Fifteen kilometers west of Alessandria lies Felizzano, a town whose very name hints at its ancient Roman origins. Situated on the flat plains of the Tanaro Valley, it seems to mark the beginning of the Po Valley and is home to over 2,000 residents.

The history of Felizzano is well-documented from as early as 880 and is both lively and remarkably complex, shaped by numerous figures, families, and ecclesiastical authorities over the centuries.

A key date in the town’s architectural history is 1155, when William V of Montferrat, following the destruction of Asti by Frederick Barbarossa, commissioned the construction of a defensive wall with twelve towers. Today, remnants of the fortifications remain on the town’s western side, including sections of the wall, the battlements, and just two semi-circular towers.

A little later, toward the end of the 13th century, the splendid medieval Torre dei Cova was built. Today well preserved, the tower rises 26 meters and features a magnificent coffered ceiling, serving as the historic centerpiece of the village.

Another significant moment came in 1454 with the establishment of an important trade route, the Strada Franca. Free of tolls, it allowed goods to pass from Upper to Lower Monferrato through Felizzano, connecting the Asti and Vercelli areas with Liguria. Today, the ten towns along the Strada have joined forces to create a 55-kilometer hiking trail that starts in Altavilla and reaches Cassine, passing through Gamalero, Carentino, Bergamasco, Oviglio, Masio, Quattordio, Fubine, and of course, Felizzano.

The town’s social heart is Piazza Paolo Ercole, a square almost oversized for the village, lined with broad porticoes facing the town hall and the eponymous street, featuring a beautiful cobblestone pavement.

Felizzano is home to four notable religious buildings. San Pietro, possibly dating back before 1195, boasts an original terracotta floor in excellent condition. The Church of Santa Maria della Fonte was built in the 1300s and subsequently expanded in the 1500s and again in the 1800s; beneath its floor, a natural spring of fresh water is said to emerge. The churches of San Michele and San Pietro house two important panel paintings from the late 15th–early 16th century by Gandolfino da Roreto, one of Asti’s leading Renaissance painters. Finally, the Church of San Rocco, located near the cemetery just outside the town, dates to the late 14th century and was dedicated to the saint following the bubonic plague of 1478. The nearly fully preserved frescoes of the apse bear witness to the church’s medieval origins.