Montferrat (UK: /ˌmɒntfəˈræt/ MONT-fə-RAT, US: /-ˈrɑːt/ -RAHT; Italian: Monferrato [moɱferˈraːto]; Piedmontese: Monfrà, locally [mʊŋˈfrɒ]; Latin: Mons Ferratus) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy. It also has a strong literary tradition, including the 18th-century Asti-born poet and dramatist Vittorio Alfieri and the Alessandrian Umberto Eco.
The territory is cut in two by the river Tanaro. The northern part (the Basso Monferrato, "Low Montferrat"), which lies between that river and the Po, is an area of rolling hills and plains. The southern part (the Alto Monferrato, "High Montferrat") rises from the banks of the Tanaro into the mountains of the Apennines and the water divide between Piedmont and Liguria.
