Bedulita
Bedulita: a millennial commune
Hello! Today I want to tell you about Bedulita, a village located in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy. This small village has around 700 inhabitants and is located in the beautiful Imagna Valley, about 26 km northwest of Bergamo.
But what struck me the most is its millennial history. It is said that the origins of the village date back to the year 1000, although there are traces of even older human settlements, as shown by the fragments of ceramics found in the "Buco del Corno" cave. It is presumed that small settlements already existed in the Lombard era, so much so that Bedulita was called "San Michil", in honor of the saint venerated by the Lombards themselves and the patron of the parish.
The medieval era of Bedulita
But it is in the medieval era that the village begins to take on a well-defined physiognomy, so much so that it is mentioned in official documents for the first time in 1219. Tradition has it that the toponym of the village takes inspiration from the natural context, a large birch forest that enveloped the area (beduletas), from which the name Bedulita derives.
However, the medieval era was also characterized by violent clashes between Guelfs and Ghibellines, more intense in the area than in other parts of the province of Bergamo. The Imagna Valley, predominantly Guelf, was in stark contrast to the nearby Brembilla Valley, aligned with the Ghibellines. In this atmosphere of conflicts, castles and fortifications were born, and Bedulita was no exception: the bell tower of the current church, for example, was built on a defensive tower dating back to the 12th-13th century.
The Visconti and Venice in Bedulita
Initially, the struggle between Guelfs and Ghibellines saw the former prevail, who, however, received the help of the Visconti, lords of Milan. These extended their dominion over the valleys of the area, employing very harsh methods against their opponents. This led the Guelfs to seek revenge with further killings and the rise of rebellions that were crushed by force.
The situation was resolved when the area came under the control of the Republic of Venice. The latter, in contrast to the Visconti, supported the Guelf factions and destroyed the Ghibelline possessions, guaranteeing favoritism to the Guelf towns instead. Bedulita, like other communes in the area, benefited from this new balance, and over the years it acquired increasing prestige, especially thanks to the local Personeni family, which included illustrious figures such as Aurelio, brother-in-law of Pope Clement VIII, and Cinzio, elevated to the cardinalate.
Enlightenment and religion in Bedulita
Now let's come to a curious aspect of the history of Bedulita. We are in 1756, in the midst of the Enlightenment era, when the central role of the Catholic Church was being questioned by the theories of the time. Even in the Imagna Valley area, there were many followers of these ideas, but they did not meet the approval of the population. In that period, in fact, the entire community of Bedulita joined forces to defend their faith, manifesting a strong attachment to the Catholic religion.
Conclusions
In short, I was pleased to share with you this brief history of Bedulita, a commune that is not just a small mountain village, but represents a millennial cultural heritage. I hope I have helped you get to know this place better and stimulated you to discover other stories and curiosities about our wonderful country. Goodbye!
