Sezzadio
Welcome to Sezzadio
Hello everyone! Today I will talk to you about Sezzadio, a municipality located in the province of Alessandria, in Piedmont. This village, which has about 1245 inhabitants, is located in the flatlands of Alessandria, to the right of the Bormida river, on the Stanavazzo stream. The name Sezzadio was adopted in 1916, but initially the municipality was called Sezzè.
A bit of history
The birth of Sezzadio has not yet been well established because of the lack of historical sources and archaeological finds. However, it is believed that the village was founded between the 2nd and 1st century BC. After the construction of the Aemilia Scauri road in 109 BC, which ran from Piacenza to Albenga, a post station was needed that gave rise to the first cluster of houses. According to local tradition, Aleramo del Monferrato, the founder of the Aleramic dynasty, was born here.
Symbols of Sezzadio
The coat of arms and the banner of Sezzadio were granted by decree of the President of the Republic on 11 March 1953. The municipal emblem is a variation of the coat of arms of the capital city Alessandria and the banner is a white and red split drape.
Monuments and places of interest
Abbey of Santa Giustina
One of the gems of our country is the abbey of Santa Giustina, founded in 722 by the Lombard king Liutprando, on the occasion of the transfer of the holy body of St. Augustine to Pavia. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the abbey reached its maximum splendor, thanks to the expansion of Del Vasto, Oberto. In 1474 it passed to the abbots of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, who installed a community of oblates. In 1810, the Kingdom of Italy began the secularization of ecclesiastical property, putting an end to the monastic foundation.
The church
The church of Santa Giustina has a Romanesque structure with Gothic elements. The brick façade is divided by pilasters and crowned with hanging arches. The interior has three aisles ending in apses, grafted directly onto the transept with 15th century rib vaults. Inside we find frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries, and an 11th century mosaic floor in the crypt. The beauty of the abbey inspired the Alessandria artist Franco Sassi in his sanguine, black and white and watercolor works.
Dependencies of the abbey
The abbey of Santa Giustina had several properties, including the site where the monastery is built, the village, the parish church, the land and the castle. The Sezzadio court also included the villages of Carpeneto, Montaldo Bormida, Mobio (between Carpeneto and Rocca Grimalda), Castelnuovo Bormida, Cassine, Fontaniale, Retorto, Danavete, delle Pertiche (now Perti di Finale Ligure) and the fiefdoms of Orba and Gamondio.
Conclusions
Sezzadio offers many beauties to discover. The abbey of Santa Giustina is definitely one of the jewels of our country, which encompasses centuries of history. If you have the opportunity, come and discover Sezzadio and its cultural and artistic heritage. I assure you that you will not be disappointed!
