The name of the village can be found in some documents dated 1240-1241 of the Certosa di Valcasotto associated with the words "Locus dicitur praedialis", which means group of farms.

In 1360s Montanera was destroyed by a band of soldiers, called the White Company, which invaded all the surrounding territories.

The new town was built in the area called "Villa" nowadays, a safer and easier place to defend as close to the river Stura.

Between 1619 and 1621 Montanera was entrusted in feud, together with the nearby Castelletto Stura, by the Duke of Savoy Carlo Emanuele I to Amedeo Ponte, Count of Scarnafigi.

In 1865 a daily horse-drawn car service was offered to reach Cuneo, to give the opportunity to the villagers to move from Montanera.