Castellania Coppi

Castellania Coppi lies on the hills right of the Scrivia and has borne its second name only since 2019: for the centenary of Fausto Coppi's birth the Piedmont regional council added Coppi to the old name, honouring the champion and his brother Serse, born here. The old name appears in documents only after the fifteenth century, and two explanations are offered: the fortress of Sant'Alosio, or captain Castellino, who married the last of the Rampini, lords here. The comune became independent again in 1947, after nineteen years joined to Carezzano.

Of the fortress two square tower stumps survive on the Sant'Alosio hill, the same towers the coat of arms plants on a green mountain. A document of 1391 shows they had for over a century been bound to keep watch day and night and clear the ditches; a privilege of Ludovico il Moro calls the place poor land, hard for its feudal family to manage. Enrico Rampini was born here: bishop of Tortona, then of Pavia and Milan, and finally a cardinal.