Astigiani Wars

The Astigiani Wars were wars fought between the Ghibelline city-state of Asti against the Guelph Kingdom of Naples and the County of Savoy. The Astigiani defeated the Savoyards at the Battle of Montebruno, and this led to Neapolitan involvement. Charles I defeated the Astigiani at the . He was too, defeated at the Battle of Roccavione and he was forced to leave Astigiani soil. Asti was now the victor, and continued support of the Ghibellines in minority.
Background
Asti was a supporter of the Ghibellines, and was a major acting city for the belligerent. In Italy, there was war between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Asti was one of the first free communes of Italy, and in 1140 received the right to mint coins of its own by Conrad II. As the commune, however, had begun to erode the lands of the bishop and other local faudataries, the latter sued for help to Frederick Barbarossa, who presented under the city walls with a huge army in the February 1155. After a short siege, Asti was stormed and burnt. Subsequently Asti adhered to the Lombard League (1169) against the German emperor, but was again defeated in 1174. Despite this, after the Peace of Constance (1183), the city gained further privileges.
The 13th century saw the peak of the Astigiani economic and cultural splendour, only momentaneously hindered by wars against Alba, Alessandria, Savoy, Milan (which sieged the city in 1230) and the Marquesses of Montferrat and Saluzzo. In particular, the commune aimed to gain control over the lucrative trade routes leading northwards from the Ligurian ports. In this period, the rise of the Casane Astigiane resulted in contrasting political familial alliances of Guelph and Ghibelline supporters. During the wars led by Emperor Frederick II in northern Italy, the city chose his side: Asti was defeated by the Guelphs of Alessandria at Quattordio and Clamandrana, but thanks to Genoese help could recover easily. After Frederick's death, the struggle against Thomas II of Savoy became fierce.
Savoyard Invasion
Thomas II of Savoy decided to invade Asti to restore Guelph rule in Piedmont. He was a powerful leader, and his armies took strong positions in the Province. He engaged a force of Astigiani troops at Montebruno on February 25, 1255. The two armies charged, and the impact of the battle pushed back Thomas' army. He himself was captured in the battle. In revenge, he ordered all Astigiani traders active in France and Savoy arrested. This order led Charles I of Naples to underestimate Asti, and promptly invade Asti and Piedmont in general.
Neapolitan Intervention
Charles I invaded Piedmont, and he tried to engage and destroy the Astigiani Army somewhere. He caught the big fish at Cassano d'Adda, where he found the Ghibelline League. He faced three civilizations this time, and he was outnumbered. However, he broke up the Astigiani lines easily. He finished off the other allied forces, and he took the field. However, a year later he would be bested.
He met another force of Astigiani men at Roccavione. His men engaged and charged the Astigiani line. However, the Astigiani made a slingshot out of their lines and flew the Neapolitans back to their original lines. Charles was defeated decisively defeated at the Battle of Roccavione, and this ended his intervention on the Guelph side in the Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. He never set foot in Piedmont again. His Neapolitans couldn't even handle to fight another battle with Asti, estimating that they would be defeated again by the skillful Astigiani army, who was led by William VII, Marquess of Montferrat.
Aftermath
In the 1290s, after the defeat of William VII due to falling out, Asti was the most powerful city of Piedmont. However, inner struggles for the control of trading and bank enterprises, soon divided the city in factions. The most prominent was that of the powerful bankers of the Solaro family, who, in 1314, gave the city to king Robert of Naples. The free Republic of Asti ceased to exist. In 1339 the Ghibelline exiles recaptured the city, expelling the Solaro and their helpers. In 1342 however, the menace of the Solaro counter-offensive led the new rulers to submit to Luchino Visconti of Milan. Visconti built a citadel and a second ring of walls to protect the new burgs of the city. In 1345, in the Battle of Gamenario, the Ghibelline Astigiani and John II of Montferrat defeated again the Neapolitan troops. John also ruled over Asti until 1372, but seven years later the city council submitted to Galeazzo II Visconti's authority. Galeazzo in turn assigned it to Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans.

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