San Damiano al Colle

This small village, made up of numerous hamlets scattered across the hills, is one of the ideal places to lose yourself among the beautiful roads lined with vineyards.

Bordering the province of Piacenza, it stands on a hill dominated by the late medieval castle (14th–15th century), built on a previous fortification dating shortly after the year 1000.

Known as “Sanctus Damianus,” it appears in the 1452 Statuta stratarum as part of the Ultra Padum district. Until 1677 it belonged to the feudal lordship of the Bishop of Tortona, as part of the fief of Portalbera; later, after being divided, it was sold for the sum of 60 lire per “hearth” to Count Galeazzo Mandelli of Pavia.

In the territorial division of September 15, 1775, San Damiano was included in the Voghera district. In the senatorial decree of August 29, 1789, which divided the province of Voghera into three cantons, San Damiano was placed in the third canton of Broni. The prefect of the Department of Marengo, pursuant to the law of the 28th piovoso year VIII (February 1800), appointed the maires and deputies of the municipality of San Damiano and Mondonico by decree of the 23rd fructidor year IX (September 1801).

San Damiano was then included in the Department of Marengo and the district of Voghera. According to the royal edict of October 7, 1814, which reorganized the provinces under the Senate of Piedmont and their division into judicial districts, San Damiano was provisionally assigned to the mandamento of Montù Beccaria, belonging to the province of Voghera. In 1859 San Damiano became part of the province of Pavia, within the ninth mandamento of Montù Beccaria in the district of Voghera.

Until 1863 the municipality retained the name of San Damiano; after that date it assumed the name San Damiano al Colle. In 1878 the hamlets of Boffalora, Marone, and Poggio, previously belonging to the municipality of Rovescala, were annexed to San Damiano al Colle.

(Source: www.visitoltrepo.com)