The Oltrepò Pavese is a land seeped with history.  The ancient Ligurians; the Roman colonization; the agitated and fascinating Middle Ages; the Modern Age, with its power struggles and wars fought for the sake of stability, hegemony, or independence –all of these great historical waves have left significant marks on the land: illustrious names and stunning works of art.

Families embedded in history once lorded over the valleys and towns of our Oltrepò.  Monuments of no mean quality still enrich the plains or the peaks.  Many families once powerful in various areas of the Oltrepò have since died out; others still live on, their presence bearing witness to their love and attention to the area, even devoid of their now extinguished feudal ties.

The nature of this work does not allow for extensive analyses.  Thus we have chosen to limit ourselves to the description of those families still alive and active in the Oltrepò.  Likewise, only those monuments historically and artistic significant will be mentioned.

We hope that the following pages with stimulate, or maybe increase, your interest for that splendid region called the Oltrepò Pavese; waiting for someone who will describe it with scholarly rigor and love.