Ono San Pietro
Ono San Pietro: a small community in Val Camonica
Ono San Pietro is a small Italian municipality with 964 inhabitants, located in the beautiful region of Val Camonica, in the province of Brescia, Lombardy. The area of the municipality's territory borders Capo di Ponte to the north, Paisco Loveno to the northwest, Cerveno to the west and south, and Ceto to the east.
The physical geography of Ono San Pietro
Territory
Ono San Pietro is located in the Concarena's alluvial fan, which was carved by the Ble river. The town is affected by karst dolines and landslides caused by frequent karstification effects. In the past, Ono San Pietro was famous for its limestone and its "occhiadino" marble quarries. In particular, six limestone quarries were found that were in use until the 1950s.
Hydrosphere
The inhabited center is crossed by the Ble river, which then flows into the Oglio river.
Origins of the name of Ono San Pietro
According to legend, the name of Ono San Pietro derives from the letters "D" and "O" on the facade of the ancient church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, in which some gypsies had taken refuge after the Concarena landslide. However, there are also other hypotheses about the origins of the village's name. For example, according to another interpretation, the name would derive from the Celtic-Iberian term "duno," a sheep pen for wool that would have been imported in 774 by the monks of Martin of Tours. A third hypothesis suggests that "Do" is the contraction of the Latin noun "donum" or "dunum," which means terrace.
The history of Ono San Pietro
The current inhabited center of Ono San Pietro is formed by two residential settlements, known in medieval sources since 1299, Hono and Cricolo. The town was previously named Do, but also Doi, Hono, and Onno. In particular, Cricolo rose further north, near the church of San Pietro.
In the localities of "Baite di Natù," "Baite del Rüa," and "Baite Alte di Plaurentì" of Ono San Pietro, Camunic language inscriptions were found, a testimony of human presence in the area already from the late Iron Age, around the 5th century BCE.
On October 14, 1336, the bishop of Brescia Jacopo de Atti invests "iure feudi" of the tithe rights in the territories of Cerveno, Ono, and Cricolo, Esine, and Paisco Loveno, to Oprandino Codaferri from Cemmo. In 1338, a smelting furnace was opened that would remain in use until 1815.
On January 11, 1350, the bishop of Brescia Bernardo Tricardo invests "iure feudi" of the tithe rights in the territories of Berzo Inferiore, Ono and Cricolo, and Cerveno, entrusting the task to Rainaldo del fu Zanino Federici di Gorzone (Darfo Boario Terme). In 1397, at the peace of Breno on December 31, the representatives of the Do community, Buono di Pietro da Ono, and the notary Giorgio da Cemmo, sided with the Ghibelline faction.
Finally, on September 17, 1423, the bishop of Brescia Francesco Marerio invests "iure feudi" of the tithe rights in the territories of Monno, Cevo, Andrista, Paisco Loveno, Saviore, Cemmo, Ono, Sonico, Astrio, Malegno, Cortenedolo, Vione, Incudine, and Berzo Demo a Bertolino della Torre di Cemmo.
Twinning with Monongahela
Since 2014, Ono San Pietro has been twinned with the municipality of Monongahela, in Pennsylvania, United States.
In summary, Ono San Pietro is a small community with a long and interesting history dating back to the Iron Age. The town is located in a very particular geographical area, characterized by the presence of limestone and marble. Furthermore, over the years, some important events have occurred that have marked the town's history. Despite its small size, Ono San Pietro represents a fascinating and history-rich place.
