The marquisate was created in 1125 at the death of
Boniface del Vasto, of the
Aleramici family, his son Anselmo becoming the first marquis of the newly formed state. He subsequently acquired a part of the province
Clavesana from his brother Ugo, but at Anselmo's death Ceva (assigned to his son Guglielmo) was again divided from Clavesana, which went to the other son Bonifacio. The marquisate was partitioned in several petty states between Guglielmos, and its fortunes began to decline. Marquis Giorgio Nano had thus to submit to the increasingly powerful
commune of
Asti, which had previously helped marquis Guglielmo II in extending his territories during the 12th century. Further weakened by internal strife, the marquisate submitted to
Amadeus V of Savoy on 22 February 1313. During the wars between the marquisates of
Saluzzo,
Monferrato and the
Angevins, Ceva swore loyalty to
John II of Montferrat. In 1352 it was conquered by the
Visconti of
Milan, who were pushed back by the marquis in 1356. The fragmented marquisate was eventually acquired by the French Duke of Orleans, and ultimately
Savoy in 1531. ==See also==