. Some time later a family, Giusta et Robaldo Maraboto, donated some plots to Bastia (Albenga) and inland, for the occasion the Magister et procurator of the Order in Italy signed the agreement.

In 1194 the Templars sold all the land from the river of Finale Ligure to the territories of Ventimiglia to the bishop of the Diocese of Albenga-Imperia. The halo of mystery for which the Templars are known even here makes its appearance, in fact why the Templars decided to sell and subsequently move away from the area remains obscure.

The unidentified castle of Zerbulo, as well as the church of San Calocero in Curenna and San Giacomo in Aquila d'Arroscia, would have depended on the headquarters of San Calocero di Albenga.

From the Renaissance

In the 16th century, the plain of Albenga became full of swamps and marshes, which affected agricultural production even if the cultivation of hemp was introduced. Logically, health was low, and from this arose a malevolent saying quoted in Alberti's text: «Albegana piana, se fosse lana, si dimanderebbe Stella Diana»

This was particularly affected by those who lived on agriculture, in fact the city continues to remain the epicenter of a vast territory and its trade and keeps craftsmanship alive. Although not as rich as in the past, it maintains lively commercial relations with Piedmont and with Genoa's ally: Spain. The economic decline of Albenga is due precisely to his troops and to the French ones, who passed through the territory of the plain and plundered the city several times. As if that were not enough, in the same period there were numerous Saracen raids, and the Albenganese had to renovate the ancient walls to protect themselves. In this era, in addition to the many armies, many generals and sovereigns will also pass through the city such as:

• Eight thousand soldiers landed on the plain in 1524;
• The army of Francis I of France in 1525 will remain in the city for more than a month;
• the emperor Charles V in 1536;
• Emanuele Filiberto I of Savoy in 1560;
• the princes of Bohemia in 1564

But the city does not remain helpless, for example in the passage of the Emperor Charles V in 1536 the Municipality provides in advance to save gold and silver from the churches, organizes the burial of the dead of the armies. Here there was the risk of devastation of the monastery of San Calocero, whose nuns were hosted by relatives in the city and in the countryside, but that year's harvest was seized by the army. Less than two years later there is a new imperial passage, of Spaniards and Germans where everything is going quite well, there is a passage of cardinals and courtiers, who have consumed what they had; however a group of lansquenets caused considerable damage to the bishop's palace with the fire of doors, windows and furniture. In 1544 the City Council discussed the project to transfer the Treasury of the Cathedral of San Michele, to the Del Carretto castle in Finale Ligure, which, well equipped, gave greater protection in case of attack by other armies or the Saracens, but it was not did nothing.

In 1552 the admiral of the Republic of Genoa, Andrea Doria is on the beaches of Albenga with forty-eight triremes and a large number of Spanish soldiers who landed in Porto Maurizio on their way to Garessio.

To end this period on 29 September 1564 the Centa river overflows, destroying crops, houses and parts of the walls, subsequently Bishop Luca Fieschi lavished all his patrimony for the reconstruction of a large part of the city. Of this flood we have the stories of Father Salormonio, who describes that the waters had a width of two miles and covered all the land by 6 palms (about 1.5 m).

In this period of decay a cultural development was born and grew, when the bishop Carlo Cicada established the episcopal seminary, exactly on April 3, 1569. Also in 1623 on a legacy of Giò Maria Oddi, doctor of law, a college and schools were opened. superiors, which allow access to the University. This structure will expand over the centuries to form Palazzo Oddo which will house the Oddi College until 1940.

Due to the Monferrato succession in 1625, Albenga was also involved: the Piedmontese army in conflict with Genoa occupied Albenga subjecting it to mistreatment for a few months; also in the conflict between Genoa and Piedmont in 1672 the city was again occupied, becoming the center of the war actions of the Piedmontese against the republic of Genoa. The continuous oppression suffered by Albenga brought the city to a weakening. In this era comes the first industrial revolution that will lead many Albenganians to leave the town to go to work in the city factories, trade is reduced and craftsmanship suffers further limitations. It is known that in Albenga there was a trap in use, located between Vadino and the Gallinara Island, which, however, was subsequently cut and destroyed. For two years, in 1744 and 1745, two Spanish regiments resided in the city and in the plain which occupied some palaces, oratories and churches such as that of San Lorenzo and reduced the city to a sort of warehouse for the troops heading towards Milan. It is counted that more than 40,000 men and 14,000 horses passed through the area and did not spare the population from frequent abuses and violence. The King of Spain, Philip V, resided for several days in the city residing in the palace of Damiano D'Aste, while the princes, generals and the rest of the court settled in other city palaces.

On 21 July 1746, the Marquis of Piedmont Filippo Del Carretto invaded Cisano with 1500 men. Albenga called up the men from Finale Ligure to Porto Maurizio under the command of the captain commander Gio. Agostino Oddi. More than 1,200 men were gathered. The battle took place in Zuccarello where the Marquis, together with 26 officers and 495 soldiers, were captured and chained to Albenga. With the Piedmontese conquest of western Liguria, the administrative structure changed, on 12 December 1746 an act was issued with the division of the Riviera into four departments, Savona, Finale, Albenga and Sanremo, with two officers at the head of each, one of military character and the other judicial, which should conform to local statutes and customs. With the legal reform, the focus is on a quick trial for civil and criminal cases, the Senate of Turin would have judged the appeal cases by the departments of Savona and Finale; that of Nice on the cases coming from the departments of Albenga and Sanremo.

In the eighteenth century the city was further impoverished, the activity of maritime trade and fishing disappeared, also due to further removal of the coast from the town; furthermore, other troops pass through the plain and the ingauni are forced to sell themselves the gold and silver of the churches in order not to suffer further abuse from the armies.

In 1782 the Countess of Genlis arrived in the city and lived in nearby Lusignano. It is in this city that she writes her novel She Adèle and Theodore with a pedagogical purpose. Thanks to her we have a description of the valleys of Albenga that presents it as a paradise:

«Everything you see there is pleasant, there you can see the real shepherdesses, while the French peasant women are very sorry and really look like they are wearing night caps. All the young Albenganians have their hair adorned with natural flower crowns, placed on the head on the left side; they are very graceful, and above all remarkable for the elegance of their bearing. "

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson, future President of the United States of America, while he was sent by his government to Paris, wrote that the income of the Bishop of Albenga should amount to about 40,000 dollars, he also left us a list of nature observer :

«There are nightingales, woodcocks, gardeners, pheasants, partridges, quails ...; wine, oil, oranges, lobsters, crabs, oysters, tuna, sardines, anchovies; olive trees, figs, mulberries, vineyards, wheat, beans and pastures. "

Napoleon

The city in the pre-Napoleonic era had two hospitals, the Ospedale di Santa Maria della Misericordia and the Ospitale di San Crispino that host sick or inpatients to whom relatives are unable to guarantee a living, there are two charitable institutions: 'Opera Pia Bernardo Ricci and the Opera Pia Mariettina della Lengueglia. There is news of city fairs, many religious festivals, the city theater, many games including prohibited card games, even hunting for the wealthier classes. On April 4, 1794, eight thousand French soldiers intoning the carmagnola enter through Porta Arroscia. The Municipality immediately decides to give the maximum contribution to the army to avoid looting, which will still take place. Here on April 7, General Andrea Massena and the newly appointed commander of the Italian Army Napoleon Bonaparte will meet. It is reported that on March 28 there was a rebellion in a battalion of grenadiers, who complained that they did not even have shoes and that they did not receive pay. Napoleon of Albenga wrote to the Directory: The army is in a situation of scarcity that is frightening. Misery authorizes indiscipline and without discipline there is no victory. Here he devises his next moves, and when he learns of the death of his friend Chauvet, intendant of the Army of Italy, he writes a letter to his new wife, Giuseppina di Beauharnais: We are born, we live, we die in the midst of the wonderful. Is it any wonder that priests, astrologers, charlatans have taken advantage of this inclination, of this singular circumstance, to lead our ideas to passage and orient them according to their intentions?

Another document sent to the Directory speaks in general of the situation of the army. Albenga becomes a general base for the Italian Campaign for some time. Napoleon and the Armèe d'Italie leave on April 9 towards Savona. After a month the future Emperor already conquers Milan.

With the era of the French Revolution and expansionism, Albenga was conquered by the French who turned it into their base of operations. Albenga pays heavy expenses for this occupation, in fact the starving army with a thirst for glory decides to plunder the treasures in the churches of the whole plain, on the other hand the French decide to rearrange the Centa, to build new roads, impose that the cemeteries are outside built-up areas. The Republic of Genoa saw its end in June 1797 and the Ligurian Republic was immediately proclaimed. Albenga becomes the capital of a vast territory, the jurisdiction of the Centa, and also becomes the seat of a government commissioner. Given the large military expenses incurred and the interventions to be carried out, the newborn Ligurian Republic first hit the Church's heritage, with a measure issued on April 4, 1798 with which gold and silver were requisitioned; in Albenga this task was entrusted to the municipality, which requisitioned 753 pounds and 4 ounces equal to 240 kilograms today (only in the sacristy of San Domenico there were 102 pounds). But for the Ligurian Republic this was not enough to fill the coffers and on 18 October 1798 the law 120 was issued which requisitioned the convents; this was known in Albenga since the spring, thanks to one of the two municipal citizens, Michelangelo Gianeri or Gianero, who had been elected to the Giuniori Council. The celebrations in the square for the newly founded Ligurian Republic led to the devastation of the Cathedral with the choir and the bishop's chair being reduced to pieces and burned, and with the desecration of the tomb of Bishop Leonardo Marchese.

With the second coalition of the imperial powers against France, the war returned to Italy; in Liguria the armè d'Italie had withdrawn and Albenga was once again taken by the French, who protected the coast and the connection to France. From June the French settled in the seminary, in the church and in the convent of San Francesco d'Assisi (where the prisoners of war who came to Albenga were also placed), as well as in the convent outside the walls of San Francesco da Paola. But the requisitions also took place in other places, such as the Oratory of the Good Death or the Church of Santa Maria in Fontibus, where the priest, Don Domenico Anfosso, was thrown out into the street. However, on 2 July the last friars of San Domenico were forced to abandon the structure, which happened on the 20th of the same month. The Municipality decided to give the custody of the church of San Domenico to Don Domenico Anfosso who could then go back to saying mass. In the meantime, the sale of the land confiscated from the convents continued, and once that was over, the monasteries were sold: the legislative body authorized the sale of the monastic buildings as whole as they were divided with the sole constraint that the division would not affect the entire body. to the detriment of the nation, with the promise of important incentives for those who had transformed the ancient monasteries into apartments, warehouses and workshops.

In 1800, a fever epidemic will cause an important number of victims. In 1802 the Centa came out of its seat making the Branca Bridge unstable and causing some water containment walls to collapse.

The French had been masters of western Liguria for almost 10 years, demanding more than ever a very high economic and social outlay from these populations, for the compulsory conscriptions for sailors aged 20 to 45. The French master could not be opposed, knowing full well of this situation some of the administrators decided to please the Napoleonic army. In these years, during various sermons, the Bishop urged the population to bow their heads. But in the west many men went into hiding, some even escaping with their own boats to join the fleet of His British Majesty. However, the French impact was a stimulus in many parts, at this time the new road was born that connected Albenga with Alassio, or the modernization of the new road that connected Albenga, Loano and Finale Ligure.

In 1805 the Ligurian Republic was abolished and the whole region became part of the French empire, Albenga was given the status of capital of the Canton of the Department of Montenotte of which Savona became the capital because of greater importance and above all with a port. All institutions must use French as their official language.

From the detailed accounts of this period, due to the French prefect Gilbert Chabrol de Volvic, it is possible to draw a balance on the Albenganian economy which is centered on agriculture.

In 1812 the emperor Napoleon put an end to a dispute that had lasted for centuries: the borders between Albenga and Alassio. Between the two cities there is a part of steep or hilly terrain that for centuries belonged to the two cities. With an edict, Napoleon gave these lands to the city of Alassio.

XIX century

In the period of the restoration in 1814, the Congress of Vienna assigns the territories of the old Republic of Genoa to the Kingdom of Sardinia, granting Albenga the status of Head of Province inserted in the Division of Genoa in 1818, its territory included a territory from Finale Ligure to Andora and going up to Calizzano.

In 1817 the first Mayor of the city was appointed, which still remains closed in the ancient walls and linked to an agricultural economy, which allows the population to live even if the lands remain in the hands of a few aristocratic families. In this period there was the progressive opening of offices and the connections with Piedmont and the neighboring cities were also improved; finally new businesses reappear and trade returns to animate the economy, even if the phenomenon of emigration to distant countries affects the area. In 1822 a statistic is reported according to which 4088 inhabitants live in the city, of which 2078 women and 2010 males. An important publication dates back to this period: Historical essay of the ancient and current state of the city of Albenga, written by the lawyer Giuseppe Cottalasso, and dedicated to Count Giovanni Lengueglia. In 1832 a modernization process began with the pavement in the city center and with the installation of public lighting "with 18 lights, arranged along the main streets".

With the unification of Italy in 1861 Albenga loses the title of province, but is nevertheless placed at the head of a district and therefore the seat of a sub-prefecture. But only with the opening of the railway line that connected Genoa to Ventimiglia and that had Albenga as a stop that the economy restarts. In fact, this railway line was not built only to create a new connection route, but also for military and economic purposes: the route was put into the sea, with a roadbed that began at the current border with Alassio (in Vadino) and ended at the end. of Ceriale; this location was decided to allow the lands near the sea, marshy and brackish lands, subject to continuous flooding, to be reclaimed and to increase the agricultural surface of the plain; in addition to this economic factor, the embankment had a defensive factor, in fact there were not a few ships and armies that in past centuries chose the great Albenganese plain as a landing beach for the troops. The railway line also builds the first steel bridge over the Centa river, however inadequate, in fact, as evidenced by the flood of 10 November 1886, a locomotive coming from Ventimiglia was overwhelmed, while a train with 200 passengers, coming from Genoa, was stopped in the station is Albenga, so as not to risk crossing the bridge.

The new and fast ways of communication allowed Albenganian farmers to export vegetables and first fruits to the less close localities and even abroad: This era of prosperity came to a halt with the earthquake of 23 February 1887 with its epicenter in Diano Marina; even if the Albenganese remained unharmed by the earthquake without suffering human losses, apart from some serious injuries, the buildings and the towers suffered serious damage, many of the latter were lowered to prevent their collapse. The city required construction manpower to be recovered, and once the work was completed, it took care of building new buildings for the first time outside the ancient walls. The old aristocracy that still held power had to slowly abandon it in favor of new entrepreneurs.

The big war

Even at the beginning of the twentieth century, before the cooperative agricultural federation, the Albenganians preferred to go through the sea routes to reach the markets of Genoa and Sampierdarena. There was a pier on the waterfront that allowed ships to dock. The First World War hit the plain hard, the lack of manpower led to a serious crisis in agriculture, in fact food was rationed and poverty spread to the city population who could no longer provide for themselves.

The revolution of women took place in these years, who, desperate because they were reduced to hunger, arrived in the city protesting, asking for a meeting with the Royal Commissioner. From the valleys came many women who protested boldly; the municipal officers, the carabinieri, the police and some other bodies were unable to contain the crowd. These forced the inspector, a certain Carena, to show himself to them, many pushed him and took him by the goatee. Only with the arrival of a train of soldiers from Genoa was able to appease the protest: they entered the city gates closing the escape routes to women, arrested many, even if some soldiers pushed many women into the stairways hiding them. These were sentenced to 30 days in prison, but the protest was successful: all the families were granted an additional ration of sugar and coffee, in addition to the normal rations that were distributed to the population.

The Spanish flu

In the second half of 1918, while the allied armies were preparing for victory, a new evil arrived: the Spanish flu, which caused far more deaths than the whole great conflict, also hit the city of Albenga hard. The hospital had mostly become a ghetto where only two doctors looked after all the sick. Many sought refuge in the countryside, contenting themselves with shacks and cottages. The folk remedies that were used to avoid contagion were drinking red wine, chewing tobacco and smoking Tuscan cigars. The funeral took place in the evening in Leca, where the deceased were transported in a rough wooden coffin with a little lime on top and few relatives to follow the funeral procession, because the fear of contagion was high.

The fascist regime

After the end of the Great War, the crisis continued to plague the city, which hoped for a list of progressive peasants elected with an unrivaled majority in 1920. However, this list was wiped out by the fascist violence in 1922. Many were the testimonies of a sham election, which led to a fascist municipal administration; as in the rest of Italy, many were taken into their homes, and forced to vote by the squads. The historic aedicule du Rissin was set on fire by the fascists in October 1922. The historic kindergarten building, which for decades housed ingauni infants, was converted to Casa del Fascio and subsequently to the barracks of the black brigades. Today it is the seat of the Ester Siccardi kindergarten again, plus some municipal offices. The regime also decided to remove the title of province, uniting it with the Province of Savona, and eliminating its district and its prefecture. At the end of the twenties and throughout the thirties, agriculture resumed in a notable way and a push to restart the economy and expand and introduce new factories linked to the transformation also saw the birth of shipping companies. In these years Albenga expands by modernizing, its historic center is recovered, moreover in the areas adjacent to the village new streets, squares, buildings, streets and markets are born and expand. Albenga was also chosen as one of the reference points of the military forces in Liguria: the Piave barracks were built in the Vadino area, inaugurated in 1930 by Prince Umberto, and the small Garibaldi barracks, while 1922 saw the opening of a small military airport, in the nearby town of Villanova d'Albenga; in 1937, the first of its kind in Italy, a track in macadam paving was built, oriented 100-280, and measuring 1016x60 meters. From that moment, the airport was used as the headquarters of the 119th reconnaissance squadron of the Regia Aeronautica. At that time, Albenga counted 5 admirals among his fellow citizens:

• Marcello Amero d'Aste Stella, (1853-1931), was the architect of the conquest of the Dodecanese during the Italo-Turkish war;
• Raffaele Borea Ricci d'Olmo, (1857-1942) first Governor of Tripoli;
• Alessandro D'Aste, Senator of the Kingdom;
• Alberto Manfredi;
• Vittorio Emanuele Moreno.

The construction of the military barracks, the "Turinetto", near the banks of the river Centa, is also much later (1955).

The second world war

The airstrip of Villanova was soon used in the days immediately following 10 June 1940, when Mussolini declared war on Great Britain and France. However, the defense against the French Armée de l'Air, which was already flying over Liguria, proved ineffective. On June 16 of the same year, an aerial bombardment hit the Piave and Garibaldi barracks hard, plus the infirmary. During this period, the city suffered numerous Allied raids. With the fall of the fascist government, German troops entered the city on 12 September 1943. The Albenganese and the inhabitants of the whole plain did not take long to understand the treatment reserved for them by the Nazis, many chose to fight the enemy, fleeing and hiding in the mountains surrounding the plain: many were the Albenganese partisans. The foreign army considered the plain strategic and took into consideration the possibility that the allies could arrive from the sea, so they built the fort at the mouth of the Centa, militarized part of the beach and the streams that flowed into the sea. Another historic bombing was that of April 12, 1944, by the USAF, with American medium bombers, Martin B-26 Marauder, which led to the destruction of the steel bridge of the railway on the river Centa, a strategic objective to block connections with France. ; 5 people died, 3 Albenganians (Tobia Enrico aged 47, daughter Giuliana Enrico aged 15, Virginia Cecchetti aged 67), a Milanese worker who worked for Todt and a German soldier. In strategic points there was also the power plant near the railway station and the gas workshop in via Mazzini; these two were however demolished by the Germans themselves on 23 October 1944 for fear of a sudden landing by the allies on the beach of Albenga.

Many were the crimes perpetrated against the population by the German army stationed in Albenga, commanded by Gehrard Dosse and Luciano Luberti, the latter being called the executioner of Albenga due to his brutality. 59 people were killed at the mouth of the Centa river and over a hundred ingauni were killed, doubling that figure in the whole area of ​​the city. The SAP "G. Mazzini" brigade was soon created, commanded by Libero Emidio Viveri, future mayor of the city.

Many were the partisans of the ingauno detachment, gold medal for military valor such as Felice Cascione and Roberto Di Ferro, but also some less recommendable figures, such as the Cemetery. Among the names of the fallen Annibale Riva, who was killed by a gunshot to the back of the head by a German soldier on the eve of the liberation, on 24 April 1944 in Campochiesa, the municipal stadium of Albenga was named in memory of him. In 2019 the city itself was recognized for its contribution with the award of the gold medal for civil merit.

The weight of the war was high for the city, with the Civil Engineers' assessment in 1945 of 200 million lire in damages.

The contemporary era

After the liberation begins the great work of reconstruction of the city which has over 1700 houses destroyed or severely damaged. The associations and clubs closed by the Regime also reopen, such as the historic Strazzi bar where everyone was welcome and it was the norm to make fun of the thugs who showed up, in fact it took the name of the expert bar and the sign represented a man who pulled a cart where there was a donkey on it. In the first free elections of March 31, 1946, the ingauni chose Libero Emidio Viveri as mayor, under the banner of the Communist Party. In the referendum elections, the Albenganians sided with the Republic for 4,785 votes against 2,640.

In 1947 Albenga lives one of its saddest pages, a ship that passed close to the shore, sinks, dragging 43 children with it, the fact is known as the Tragedy of Albenga. After this post-war phase comes the Italian economic miracle that will bring prosperity thanks to agricultural production, commercial and entrepreneurial activities; several greenhouses are made, the first fruits of Albenga, tomatoes, artichokes, trumpet courgettes, various vegetables allow some traders to bring new and excellent products to northern Italy, causing economic growth. The opening of Villanova d'Albenga airport to commercial flights also allows for an increase in trade. Like the rest of the north, the rich plain of Albenga also attracts migratory flows from the south, which will bring expansion to the city. Among the main centers of emigrants there were Villalba, Mussomeli, San Cataldo, Santa Caterina Villarmosa. Since the eighties the agricultural economy has been transformed by focusing on new products in flower pots and herbs, destined not only for Italy but also for the markets of Northern Europe. Since the nineties there has been a migratory flow from North Africa, where many farmers are employed in the agricultural industry. [31]

In 1971, with the inauguration of the A10 motorway and the Albenga toll booth, the plain was connected to the rest of Italy. The commercial and tourist traffic benefits above all from this, even if unlike other neighboring realities, the city has never focused on strengthening this sector.

In 1973 the liberal Alessandro Marengo became mayor of the city, with a coalition between DC-PLI-PSDI as well as civic parties, elected on 1 April and fell following the approval of the budget on 29 October 1974.

On November 5, 1994, following the heavy rains, a flood upsets the Albenga plain: the Centa breaks the banks and floods the city center. The iron bridge, built in 1909, suffers serious damage, so much so that it must be closed, being demolished following the construction of the Emidio Libero Viveri Bridge inaugurated on 24 December 1996.

The historic center of the city was neglected after the war, undergoing a slow deterioration. Fortunately, interest in their origins was reborn in the Albenganians and a restyling operation began in the nineties, with the opening of new spaces, including the opening of Palazzo Oddo in 2006; new socio-cultural initiatives are also carried out, among the most important since 2003 Fior d'Albenga, since 2007 the Fionda di Legno prize and since 2010 the Palio dei Rioni.

See also

• Albenga
• Lusignano
• San Fedele, Albenga

References

Bibliography

• Giuseppe Simoncini e Maria Giovine Scavuzzo, Albenga di un tempo, Albenga 1988
• Cottalasso Giuseppe, Saggio Storico della Città di Albenga, Genova, 1820
• Rossi Girolamo, Storia della Città e Diocesi di Albenga, Albenga 1870
• Baccio Emanuele Maineri, Ingaunia, Roma 1884
• Lamboglia Nino, Albenga romana e medioevale, Ist. Inter. Studi Liguri, Bordighera 1966
• Costa Restagno Josepha, Albenga, Sagep Editrice,1985
• Massabò Bruno, Itinerari Archeologici di Albenga, Fratelli Frilli Editori, Genova 2005
• Marcenaro Mario, Il Battistero monumentale di Albenga, Ist. Inter. Studi Liguri, Albenga 2006
• Centini Massimo, Templari e Graal in Liguria, Microart's S.p.A., Recco 2006

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