Origin and developing of Sant'Alberto abbey 

In 1020 an hermit monk called Alberto arrived to Butrio between Staffora and Nizza valleys. Ha was a Benedictine friar. Today Sant'Alberto di Butrio is an hamlet of Ponte Nizza.
He liked too much those landscape and he found a natural cave where he lived. Near this cave arose the first part of the abbey. Obizzone Malaspina paid to build the abbey and then he gave to Alberto the abbey and the feud of Pizzocorno. The abbey during the years developed itself and many people visited the monastery, the Santa Maria's oratory and the church dedicate to Sant'Alberto in fact when he died his body was bury in that church. 
During XIII and XIV century painted frescoes and beautiful picture. This abbey composes of three little church communicating: Santa Maria (XI century), Sant'Alberto and Sant'Antonio.

In 1167 Barbarossa came to Sant'Alberto and he stayed some days into a little tower near the monastery. In the XVI century pope Leone X joined the abbey with San Bartolomeo in Strada abbey. After this Sant'Aberto abbey lost its importance but from 10th January 1921 Don Orione underlines its importance.