Castelli Calepio
Discover Castelli Calepio: a scattered municipality in Lombardy
If you are passionate about provinces and characteristic small towns, Castelli Calepio is the scattered municipality for you! Located on the Bergamo side of the Oglio River, south of the wonderful Lake Iseo, this area boasts a valuable wine region, Valcalepio, which produces a fine white DOC wine.
Physical geography
Castelli Calepio consists of 4 distinct towns: Tagliuno, the seat of the municipality, located in the northwest area; Calepio to the northeast; Cividino to the southeast; Quintano to the southwest. This municipality can be reached via the A4 Milan-Venice motorway, exiting at "Ponte Oglio". The territory of Castelli Calepio is characterized by steep hills that slope down towards an extensive plain.
History
The history of Castelli Calepio is ancient: the first settlement dates back to Roman times. Subsequently, during the Carolingian period, the first documents on a place called "Vico Castro Calepio" and "Taliuno" emerged, where the two castles were built: the Tagliuno Castle, owned by the Marenzi counts, and the Calepio Castle, owned by the homonymous counts.
The old medieval village of Calepio is still standing and stands imposing as a symbol of the rich history of the area. The castle, originally built around 1000, is one of the most important attractions of the municipality. The condottiero Trussardo da Calepio, who chose to ally with the Republic of Venice in the war between the Milanese and the Venetians, contributed to earning the ducal decree of the feud over the entire valley for the family, renewed later with another decree in 1662. A famous descendant of Trussardo was Ambrogio Calepio, who elaborated the first multilingual dictionary called "Calepino" in 1502. Even the opera singer from Tagliuno, Ignazio Marini, is an important historical figure in the municipality.
Economy and Society
Agriculture and viticulture are the main economic activities in the area, but over the last fifty years, significant settlements of artisanal and industrial companies have been added. Among these are button factories, metalworking companies, plastic material productions, leather and textile-clothing factories. These activities have led to a growth in the population of the municipality, which, as of the 2019 census, has 10,129 inhabitants.
Monuments and places of interest
In addition to the Calepio Castle, the municipality offers many other tourist attractions. The medieval village in Calepio is a must-see, as well as the church of San Lorenzo in Castelli Calepio, which dates back to the 16th century, in Lombard Gothic style, and preserves inside it canvases attributed to Gian Paolo Cavagna and Jacopo Palma the Younger. Another masterpiece not to be missed is the painting "Baptism of Christ" by Francesco Cavagna.
If you are looking for an authentic Lombard town with a lot of history, take a trip to Castelli Calepio, the scattered municipality where nature, culture, and food and wine come together to create a unique experience.
