Between Gavi and Ovada, on the last hills before the Ligurian Apennines, lies the village of Parodi Ligure, in the province of Alessandria and, despite its name, still within Piedmont.
Its strategic location made it a key point along the ancient Vie Marenche, roads dating back to Roman times that connected the plains to the sea and beyond to France. These were trade routes, paths, and mule tracks used to transport goods, particularly salt. Today they are well-marked and can be explored on foot, by mountain bike, or even by motorbike.
Parodi’s territory once belonged to the Marca of the Obertenga family, of Lombard origin, and its name appears for the first time in the mid-10th century.
The village’s history is long and complex: its location attracted many powers, first the Genoese, then the Visconti of Mantua, and later the Doria, as Parodi became part of the Republic of Genoa. The village was involved in numerous wars, particularly against the Franco-Savoyard forces. In 1805 it was annexed to Napoleonic France, and after the Congress of Vienna, when Genoa disappeared, it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Only in 1859, during the reorganization of the Piedmontese state, did Parodi begin to free itself from Genoa, though links remained for many years.
In the past, the village was dominated by an 11th-century castle, protected a century later by defensive walls. Almost nothing remains of these structures today: the castle was destroyed in 1625 during wars against the French and the Savoy, and finally razed by the Austrians a century later.
At the village center stands the church of San Rocco, ancient but repeatedly modified over the centuries. The most important religious complex, however, lies outside the village: the Monastery of San Remigio.
The monastery was founded near the Albedosa stream in a marshy area extending to the village, which the Benedictine fathers drained. The name Palaude, later Parodi, recalls the presence of these wetlands. In 1033, the Obertenghi granted the land to the Benedictines, who, after making the valley fertile and the environment healthy, built the monastery dedicated to San Remigio.
Few written records refer to the monastery, the earliest dating to 1143, when it began to grow in importance and prestige, attracting various Genoese lords and patricians. Over the centuries, it became the village parish church, expanding with side naves until its location became inconvenient, distant from the village. Eventually abandoned, the monastery fell into partial ruin.
In 1982, it was donated to the Municipality of Parodi, which began restoration work. Since 2010, after being fully secured, it has been open to visitors. The church, now deconsecrated, hosts cultural events, allowing public access to most of its ancient spaces.
