Mezzane di Sotto
Welcome to Mezzane di Sotto: a small town that tells its story
If you are passionate about history and want to discover the hidden beauties of the Verona countryside, Mezzane di Sotto is the perfect place for you. This small town, located just 18 km northeast of Verona, has an ancient and fascinating history that deserves to be known.
Physical geography
Let's start with physical geography: Mezzane di Sotto is located in the heart of its valley, crossed by the Progno di Mezzane river. The territory is mainly flat and hilly, at the foot of the first Lessinia reliefs. Here, the minimum altitude of the municipality is 95 meters above sea level, that of the capital is 122 meters while the maximum is 608 meters.
But where exactly is Mezzane di Sotto located? The municipality borders to the northeast with Tregnago, to the southeast with Illasi, to the south with Lavagno and San Martino Buon Albergo, and to the west and northwest with Verona. In the territory of Mezzane di Sotto, there are also two hamlets: Castagnè, located 3 km northwest of the capital, and Mezzane di Sopra, 3 km northeast of the capital. The parish church of the capital is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta.
The history of Mezzane di Sotto
But let's move on to the most interesting part: the history of Mezzane di Sotto. Here, you can still breathe the ancient atmosphere of the populations that have lived in the area over the centuries.
Prehistory
First of all, it should be mentioned that the Mezzane di Sotto valley has been inhabited since prehistoric times. At Casal Farinati, southeast of Mezzane di Sotto, flint artifacts and Campignano-type tools belonging to the Middle Paleolithic Musterian period have been found. The wealth of water in the valley has favored human settlement since then.
The Roman period
But it is above all the Roman period that has been very present in the history of Mezzane di Sotto. Numerous Roman period finds, such as the presence of a local road, the Via Cara, which started from Postumia and reached the castrum of San Mauro di Saline. The famous historian Theodor Mommsen dedicated a fair space to local Latin inscriptions in his work Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, where he reconstructed the history of a delubrum, a small temple, dedicated to Jupiter.
Among the other religious finds of the Roman era, there is an altar dedicated to Silvanus, god of the woods, Juno and Jupiter Optimus Maximus. A neighboring district of Mezzane di Sopra is called Postuman with an evident Latin derivation from the homonymous road.
Other finds
But the most interesting finds are those that occurred during the 20th century. Filippo Nereo Vignola and Federico Dal Forno uncovered a series of tombs containing burned bones and fragments of roofing tiles, large bricks and wine jars in the locality of i Ruini. Along a road called "delle tombole," there were other tombs where, among other objects, a compass and a coin of Gallienus were found which helps to date them to the late 3rd century.
In Torcolo, impressive remains of Roman walls and fragments of large bricks were found as well as a terracotta lamp and an amethyst cameo with an engraved nude. At Fiui, in 1954, Roman walls, a mosaic floor of only white tiles, and fragments of painted plaster were uncovered. The famous archaeologist Lanfranco Franzoni described the finds, often assisted by Vignola and Dal Forno.
Even the bell tower of Castagnè, in the upper part of the municipality, is a memorial of ancient times: here, two frontons of funerary steles are set in, one with a tympanum included in the rectangular profile of the stele and with two rabbits on the slopes, facing outwards.
Conclusions
In short, Mezzane di Sotto is a town to be remembered. Among the beauties present in the territory, there are hills that extend as far as the eye can see, green and lush valleys, and ancient stories left by those who inhabited these lands centuries ago. So, if you want an adventure in the Verona landscapes, Mezzane di Sotto is waiting for you with open arms!
