According to a popular legend, Aleramo, Marquis of Monferrato, founder of the Aleramici family was born at Acqui Terme during a pilgrimage.
Becoming an orphan, Aleramo joined the military and entered the court of Emperor Ottone I.

There he met Adelasia, daughter of the Emperor. Both fell into a sudden, overcoming mutual passion. Unable to tell the Emperor of their love, fearing his refusal to allow them to marry, the two young people escaped to Aleramo’s birthplace.

Here, however, he could not manage to live without fighting and he secretly joined the army. When Ottone became aware of this, he wanted to find the courageous young man and decided to pardon him...

The legend tells that Aleramo was granted as much land as he could ride across on horseback in three days and three nights without stopping.

The name MONFERRATO derives from his having used a brick (mattone -mun) to shoe ferrare-frà) the horse that had lost its shoe during its long run.