Together with Stradella and Voghera located on the 
ancient Roman road called  " Emilia " it is the centre of 
Oltrepò Pavese economy expecially in the wine production
but also in the building industry.
After the year 1000 one of its most owner was Federico 
Barbarossa, who in the 1165 gave it  to Counts of  Pavia 
which took it until the  1743, year where it was linked to
" Regno di Sardegna". Before the 1000 year ( 452 a.C. ) 
it was several times destroyed by Attila and his Barbari and
four years after oaslo by Genserico and his Vandali . After 
the 1000 year, it was occupied and destroyed some time
aslo burned , between the 1214 and the 1216  Piacentini 
and Milanesi came into it, like in others area in Oltrepò in 
order to take it away from Pavia. In 1373, the village was
destroyed an other time by Giovanni Acuto Army Chaptain   
payed by the city of Florence.
In the two century  after it was Visconti's feud, Sforza's, 
Beccaria's , just for saying the most important.
Its history in the centuries after is the story of all  l'Oltrepò
Pavese, Prince Contardo d'Este , today  is Saint Patron 
of  the city, after having renounced  to his richness he 
became a "God's man", he came to  Broni in the 1249 
together with two friends, point of his travel that had to 
connect him to the Spain, at Compostella's Sanctuary.
But here he fell really ill and died . After some year he
was proclaimed Saint, we have several prove of  sick 
peple praying to his grave and so saved. You have to
visit also the S. Pietro Parish Church dated  '500,
enlarged in the century after with a nave and two aisles,
inside there is some frescos dedicated to the Madonna
del Rosario , and, the Chapel dedicated to the Saint 
patron , the chor with a painting of Panfilo Nuvolone
"Il Martirio di San Pietro",and, "l' Arca di San Contardo" 
precious woos carve by G.B. Turcazzano (1664)
representing the most important moments of the Saint's
life. In front of the parish Church , in the main square,
there is the Town Hall built in the 1857, on a project of 
the Arch. Carlo Arienti, inside decorated by the artist 
Saletta from Pavia ,and into the board room there is a
mythological representation of Mercurio and Cerere 
work of the artist  Barbotti.  Driving on Emilia road, you
can find  Santa Maria oratory, built as a legend tells in 
the place where  San Contardo died . In the nearby of 
Broni, on the road that take you to  "Recoaro" place with
a special water with diuretic and laxativ propierty 
( not to think to  Terme di Recoaro near  Vicenza), there
you can find the Chapel of Madonna di Rio Frate. This
place is surrounded by a beautiful park.

Town Hall

Detail

Parish Church

Frescos particular

"Madonna" Rio Frate