A landscape in Montferrat.

Montferrat (in Piemontèis, Monfrà; in Italian, Monferrato) is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Within the territory of Montferrat are located the most important centres of Italian wine and spumante production. Casale Monferrato was formerly a major centre for the manufacture of cement, and for publishing. It also has a strong literary tradition, including the 18th century Asti-born poet and dramatist Vittorio Alfieri and the Alessandrian Umberto Eco. Montferrat may refer to: Montferrat (in Italian, Monferrato), a former marquisate, later part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy Montferrat is the name of several communes in France: Montferrat, in the Isère département Montferrat, in the Var département Category: ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 409 pixelsFull resolution (1831 × 937 pixel, file size: 314 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: panorama Author: Marco Bonavoglia File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 409 pixelsFull resolution (1831 × 937 pixel, file size: 314 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: panorama Author: Marco Bonavoglia File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Piedmontese (also known as Piemontèis, and Piemontese in Italian) is a language spoken by over 2 million people in Piedmont, northwest Italy. ... For other uses, see Piedmont (disambiguation). ... Asti (It. ... Alessandria (It. ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... Spumante is a type of Italian wine similar to French Champagne. ... Casale Monferrato is a town in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. ... In the most general sense of the word, cement is a binder, a substance which sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. ... “Publisher” redirects here. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Vittorio Alfieri painted by Davids pupil François-Xavier Fabre, in Florence 1793. ... Umberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian medievalist, semiotician, philosopher and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa) and his many essays. ...

The territory is cut in two by the river Tanaro. The northern part (the Basso Monferrato), which lies between that river and the Po, is an area of rolling hills and plains. The southern part (the Alto Monferrato) rises from the banks of the Tanaro into the mountains of the Apennines and the water divide between Piedmont and Liguria. The Tanaro (pronounced ‘Tànaro’), known as Tanarus in ancient times, is a 276 km-long river in north-western Italy. ... The Po (Latin: Padus, Italian: Po) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ... The Apennine Mountains (Greek: Απεννινος; Latin: Appenninus--in both cases used in the singular; Italian: Appennini) is a mountain range stretching 1000 km from the north to the south of Italy along its east coast, traversing the entire peninsula, and forming, as it were, the backbone of the country. ... Main European water divides (red lines) separating catchments (gray regions). ... Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. ...

History

Originally a county, it was elevated to a margravate of the Holy Roman Empire under Count Aleramo in 961, following the transition of power in Northern Italy from Berengar of Ivrea to Otto I of Germany. Its marchesi (marquesses) and their family members were related to the Kings of France and the Holy Roman Emperors. Members of the family participated frequently in the Crusades, and intermarried with the royal family of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Imperial families of Comnenus, Angelus and Palaeologus. The Marquisate of Montferrat (in brick red) in the context of late 15th century Italy. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... Aleramos tomb in the parish church of Grazzano Badoglio, Province of Asti. ... Events Byzantine Empire recaptures Crete from Muslim control Ani made the capital of Armenia by the Bagratid dynasty Haakon I of Norway squashed the rebelling forces of Eric Bloodaxes sons but was killed in the Battle of Fitje. ... Berengar of Ivrea (?-966), sometimes also referred to as Berengar II of Italy was marquess of Ivrea, and later King of Italy. ... For others with the same name, see Otto I (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Regents: France and French States be merged into this article or section. ... The following list of German Kings and Emperors is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus The Comnenus or Komnenos family was an important dynasty in the history of the Byzantine Empire. ... This is a list of the Emperors of the late Eastern Roman Empire, called Byzantine by modern historians. ... The Double-headed eagle, emblem of the Paleologus dynasty and the Byzantine Empire. ...

Montferrat was briefly controlled by Spain (1533-1536) before it passed to the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua (1536-1708). In 1574, Montferrat was raised to a Duchy by Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. With the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628-1631) a piece of the duchy passed to the Duchy of Savoy, the remainder passing to Savoy in 1708, as Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor gained possession of the Gonzaga territory.The next heir of the House of Gonzaga was later compensated by giving Duchy of Teschen in Silesia to them The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708. ... The Duchy of Mantua was an Italian state that was ruled by the Gonzaga family from 1328 to 1708. ... The Duchy of Montferrat was created out of what was left of the March of Montferrat after the last Palaeologus heir had died (1533) and the margraviate been briefly controlled by Spain (until 1536). ... Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II. His Coat of Arms Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor of the Habsburg dynasty (July 31, 1527 – October 12, 1576) was king of Bohemia from 1562, king of Hungary from 1563 and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1564 until his death. ... The War of the Mantuan Succession (1627-1631) came as a result of the extinction of the main male line of Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua in 1627. ... 1628 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... // Events February 5 - Roger Williams emigrates to Boston. ... The House of Savoy or in Italian, La Casa di Savoia, or simply Casa Savoia, (or Savoie, French) is a dynasty of nobles who traditionally had their domain in Savoy, a region that includes present-day Piemonte, other parts of Northern Italy, and a smaller region in France. ... // Events March 23 - James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth July 1 - Tewoflos becomes Emperor of Ethiopia September 28 - Peter the Great defeats the Swedes at the Battle of Lesnaya Kandahar conquered by Mir Wais In Masuria one third of the population die during the plague J... Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor Silver coin of Leopold I, 3 Kreuzers, dated 1670. ... The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708. ... Duchy of Cieszyn (Polish Księstwo cieszyńskie) was an independent duchy in the area of Cieszyn Silesia. ... Silesia (English pronunciation [], Czech: ; German: ; Latin: ; Polish: ; Silesian: Åšlůnsk) is a historical region in central Europe, located along the upper and middle Oder River, upper Vistula River, and along the Sudetes, Carpathian (Silesian Beskids) mountain range. ...

The Duchy of Montferrat had an area of 2750 km², and consisted of two separate parts bordered by the Duchy of Savoy, the Duchy of Milan, and the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Casale Monferrato. For the earlier history of Savoy, see County of Savoy. ... The Duchy of Milan was a state in northern Italy from 1395 to 1797. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... Casale Monferrato is a town in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. ...

Culture

Sacro Monte di Crea

The Sacred Mountain of Crea (Italian: Sacro Monte di Crea) is a Roman Catholic sanctuary in the comune of Serralunga di Crea (Montferrat), near Alessandria. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list.
Its construction was begun in 1589, around a former Sanctuary of St. Mary whose creation is traditionall attributed St. Eusebius, around 350 AD. Façade of the sanctuary. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... In Italy, the comune, (plural comuni) is the basic administrative unit of both provinces and regions, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality. ... Serralunga di Crea is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 45 km east of Turin and about 35 km northwest of Alessandria. ... For the Alessandria meteorite of 1860, see Meteorite falls. ... Sacro Monte di Varallo. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... Events Rebellion of the Catholic League against King Henry III of France, in revenge for his murder of Duke Henry of Guise. ... There are four Saints Eusebius: Pope Eusebius, Pope 309–310. ...

Sacro Monte di Crea Paradise Chapel Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 3008 pixel, file size: 826 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Façade of the sanctuary. ...

Sacro Monte di Crea Sanctuary Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 1600 pixel, file size: 360 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy... Façade of the sanctuary. ...

Sacro Monte di Crea Chapel 19. Antonio Brilla, The finding of the empty tomb of Christ, 1889 Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 750 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Façade of the sanctuary. ...

Sacro Monte di Crea View of the park during wintertime Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 735 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Façade of the sanctuary. ...

See also

• Rulers of Montferrat, for a full list of marquesses and dukes
• March of Montferrat
• Duchy of Montferrat

The Marquess of Montferrat is the title derived from Montferrat (in Italian, Monferrato), a territory in Piedmont south of the Po and east of Turin. ... The Marquisate of Montferrat (in brick red) in the context of late 15th century Italy. ... The Duchy of Montferrat was created out of what was left of the March of Montferrat after the last Palaeologus heir had died (1533) and the margraviate been briefly controlled by Spain (until 1536). ...

Sources

• http://www.friesian.com/italia.htm#montferrat
• Official web site for European Sacred Mounts