History of Voghera, Italy

Voghera is now a quiet peaceful town in the southernof the people into Viqueria, from which was born the
Lombardy region of Italy. Over its long history the townmodern name Voghera.
has changed hands many times, and each historicalIn medieval times Voghera again became a
era has left its mark on the city.Municipality, constantly afflicted by struggles with
The geographical position of Voghera made it a placeneighbouring cities. It was conquered by the Visconti
of human settlement from ancient times, and we knowfrom Milan: Filippo Maria Visconti, then Duke of Milan,
that in the prehistorical era Voghera was inhabited bygranted the town to the powerful feudal family of Dal
the Ligurians - at which time it was known as Iria.Verme, and then, when the family died out, Voghera
Later the Romans conquered the settlement andreturned to control by Milan, under the rule of Ludovico
made it an important 'Municipality', because the cityil Moro.
was placed along the Via Postumia trade route whichIn the 18th century Voghera, with the Treaty of Utrecht
joined Piacenza with Genoa.(1713), became an Austrian domain, and then, still in the
However, relations with the Romans were strained18th century, with the Treaty of Worms (1743), it was
because, at the time of the wars against Hannibal, thedominated by the Dukes of Savoy.
Iriati (Iria inhabitants) stood against the Romans. As aThe city was later conquered by the French in the
result, after the defeat of Hannibal they madeNapoleonic age and, after the fall of Napoleon, it
Voghera a military outpost with the goal of controllingreturned to Savoy and it became part of the Kingdom
the local population and territory.of Italy with the national unification that took place in
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Iria-Voghera lost1861.
much of its political and military importance. In the earlySo we can see that the history of Voghera has been
Middle Ages it was a simple village (Latin "Vicus"), andvery eventful, and your visit will reveal traces of many
its new name bacame Vicus Iriae, which, with theof these different rulers - above all in the art and
passage of time, turned itself in the spoken languagearchitecture of the town.