This is a story of which there are no written records but many, far too many, historical references to people and events that actually happened. Beginning with the origins of the beautiful Gavina (or Gavia), that is, daughter of the Merovingian king, Clodomiro. Actually, Clodomiro had three sons, Theobald, Guntari and Clodoald, and there is no record of a daughter but this could have been the result of an illegitimate relationship, a “ius primae noctis,” or an adoption, given the beauty and grace of that child who, legend has it, was the favorite daughter of the ruler, who boasted of the young girl’s courage and determination at the expense of the fearful and insecure character of his sons. Indeed, when her father died, the three sons failed to rule, and the kingdom fell into the hands of their uncles, Childebertus and Clotarios. To save themselves, one of the three sons became a monk, while the other two were “made to disappear.”

But let us focus on the legend of Gavina and take a brief step back into actual history.
Clodomiro was the son of Crodoveus I, brother of Audofleda, wife of King Theodoric, the cruel and warmongering ruler of the lands of Ravenna after winning over the self-elected king, Odoacer, of that now decaying Roman empire. Theodoric was sent to those lands by the Ostrogothic emperor Zeno of Byzantium.

Those were turbulent times. Times where all it took to lose power was a coup d’état and a powerful army. Where these were not guaranteed alliances were resorted to.
It was precisely for this reason that Clodomiro arranged for the beautiful Gavina to enter Theodoric’s court, first as a bridesmaid and then, he hoped, as the bride of one of his descendants. This marriage would have guaranteed a solid alliance, but things did not turn out that way. It is important to note that during those days at Theodoric’s court, Gavina became very close to the figure of the king’s daughter, her aunt Amalasunta. The two got along very well and shared a common outlook on life.

Gavina, who was a girl not only very beautiful but with a strong personality, did not accept her father’s intentions and was in love with Philipe, a handsome lapsed nobleman who at that time lived in the court of Clodomiro. Gavina had decided that Philipe would be the man of her life and decided that the only way she could fulfill her dream of love was to elope.

It was certainly not money that the beautiful little princess lacked, but to be on the safe side she took more from the family coffers and, bribing a stable boy, put her plan into action. One evening, unbeknownst to all, she escaped with her beloved Philipe. Leaving the Château d’Orlèans, with a small caravan carrying her most cherished possessions, clothes and the conspicuous treasure, the two of them crossed the Alps in the direction of the Mediterranean coast, but upon arriving in Val Lemme, Gavina was captivated by that gentle and peculiar hilly place.

There was a rise overlooking an unnamed village, and on it were walls of an ancient Roman base. Gavina realized that it would not take much to make that place her new home. The high ground had a spring and the soil was fertile. Gavina took care of her new home, gracing and improving it, and maintained relations with the villagers for whom she had affection, so much so that she called them “mon cherie.” Perhaps it was this friendly nickname that later gave its name to the central part village of Gavi, “Monserito.”

In time, the attraction between Gavina and Philipe waned, and the nobleman revealed his lack of personality by spending his days in the dive bars of the village, where he not only told his story by putting his coins on display, but also accepted the company of women of ill repute. It was from the rumors of the people born in these dive bars, which passed from mouth to mouth, more and more enriched with true and untrue details, that the news of Gavina’s new abode reached the ears of King Clodomiro’s knights who had long been searching for the princess.

In fear of the king’s punishment, having learned of the knights’ presence, Philipe stole as much as he could from his partner and fled, making him lose his trail.

This did not matter to Gavina; she was far more concerned about being discovered and prepared for her father’s wrath.

With Philipe gone, Gavina had resumed dating her aunt Amalasunta, who was also left alone after the death of her husband Eutaric. The two women, both without men, shared more than friendship and views, according to legend.

It was precisely because of Amalasunta’s requests that Theodoric asked Clodomierus to forgive his daughter, who agreed and allowed her to remain in the Italic land. Perhaps Theodoric also had quite other purposes in wanting Gavina to head that place. Indeed, the location of the village represented a strategic crossroads of trade, and entrusting a person of proven friendship with a well-fortified castle would have ensured not only its fruits but also a good defense from any attacks from the northwest. Indeed, it would seem that the Ostrogoth king helped Gavina build the castle and the mighty walls around the small village. The presence of a woman at the head of the fief can also be seen in the gracefulness of some of the architectural details of the fortified buildings and in the urban network of the place, which had something of a feminine and almost Provençal flavor.

After Theodoric’s death, the Ostrogothic kingdom passed into the hands of Amalasunta’s very young son, Atalaric, who died very young. Although she could not sit on the throne as a woman, Amalasunta decided to have her cousin Theodatus, believed by all to be her new husband, sit by her side. Instead, Theodatus was already married but accepted the position not out of noble duty but out of his own personal aims. By deception he had Amalasunta imprisoned, whom he then had strangled.

Gavina, grieving the death of her protector friend, reigned over her fiefdom for a long time without the need or desire for a male figure, bringing there a period of prosperity and peace.

There are no details about Princess Gavina’s death, nor any writings that interweave her life with the various historical figures in this story. Instead, there is a detail about the stone altar in the castle hallway, the place where Gavina seems to be buried. On this structure can be seen the symbols of the three powers that later ruled over the village of Gavi: the coat of arms of the Guasco family of Alessandria, the bison of the Visconti family of Milan, and the cross of St. George, of the Genoese Republic. May these symbols be there to pay homage to the mysterious princess whose strength and determination gave rise to this village?

Photo from the Consortium for the Protection of Gavi on Instagram