 During the fall of the Western Roman Empire, barbaric invasions led to the division of the town in two different boroughs, one on the seaside and another at the hills' feet.In the High Middle Ages it was part of the county of Vado, and then of the marquisate of Savona and that of Albisola (1122).In the early 12th century the two Albissolas founded a joined commune whose main activities included trading, agriculture, fishing and ceramics production; after years of struggle, it went under the Genoese control starting from 1251.