.jpg)
.jpg)
Valcamonica, a Lombard valleys among the biggest and no less renowned for its military history, for its honourable noble families, and men who were distinguished for letters, for weapons, and importance, and famed for the fertility of its soil; for industry and commerce of its people ...—Agostino Caggioli - Storia di Valcamonica, 1853
Val Camonica (also Valcamonica or Camonica Valley, in camunian dialect Al Camònega, poetic Camunia) is one of the largest valleys of the central Alps, in eastern Lombardy, about 90 km long. It starts from the Tonale Pass, at 1883 metres above sea level and ends at Corna Trentapassi, in the comune of Pisogne, near Lake Iseo. It has an area of about 1,335 km2[1] and 118,323 inhabitants 118.323[2].
It is traversed throughout its full length from the river Oglio, which begins in Ponte di Legno and terminates in lake Sebino between Pisogne and Costa Volpino.
Valle Camonica derives its name from the Latin Vallis Camunnorum, that means "the Valley of the Camunni", the name by which the Romans called the inhabitants (today are called Camuni).
Almost all of the valley is included in the administrative territory of the province of Brescia, excluding Lovere, Rogno, Costa Volpino and the Val di Scalve,which are parts of the province of Bergamo.
Contents |
Geography
Territory
Valle Camonica can be divided into three main areas:
- Low Val Camonica: is a flat area full of meadows and fields, which starts from the shores of Lake Iseo and reaches up to the crest of cross Bienno, sometimes referred to as the threshold Breno;
- Middle Val Camonica: from threshold Breno comes up to common of Sonico - Edolo. The lower middle valley extending from Breno to Sellero, then starts the upper middle valley from the narrow gorge Cedegolo until Sonico - Edolo;
- High Val Camonica: This area of the valley below the Periadriatic Seam, and has an east-west orientation. Starts in the Val di Corteno and continues until the town of Ponte di Legno, tested in place. The climate is similar to the average Valtellina.
It is bounded by these borders:
| North | East | South | West |
|
|
- The Val di Scalve is a side valley of Val Camonica, but was always been both historically and administratively a separate entity.
Hydrography
The Valle Camonica is crossed by the River Oglio, the fifth longest river of Italy, which was born in Ponte di Legno from the confluence of rivers Frigidolfo and Narcanello. It flows into Lake Iseo between the municipalities of Pisogne and Costa Volpino.
At the town of Rogno its western shore falls under the administration of the province of Bergamo.
Abundant are the streams that descend from the sides of mountains to join to the Oglio (Oi in camunian dialect) of which some are seasonal, and during the summer are dry.
At high altitude there are many alpine lakes, including Lake d'Arno, Lake Moro, as well as many water catchment constructed in the first half of the twentieth century, in order to channel water to power hydroelectric plants in the area.
History
The ancient history of Valle Camonica begins with the end of last ice age, around 15,000 years ago when the glacier, melting, creates the valley.
The inhabitants, who had begun to visit the valley already in epipaleolithic, settled from the Neolithic. They were called by Romans the Camunni, people of uncertain origin, famous for stone carvings: in Val Camonica they left about 300,000 petroglyphs, which which made the area the largest center of rock art in Europe.
Towards the end of the first century BCE Valle Camonica is attached to Roman Empire and founded the city of Cividate Camuno, with spas, theater and amphitheater and a sanctuary of Minerva, among the largest in the Alps.
During the Middle Ages there were in the area numerous clashes between the Guelph and Ghibelline parties, the first who supported the power of the Bishop of Brescia and the papacy, the second the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1287 the Camonica Valley rebelled to the interference of Brescia and the Visconti of Milan, called by both sides as arbitrators, extended their control over the area during all the 14° century.
From 1427 to 1454 there were numerous battles between the Republic of Venice and Milan for the control of the valey. Venice won and the area passed under the control of the Serenissima until 1797. In this long period, known as the Pax Veneta, the civilian population is devoted to trade, especially of iron.
The starting of nineteenth century was very complex: the area passed through the control of Napoleon to that of the Austro-Hungarian kingdom. Only in 1859 Val Camonica was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
In 1914 there was the outbreak of World War I. The line of war was along the est border of Val Camonica, across the Adamello Group. Those battles are known as White war in Adamello.
In 1955, the National Park of Naquane stone carvings in Capo di Ponte was founded by the Archaeological Superintendence of Lombardy
Monuments and places of interest
UNESCO Site
It is home to the greatest complex of rock drawings in Europe, with approximately 300,000 petroglyphs[3], dated from epipaleolithic to the middle ages.
- Parco nazionale delle incisioni rupestri di Naquane in Capo di Ponte
- Parco archeologico nazionale dei massi di Cemmo
- Parco archeologico comunale di Seradina-Bedolina in Capo di Ponte
- Parco archeologico di Asinino-Anvòia in Ossimo
- Parco archeologico comunale di Luine in Darfo Boario Terme
- Parco archeologico comunale di Sellero
- Parco archeologico comunale di Sonico
- Riserva naturale Incisioni rupestri di Ceto, Cimbergo e Paspardo in Nadro
Medieval villages
- Bienno, has the recognition of being among the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy
- Lovere, has the recognition of being among the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy
- Pescarzo (Capo di Ponte), typical small town
Castles
- Castle of Breno, Largest Castle Val Camonica
- Castle of Gorzone, home of Federici, stands on a hill next to the Dezzo sheer
- Castle of Cimbergo, located on the downstream of the Re, dominates the middle Valley
- Castle of Lozio, the fortress where was consumed the slaughter of Lozio
- Castle of Mù, the bastion of Federici high valley, they remain the foundation
Roman city
- Theatre and Anphiteatre park in Cividate Camuno
- Sanctuary of Minerva in Breno
Mountain excursion
- Paths of CAI in the Parco dell'Adamello
- Trench of First World War (so called Guerra Bianca in Adamello) in Vezza d'Oglio
Spa
Museums and tematic parks
- Parco tematico Archeopark, Darfo Boario Terme
- Museo etnografico del ferro, delle arti e tradizioni popolari, Bienno
- Museo Civico Camuno, Breno
- Museo didattico di arte e vita preistorica, Capo di Ponte
- Museo didattico della riserva, Nadro
- Museo archeologico di Valle Camonica, Cividate Camuno
- Mostra museo Camillo Golgi, Corteno Golgi
- Museo etnografico, Ossimo
- Museo parrocchiale d'arte sacra, Ponte di Legno
- Museo della Guerra Bianca in Adamello, Temù
Notable santuaries and churches
- Chiesa di Santa Maria della Neve in Pisogne
- Chiesa di Sant'Antonio in Breno
- Chiesa di Santa Maria Annunziata in Bienno
- Santuario del Cristo Re in Bienno
- Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta in Esine
- Monastero di San Salvatore in Capo di Ponte
- Oratorio dei Disciplini in Montecchio
- Pieve di San Siro in Cemmo
- Santuario della Via Crucis in Cerveno (Sacri Monti)
Winter sports
Photo gallery
.jpg) Concarena] |
 Valle Adamé |
.jpg) Pizzo Badile Camuno |
 Valle Camonica from Breno to north |
 Valle Camonica from Braone to south |
 Valle Camonica from Gorzone |
.jpg) Petroglyph from Foppe of Nadro |
 Running Priest in Capo di Ponte |
See also
References
- ^ Area of the comunes, excluded Val di Scalve
- ^ Sum of ISTAT data of communes at 31 December, 2007
- ^ "Introduzione all'arte rupestre della Valcamonica su Archeocamuni.it" (in Italian). http://www.archeocamuni.it/arte_rupestre.html. Retrieved 11 maggio 2009.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Val Camonica |
- Itinera in Valcamonica (EN)
- Italian World Heritage Sites
- National museum and archaeological park with roman theatre and amphitheatre
- Valcamonica Rock Art, records and pictures
- EuroPreArt, European Prehistoric Art database, 50 Valcamonica rock art records
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
