Osio Sopra
Osio Sopra: a brief introduction
Osio Sopra, also known as Öss de Sùra in the Bergamo dialect, is an Italian municipality located in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy. With a population of approximately 5202 inhabitants, the municipality is located in the central plain of Bergamo, about 10 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Bergamo.
History: the origins of Osio Sopra
The history of Osio Sopra is closely linked to that of Osio Sotto, with which the municipality shared much of its historical events. The first stable settlements occurred during the Roman Empire, when an important communication route starting from Milan and passing through the "Ponte Corvo" in Filago arrived in Bergamo.
Osio then became an important urban center thanks to the centuriation and the patrician family of the gens Otia, from which the toponym originated. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the territory began to depopulate due to barbarian invasions that made it insecure and dangerous. The arrival of the Lombards re-established peace, which had further development with the advent of the Franks and the creation of the Holy Roman Empire that gave rise to feudalism.
The first written documents testifying to the existence of Osio date back to the 9th and 10th centuries when it was mentioned as "Osio Superiore". Initially, the territory was managed by the diocese of Bergamo, but soon became the center of expansionist ambitions of the most prominent families, forcing the population to build a castle for defensive purposes in case of attack.
The factional struggles and clashes
During the factional struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Osio suffered numerous incursions due to the ever-increasing importance of the center, also due to nitrate mining activities. Clashes between opposing factions were documented in 1299, but the peak of violence occurred between 1405 and 1407. The noble families were joined by the peasants to defend their territory and independence.
The Venetian period and modern era
The situation calmed down when, in 1427, Osio became part of the Republic of Venice. The Republic issued a series of decrees, including the construction of artificial canals used for irrigation purposes, which allowed rapid economic development thanks to livestock breeding and agriculture.
In the following centuries, Osio Sopra followed the political fortunes of the rest of the province, inserted into the Cisalpine Republic in 1797, transferred in 1815 to the Lombardo-Veneto Kingdom and finally definitively united to the Kingdom of Italy in 1859.
The small airport of Rasica
In the first decade of the 20th century, in the locality of Rasica, located on the border with Osio Sotto, a small airport developed, but had a short life, since a few years later it was replaced by the one located in Orio al Serio.
Osio Sopra represents a beautiful locality of great historical and cultural interest for all visitors looking for an authentic experience in the province of Bergamo.
