Monferrato is one of the most historic regions in Piedmont, lying almost entirely within the province of Alessandria; its borders on the south are defined by the course of the Tanaro, Belbo and Bormida rivers , and on the north by that of the Po. It is a relatively hilly region of moderate elevation, dotted here and there by small villages and also by some larger towns.
Within the valley of the Tanaro and Bormida are a group of hills known as the Langhe which abound with vineyards that produce famous wines such as Barbera and Nebbiolo: these terraced hills are in fact made of calcareous-marly soil which is ideally suited to the cultivation of vines. The Langhe are also criss-crossed by a number of valleys running parallel to the Belbo river which cuts through a plateau which is of a somewhat higher elevation (650mt/2,000 ft above sea level) than that of neighbouring Monferrato (350mt/1,000 ft above sea level).
The picturesque landscape of the Langhe is dotted with numerous villages and hamlets positioned high on hilltops that are marked with the ruins of old castles and watchtowers that lend the area a quite unique charm.
The two main urban centres to be found in Monferrato and the Langhe are Alba and Asti, both of which are located in the Tanaro valley.
Down through the centuries, Monferrato has been the theatre of a wide and varied series of historical events. The marquisate of Monferrato was founded toward the end of the tenth century by Oddone of the Aleramici family who controlled it until the last marquis, Giovanni I died without leaving a male heir, in 1305. The marquisate then passed to his sister Violante, wife of the Greek emperor Andronico Paleologo. The Paleologo dynasty ruled until 1633 when Giangiorgio died without an heir apparent, therefore opening a dispute for succession between the Gonzaga of Mantua (one of whom had married the niece of the last marquis) and the Savoia family who, besides a parental claim, also cited an agreement forged between themselves and the Paleologo family regarding succession in the event of the extinction of the male line. The dispute was settled by Emperor Charles V in favour of the Gonzaga who took possession of the marquisate after the treaty of Chateau Cambrésis(1559). The Gonzaga, much to the dislike of the people of Monferrato, began selling off large tracts of land to the highest bidder, most of which invariably fell into the hands of Mantovans, Genoans and Lombards, and never really tried to make Monferrato an integral part of their Mantuan state. The insistence with which the Savoia made claims on Monferrato provoked many wars that did not end until 1714 with the treaties of Utrecht and Rastadt which granted sovereignty of Monferrato to the Savoia. With French occupation it became the Department of Tanaro (1798) and from the congress of Vienna (1815) onwards it became fully united with the Realm of Sardinia and afterwards with Italy. Monferrato's history has therefore had distinct cultural influences; from the Greek of the Paleologo, to that of the Gonzaga, on to the French of the Savoia, the last of which today is, perhaps, the most clearly evident.