Chivasso, Province of Torino, Piedmont

Two milestones found in the place date its origin to the fourth century AD, though the first historical mention is in a document by Emperor Lotarius I of 843 AD, where the town appears as Clavasium. In 1164 the village was given as fiefdom to the Monferrato marquis, who realizing the strategic position of the small town, at the time a fishermen' river borough, and built here a powerful castle. In the 14th century prince Teodoro I established a mint, and his descendant Teodoro II strengthened the wall and started two wide ditches, called "Cerche", and a number of canals to improve the cultivation of the surrounding fields.

In 1705 the town resisted the siege of the French invaders enough to allow to Turin, the capital of the Savoy Dukedom, to get ready to the invasion. In the late 18th century the royal territory called Mandria was used as an important horse breeding center.

In the mid-19th century after the introduction of the railway system Chivasso became an important railway junction point, and its commercial growth was accompanied by important architectural works, such as the Canale Cavour, and in 1870 a majestic bridge over the Po river was inaugurated.