Cravanzana
Cravanzana: a municipality of 376 inhabitants in Piemonte
Hello everyone! Today I will talk to you about Cravanzana, a municipality located in the province of Cuneo, in Piemonte. Currently, the municipality has only 376 inhabitants, but it has a very interesting history behind it.
Origins of the name
The name Cravanzana probably derives from the word "crava" which means "goat" in Piedmontese. This suggests that in the past, this was the ideal place for breeding goats and other livestock. It is not by chance that the emblem of the municipality is characterized by a goat at the top of a mountain. However, another hypothesis traces the origin of the name to the Calventius family, who lived in the area and gave rise to the original toponym of "Villa Calventiana".
History
Middle Ages
Cravanzana has an ancient and mysterious history. The first official mention dates back to 1125 when the Marquess Bonifacio del Vasto inherited the territory and divided it among his sons. In the will, the village of Cravanzana was inherited by Bonifacio Minore. In 1190, the Del Carretto family built a castle in Cravanzana to control the valley of the Belbo and Bormida rivers. Although the area was impoverished in terms of agriculture, passing traders managed to support the surrounding villages.
In 1337, part of the territory of Cravanzana was ceded to the powerful Scarampi family from Asti, which further reinforced the castle. In 1432, Francesco Sforza, commander of the army of Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, destroyed the castle of Cravanzana during the War of Succession.
Modern Age
In 1536, Cravanzana came under the rule of the Gonzaga, Dukes of Mantua. In 1607, the castle of Cravanzana was rebuilt from the ground up by Augusto Manfredo Scaglia, Count of Verrua. During the War of the Mantuan Succession and the Monferrato, Carlo Emanuele I of Savoia conquered a vast territory in Lower Piemonte, including Cravanzana.
In 1731, Duke Carlo Emanuele III of Savoia donated the fief of Cravanzana to his Minister of War, Gian Giacomo Fontana, with the title of Marquis. Later, the castle passed to Giambattista Fontana, also a Minister of War under Vittorio Amedeo III of Savoia. In 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte and General Amédée Emmanuel François Laharpe stayed in the castle of Cravanzana.
After the Restoration, the strategic importance of the municipality decreased, but it remained a point of reference for the surrounding villages and for trade between the Savonese coast and Lower Piemonte.
Conclusions
There you have it, this is the history of Cravanzana! I hope you have found this brief summary interesting. And if you find yourself in Piemonte, do not forget to visit this ancient municipality and admire the beauty of its castle and surrounding landscape. Bye!
