Ronco Scrivia

A center in the upper Scrivia Valley, it is probably of Roman origin, but its first historical records date back to 1127. With the characteristics of a feudal walled village, it passed from the Bishops of Tortona to the Malaspina and then to the Spinola. Always an important communication hub in northern Italy, during World War II it was partially destroyed by numerous bombings and actively participated in the Liberation by hosting partisan detachments to which many locals belonged. For this reason, the village was awarded the Bronze Medal for Civil Merit. Transformed from an agricultural village to an industrial centre, it retains some important monuments and places of interest. These include Palazzo Spinola, now the town hall, built in the 16th century, the Borgo Fornari Castle dating back to 1200, the 15th-century bridge over the Scrivia, with its pointed arches, and the small hamlet of Porale, which was the site of a Benedictine monastery. The aforementioned hamlet is also part of the Antola Regional Natural Park: one of the most enchanting areas of the Apennines and the Ligurian hinterland, thanks to the extraordinary panorama of the 1600 m Mount Antola and the activities of the nearby Brugneto Lake.