Cairo Montenotte () is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Savona in Liguria, an Italian region located west of Genoa and northwest of Savona. Located in Val Bormida, it is a member of the Comunità Montana Alta Val Bormida. It is considered to be the main centre of Val Bormida and it has 12691 inhabitants. It is the fourth municipality in the province together with Savona, Albenga and Varazze, as well as the most popular municipality in Liguria among those without outlet on the sea. The municipal area is the biggest in the province behind Sassello, and the fifth in Liguria.
In 2007, Cairo Montenotte drew up a project of collaboration with other municipalities of Val Bormida through the formulation of the so-called ‘Piano Strategico delle Città delle Bormide’, focusing on establishing the area within the Ligurian socio-economic context in a more effective way.
It is known for being the birthplace of the patriot Giuseppe Cesare Abba.
Cairo Montenotte borders the following municipalities: Albisola Superiore, Altare, Carcare, Cengio, Cosseria, Dego, Giusvalla, Gottasecca, Pontinvrea, Saliceto, and Savona.
Geography
Cairo Montenotte is situated in the high part of Val Bormida, more precisely in the countryside behind Savona, and it is the biggest and most important town of Val Bormida.
The urban area reaches an average height of 340 m a.s.l., and it expands in the valley floor along the left shore of Spigno’s Bormida River. Bric del Tesoro is the highest peak of the town district, with a height of 860 m a.s.l.
History
The name "Cairo" comes from the Latin "carium", which itself comes from the ancient Ligurian stem "car-", meaning "stone" or "rock".
According to many archeological finds, this area has been inhabited since the Neolithic age. In fact, arrowheads, spears, daggers and axes are stored in Calasanzio Institute in Genoa Cornigliano, and a polished stone axe is kept in the Ligurian Archeological Museum in Genoa Pegli.
Probably before the Roman Conquest, Cairo was inhabited by the Ligurian Statielli.
After the Roman Conquest of the Ligurian territory, the Bormida Valley was crossed by the Via Aemilia Scauri, commissioned by the censor Marco Emilio Scauro in 109 BC, that connected the city of Derthona (Tortona) and Vada Sabatia (Vado Ligure), and in Cairo there was the station of Canalicum or Calanico. The road network was enlarged with the building of Via Julia Augusta, commissioned by Augusto in 13 BC in order to assure the connection with the Gallic provinces.
In the exact place where today stands Nostra Signora delle Grazie Church, there have been found several Roman artefacts and remains of an ancient rustic villa (farm) from the Imperial period.
Since the Lombard period, the local area was included in the San Colombano di Bobbio (PC) Abbey domains through the San Salvatore di Giusvalla Abbey control, directly dependent upon the Holy See. Together with many other territories, this area was included in the royal, imperial and monastic feud.
The toponym ‘Carium’ made an appearance for the first time in a document from 967 AD, in which the Emperor Ottone I di Sassonia decided to offer to Aleramo several territories already devastated by Lombard and Saracen past incursions.
The 8th of May 1080, Cairo inhabitants signed a pact of friendship with Savonesi, people coming from Savona, signed again in 1120, 1188, 1194, as documents from 998 and 1014 state. In 1091 Cairo was hold by Bonifacio del Vasto who will later divest some lands to Ferrania's Abbey, that was built in 1097. A bull from Pope Innocent II dated 20 February 1141, cites Cairo's castle, that has been placed under the protection of the Holy See together with the Saint Eugine Benedictine Abbey of Bergeggi Island. From 1131 until 1191 it was part of Marca di Savona.
A popular legend reports that Francis of Assisi crossed the town in 1213, when he was travelling towards Spain, but it has not been proved by any written document. On 5 July 1214, Ottone Del Carretto, lord of Savona, sold Cairo's castle to Genoa together with its annexed lands. On July 16, Ottone was elected feudal lord of Cairo, Carretto, Vigneroli and half of Carcare, by Genoa consuls. On 5 November 1235, the family bought Rocchetta di Cairo's castle from Cavalieri Ospitalieri di San Giovanni (then Cavalieri di Malta).