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How to get there: Highway A26 Genoa Alessandria exit at Ovada and continue along the State route towards Capriata.
The local government of Capriata extends along the Orba torrent and it also part of the Alto Monferrato territory.
Thanks to the finding of Roman coins and pagan tombs we can deduce that the city has very ancient origins. But the first time Capriata was mentioned dates back to 973 B.C thanks to a contract between Lamberto the son of the Marquis Ildebrando and the priest Roprando. The contract states that Capriata was to be sold to Roprando.
At that time the Castle, the tower and the semi-circular castle walls already existed. Unfortunately the only things that remain today are the tower and the castle walls.
After a brief submission of the Marquis del Bosco, Capriata became an independent community.
This situation lasted until 1218 when the consuls donated to Genoa the castle of the town.
This donation triggered many battles between Alessandria and Genoa.
There were many ferocious and long battles and today the event of 1228 is still remembered because the inhabitants of Capriata were slaughtered and the entire city as well as the castle were burnt down.
In 1230, the town became part of the Genoa domain and in the following years Capriata built the castle of Castlenuovo. Today you can admire its castle walls, the bastion, and the entrance door of the town.
In the following centuries there was a passive involvement on behalf of Capriata that was subject to the Marquis of Monferrato, the viscounts, Pope Martino V, the Dukes of Mantua, the French and the Spanish. They united with the Alessandrini and they destroyed the Castle of Castelnuovo.
United with the Sabaudo Kingdom, in 1799 is was occupied by the Frenchman Joubert who died in the battle of Novi against the Austro-Russians.
After it became part of Novi Ligure, Capriata d’Orba finally became part of the province of Alessandria.
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