The town's name is linked to the cult of the saint, to whom the parish is entitled, while the second part of the name comes from the Family that long ruled the area. It is a small town in the province of Asti, located in the Monferrato hills, on the left bank of the Tanaro river, bordering the province of Cuneo. The village looks like a cluster of houses cleverly arranged between the green trees and the vines, that are also a basic element of the local economy. Famous for its Barbera, to which a festival is dedicated, held every year in Summer and attracts many visitors, in the area are produced a wide range of other fine and appreciated worldwide wines.
The origins of town are documented since medieval times: the settlement's development was determined by the building of the parish and the presence of lands that belonged to the church. The cultivation of the lands invited the inhabitants to build their homes and settle in this area. The territory, subject, for a long period, to the domain of the Bishop of Asti, it was granted as a fief in the XIV century to the Solaro Family, that stayed in power till the XVII century, when on the orders of the Duke of Savoy, San Martino was granted to the Alfieri of Magliano.

Not to miss:

- the Parish church of San Martino, which was built by Marquis Carlo Emanuele Alfieri during the first half of the XIX century and designed by Cav. Ernesto Melano, a famous court architect. It features a Neoclassical façade enriched by a gable and columns. It has a beautiful triptych of the school of Ferrari;
- the Church of the Confraternity of the Battuti;
- the eight Chapels located in the surrounding villages and districts;
- the Castle, built between the XVII and XVIII centuries, designed by Ing. Bertola, and preserves a large collection of paintings, sculptures, documents and testimonies of the inhabitants, in addition to pieces of original furniture;
- Palazzo Garibaldi situated in the district of Saracchi.