Montevecchia
Let's discover Montevecchia, the municipality in the province of Lecco in Lombardy
Hi everyone! Today we'll talk about Montevecchia, a beautiful municipality in the province of Lecco in Lombardy. Montevecchia is a charming place that dominates the Meratese territory in northeastern Brianza and is home to the Regional Park of Montevecchia and the Curone Valley. Let's explore it together!
Physical geography
The territory of Montevecchia covers an area of about . The hill that the town is located on reaches a height of about , which is the highest point. The municipality borders Olgiate Molgora and La Valletta Brianza to the north, Cernusco Lombardone and Merate to the east, Missaglia to the west, and Osnago to the south.
Seismology
According to the seismic classification, the municipality belongs to the low seismicity zone.
Climate
From a climatic standpoint, Montevecchia belongs to zone E. The town's particularity is that the climate at the top of the hill is different from the nearby towns in the valley. In fact, it is about 2 degrees cooler in summer and 2 degrees warmer in winter. Thanks to the good exposure to the sun, Mediterranean climate plants such as vines and various types of herbs grow on the southern slope of the hill.
Origins of the name
The name Montevecchia is believed to refer to the Roman fortification that was located where the current sanctuary is, surrounded by a protective wall over 800 meters long. The name Mons Vigiliae (mountain of Watchmen) would have subsequently evolved to Mons Vegliae, Monte Vegiae, Monte Vegia, and finally to the current Brianza dialect, in which "Vegia" means "Old".
In reality, given the ancient colonization of the hill, a Celtic origin of the toponym is more probable, to which the Latin term "mont(em)" would have been added, such as "Owignya" or "Owikya", derived from the same root and indicating the presence of sheep, lambs or deer.
History
The origins of human settlements in the Montevecchia territory date back to ancient times. In the Montevecchia Park, two camps dating back to the times of Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens were discovered in the late 1970s, dated to 60,000 and 32,000 years ago, respectively. These settlements are among the oldest located in Lombardy.
Little is known, however, about Roman Montevecchia, with the exception of the traces of a fortification over 800 meters long found near the current sanctuary.
There is more documentation on events starting from the Middle Ages, which saw Montevecchia administered as a free community of Brianza until modern times. In 1647, Montevecchia was granted in fief to the Panigarola family, which became extinct in 1703.
Conclusions
Montevecchia is a particularly interesting locality for its historical traces dating back to antiquity and for the beauty of the territory. The town offers the opportunity to take a walk in the Regional Park of Montevecchia, visit the sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Grace, admire the ancient architecture, and of course, taste the delicacies of the local cuisine. If you are in the area, do not miss the opportunity to visit Montevecchia - you will be amazed!
