Acqualunga
Welcome to Acqualunga: The Township of Borgo San Giacomo
If you're looking for a peaceful place with immense historical and cultural significance, Acqualunga is the place for you. This township of Borgo San Giacomo, located on a small hill near the Oglio River, offers a stunning view of the river and a myriad of monuments and places of interest.
History
Before becoming a township of Borgo San Giacomo, Acqualunga was an independent municipality until 1927. The Martinengo family was responsible for the settlement being built on a small hill near the Oglio River. In ancient times, there was a ferry port where the current bridge is located, which connected the Brescia and Cremona shores. From the Napoleonic cadastre, it was possible to notice that most of the property was owned by the Fè family, and a small part by the Emili family. In 1847, a new port was constructed between Acqualunga and Castelvisconti, using boats and timber from the port of Monticelli, which was demolished and replaced by a smaller boat.
Monuments and places of interest
Palaces
Acqualunga is home to two magnificent examples of ancient noble residences:
- Palazzo Della Volta, built by the Emili family in the eighteenth century on the ruins of the medieval castle. In the following century, it passed to the Della Volta family, then in 1935 it was acquired by the township of Borgo San Giacomo. It now houses the ornithological exhibition "Serafino Fiamenghi." The building has a porch and a park.
- Palazzo Fé d'Ostiani, which is an eighteenth-century palace with a symmetrical façade, equipped with two wings, both on two levels. The central body rises for three floors. It has a park that slopes down to the Oglio River. The family of Maffeo or Feo Bettoncelli, who crossed the Oglio River, settled in Acqualunga at the end of the fourteenth century. In this town, the Fé family had property since their arrival in Brescia territory. As early as 1641, the large manor house had twelve rooms on the ground floor only and had two porticos of 18 sections in front of it. Bishop Alessandro Fé, provost of San Nazaro, lived here for a long time and died here. The Fé family's property in Acqualunga was sold to the Vertua family in the early twentieth century. In the following years, the Palace passed to the Scanzi family, then to the Sichirollo family of Milan, and finally, in 1961, to the current owners of Paderno.
Religious architecture
Acqualunga is home to two churches of great historical importance:
- The parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena, of sixteenth-century origin, was enlarged in 1732. The expansion did not alter the Renaissance lines but repeated them coherently in the succession of the interior's side chapels and in the sober structure of the façade. The parish is dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena. Probably the choice of this saint is due to the fact that she was often represented in ancient iconography with a snake in her hand, a symbol of her victory over sin; the people invoked her as a protector against the dangers of venomous animals, which were very common in this area until a few years ago.
- The chapel of San Giuseppe, which takes up the name of a previous church that was still present in Acqualunga until the 1600s, was built by Monsignor Alessandro Fè, Diocese of Modone, whose family had owned the large Palace that stands right in front of this sacred building for centuries.
In conclusion, Acqualunga is a jewel of cultural and historical heritage. We invite you to visit and appreciate all of its splendor.
