Ferriere

Welcome to the Municipality of Ferriere!

Hello everyone! Today I will talk about Ferriere, a beautiful Italian municipality in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna. Ferriere has about 1,115 inhabitants and is located in the Ligurian Apennines, between the high Nure valley and the Aveto valley. It is the largest municipality in the province and is a very popular summer holiday destination.

Physical geography

The municipal territory covers about 60 km² and has three glacial lakes: Lake Nero, Lake Bino, and Lake Moo. In addition, there are other very interesting natural environments such as peat bogs and meadows, which remained after the burial of the glacial lakes. Another tourist attraction of Ferriere is Lake Boschi, an artificial lake of about 1 km², built in the 1920s through the Boschi dam on the Aveto stream valley.

Ferriere: between glacial lakes and culinary excellences

Origin of the name

The name Ferriere derives from the iron mines that were located in the area and that represented a very important profitable activity in the past. By the way, perhaps not everyone knows that the term Ferriere did not only indicate the capital city but the entire territory where the mines were active.

History

The first traces of human settlements in the area date back to the Iron Age, but the iron and copper mines of Ferriere were exploited above all by the Roman civilization starting from the 2nd century BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the high Nure valley was also abandoned, and Ferriere appeared only in a royal decree of the Lombard king Rachis of August 5th, 747. At that time, the territory of Ferriere was part of the monastic properties of the abbey of Bobbio, which owned the large court of San Pietro di Torrio, which extended into the Aveto valley and the high Nure valley in the territories of the municipalities of Ferriere, Santo Stefano d'Aveto, Rezzoaglio, Boccolo de' Tassi, and other adjacent ones.

Culture and traditions

Ferriere is a municipality rich in traditions and cultural events. One of the main festivals is that of the patron Saint Joseph, celebrated on March 19th. The Municipality of Ferriere and the local tourism association promote various activities that allow tourists and residents to discover and appreciate the natural and historical beauties of the area.

Economy

The main activity of Ferriere, until a few decades ago, was the production of timber and coal. Today, however, the economy of the municipality is based mainly on tourism and the production of excellent food products such as cured meats, cheeses, jams, and honey.

Curiosities

In the area, it is possible to go on interesting excursions, such as visiting the castle of San Pietro in Monte Torrio, the sanctuary of Madonna del Latte, and the Rio Nero waterfall. In addition, in Ferriere, it is possible to practice sports such as trekking, cycling, and fishing.

Conclusions

In summary, Ferriere is a very interesting Italian municipality, both from a historical-cultural and naturalistic point of view. Those who love the mountains and nature cannot but love this area, which offers numerous tourist attractions and many possibilities to spend pleasant moments of leisure and relaxation. Come and visit us!

Fabio Marino
Wrote by Fabio Marino
Updated Thursday, Jul 14, 2022