The traces of the first settlement go back to prehistoric times. It is believed that humans are already 800 BC. had built a fortified settlement on the hill. Finds such as Ligurian ceramics point to the Iron Age in the “Castello” area. There were several settlements in the Roman era. Tortona could be the oldest Roman settlement in Piedmont. The ancient “Dertona” was founded in 148 BC. originally founded as a Ligurian city. The importance of the city arose from its strategic location. It is at the trade hub of Via Postumia (Genoa-Piacenza-Aquileia), Via Fulvia (Pollenzo-Asti-Tortona) and Via Emilia Scaura (Vado Ligure-Acqui Terme-Tortona). In Tortona, excavations of the city wall, an aqueduct and burial sites can be found from this period. Rulers and conquerors such as Friedrich Barbarossa, who razed 115 city walls and towers, the Visconti and Sforza with Ludovico il Moro, Napoleon and the Savoy played a role in Tortona’s history.