Municipality of Volpedo

Volpedo belongs to a region which was always a crossroads between such important places as Genua, with its connection to Mediterranean harbours, Milan, Turin and the Alps with their passes towards central Europe. This is why the near towns of Tortona and Voghera have been transportation joints for millennia, since before their status of Roman colonies until present-day railways and highways (E25, E62, E70). Indeed, St. John hospital for pilgrims in Volpedo is mentioned in 1245. You can appreciate the flavour of such road history by walking, biking or driving along our itineraries of the Salt Road, Saint Michael's Walk, Via Postumia and Via Emilia Scauri.

A reflection of this is probably our millenary Romanesque pieve, which was a reference place for the  whole area in the Middle Ages. Later, the village was controlled by regional lords and had a strategic relevance, as witnessed in the Spanish walls that can be seen near the parish church.

At the turn between 19th and 20th centuries, painter Giuseppe Pellizza, a champion of the innovative divisionist school, choose to come back to his native village to live and work. His themes were thus taken from local views and the everyday life of the village, although representing much broader social issues through them, as in the famous Quarto Stato which is now an international symbol of workers condition. You can visit his original workshop, watch video and pictorial illustrations of his work, and identify existing details of his paintings while strolling in the village streets and squares.

Volpedo economy has been based on agriculture for a longtime. One century ago, while most peasants were producing such usual crops as wheat and grapes, lawyer Carlo Baravalle struggled to persuade them to plant peaches as his knowledge suggested that the land was suitable for them. The quality of Volpedo peaches, as well as strawberries, has indeed become famous in all Northern Italy and made the fortune of many. Together with grapes and other products they were sold directly by local farmers at the crowdy covered hall in the middle of the village. Nowadays distribution networks are broader and the Volpedo Frutta cooperative is based in the near forecourt of Monleale, but the covered hall is used every Saturday morning by local organic producers to hold a nice biological market.

While provided with all modern commodities and services, country life still has some traditional aspects, like informal relationships and use of dialect. The upper valley is part of the Quattro Province area, where a rich heritage of songs, instruments and dances is still practiced and known by fans from both Italy and abroad.