Montanera
Greetings from Montanera: history, monuments, and social life
Hello friends! Today we would like to talk to you about a small municipality located in the province of Cuneo, in Piedmont: Montanera! With its 716 inhabitants, Montanera has a strategic position just 15 kilometers from Cuneo and 14 kilometers from Fossano, with an average altitude of 427 meters above sea level.
History
The history of Montanera has its roots in the far-off year of 1200, when it was founded by the monks of Valcasotto. The first cluster of houses surrounded the chapel of Madonna Assunta, better known as Madonna Lunga. The name of the village appears in some documents dating back to 1240-1241 from the Certosa di Valcasotto, associated with the phrase "Locus dicitur praedialis," which means "cluster of farmhouses." In 1360, the village was destroyed by a band of mercenaries known as the Compagnia Bianca, but in 1424, the town was revived thanks to the willpower of Cuneo. The subsequent inhabited center arose in the area later called "Villa," a safer and more easily defensible place, as it abuts the Stura di Demonte river. Between 1619 and 1621, Montanera was entrusted as a fief to Amedeo Ponte Conte di Scarnafigi, along with the nearby Castelletto Stura, by the Duke of Savoy Carlo Emanuele I of Savoy. In 1796, the village came under French jurisdiction along with Cuneo and the surrounding areas, under the government of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Monuments and points of interest
Among the monuments in Montanera, we would like to mention the Monument to the fallen of Nassiriya, inaugurated in 2015. It is a sculptural work by the artist Michelangelo Tallone from Paesana, created in memory of the last fallen soldiers on peacekeeping missions in Nasiriyah.
Society
Demographic evolution
The flavor of the village can still be felt in Montanera today, and its demographic evolution can be seen through data from the National Institute of Statistics, which shows that the foreign citizens living in the municipality are 101, divided as follows by nationality:
- 25 from Morocco,
- 24 from Egypt.
Social life
In addition to the commercial activities of the town, Montanera had a male and female school starting in 1851. Since 1865, there has been a daily horse-drawn carriage service to Cuneo, which was later expanded to include Fossano and Mondovì. In 1813, the municipality received a ferry from the French government to reach Murazzo, located on the opposite bank of the Stura. However, the proximity of the river also brought difficulties for the town, which was gradually eroded from the banks under the action of the river.
Finally, among the marquises of Montanera was also the great writer Massimo d'Azeglio.
Administration
Finally, we propose a summary table of the administrations that have alternated in the municipality:
- (indicate the data)
In conclusion, Montanera is a small pearl to be discovered, characterized by its ancient history and strategic position. If you like the idea of visiting a place in the Italian province, this is the place for you. Come to visit us!
