Liguria a one time Roman region was united at the beginning of the 4th century AD with the region of Emilia. At the end of the 4th century it was united with the region to the north of the Po Transpadana and had Milan as its capital city.
After the period of the early Middle Ages there appeared in the middle of the 10th century the so called “Marken”. In the West was the marca arduinica, in the middle the marca aleramica and in the East the marca obertenga.. The most important fiefdoms of the region originated from these “Marken”.
There was a lot of conflict in this area between the various feudal families and the Bischops. These conflicts were the catalyst for the city states. These city states defended the region against the Saracens and took part in the Crusades as well as trading with overseas. However, there history was completely dominated by their relationship to Genoa. Genoa’s power spread to the Apennines and the Levantine coast, it was politically and religiously opposed to the city states of the Riviera, as well as the feudal families and Pisa where the family Fieschi offered resistance until the 16th century. Resistance to Genoa however continued on the basis of the numerous and strong city states (Ventigmelia, Albenga, Savona) and the powerful feudal families such as the Duke of Ventiimiglia and the Marquess of Finale. These struggles continued throughout the 18th century. In 1805 Liguria lost its name and independence as it was divided up into Departements by France. In 1815, after the fall of Napoleon and the Vienna congress, Liguria belonged under the name of the Dukedom of Genoa to the Savoy kingdom of Sardinia-Piemont. Since 1861 Liguria has been known under its present name as part of the new Italian state.
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