Montferrat

Montferrat, or Monferrato, is a historic region in western Piedmont, Italy. It lies in the central Po valley and the foothills of the Ligurian Alps, with the Tanaro river running through parts of the area. Modern-day Montferrat spans portions of the provinces of Alessandria and Asti and includes towns such as Casale Monferrato, Acqui Terme, and Nizza Monferrato. The landscape is known for rolling hills, vineyards, and historic settlements, and the name is used for both the historical political entity and the contemporary wine-producing region.

The territory’s medieval origins lie with the Aleramici family, who held the March (later the Marquisate) of Montferrat from the early Middle Ages. The Montferrat rulers were involved in Crusades and broader Italian politics. In the early modern era the region existed as a duchy within the Holy Roman Empire. Following the War of the Spanish Succession, the duchy was ceded to the House of Savoy and later integrated into the state that would become the Kingdom of Italy.

Cultural heritage in Montferrat includes numerous castles, churches, and palaces, notably in Casale Monferrato with its Renaissance and Baroque architecture. In 2014, Montferrat’s vineyard landscape was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Montferrat.”

Economy and identity are closely tied to viticulture and agriculture. The Monferrato hills produce wines such as Barbera and Grignolino, and the region attracts visitors for wine tourism, historic towns, and scenic countryside.