The history of Montescano can be identified with that of the Oltrepò Pavese: owing to its geographical boundaries – well defined by the river Po in the north and the Apennine mountain range in the south – the historical events pushed the population south of the river. In pre-Roman times, the entire Oltrepò Pavese was inhabited by the Ligurians. They occupied the vast area between the Po and the Tyrrhenian Sea, well beyond the borders of southern France. Apparently, they introduced vineyard-cultivation on the hillsides of the Oltrepò.