Burligo
Discovering Burligo: a historic hamlet of Palazzago
Hello friends! I have decided to tell you a bit about the fascinating history of Burligo, a hamlet in the municipality of Palazzago, located in the province of Bergamo. Burligo has about 500 inhabitants and is famous for being the location of the "guerrilla warfare of Palazzago" in 1848, during the first insurrectionary movements for Italian independence.
The history of Palazzago through the centuries
The most important communication routes of the Roman era and later periods, which passed through the territory of Palazzago, were the artery that from Bergamo led to Como and Chiavenna and the road link between Bergamo, Almenno San Bartolomeo, Palazzago, and Valle San Martino. The latter was called the "Strada della Regina," which connected the city of Bergamo with the north-western centers of the province, passing also through the Forcella di Burligo.
In the 14th century, when Bernabò Visconti was lord of Bergamo, we find that Palazzago, together with Valle San Martino and Valle Imagna, sided with the Guelphs and emerged from the bloody battles between Guelphs and Ghibellines battered and destroyed.
In the 15th century, with the advent of the Republic of Venice, a period of peace began, which brought tranquility and prosperity to the population of Palazzago. In the 19th century, Palazzago wrote its own page of history on the path towards independence and the unification of Italy.
The guerrilla warfare of Palazzago
The hamlet of Burligo was the site of the "guerrilla warfare of Palazzago" in 1848, during the first insurrectionary movements for Italian independence. A group of men armed with old rifles and few munitions, led by Federico Alborghetti of Mapello and guided by Carlo Giovanni Agazzi, known as "Barlinet," of Palazzago, withstood the Austrian military command for over two months. The battleground was precisely above Burligo: Mount Spino and Malanotte, near Collepedrino.
The territorial area of Palazzago
Palazzago is one of the largest towns in Bergamo for territorial extension; its surface area is 13.98 km². Its population counts about 4,200 inhabitants, of whom 500 live in the Burligo area.
Discovering Burligo
The history of Palazzago dates back to the time of the Lombards, but the oldest written documents, the parchments, on which the name of Palazzago appears, are from AD 1200. In the 14th century, when Bernabò Visconti was lord of Bergamo, we find that Palazzago was devastated by the bloody battles between Guelphs and Ghibellines.
Burligo is a hamlet of Palazzago, surrounded by other smaller districts such as Acqua, Pratomarone, and Collepedrino, which all form the Parish of Burligo. The village is divided into different hamlets, each one separate from the others, and is famous for being the site of the "guerrilla warfare of Palazzago."
In addition, the most important communication routes of the Roman era and later periods, which passed through the territory of Palazzago, were the artery that from Bergamo led to Como and Chiavenna and the road link between Bergamo, Almenno San Bartolomeo, Palazzago, and Valle San Martino.
Conclusions
I hope you have appreciated this short but intense walk through the history of Burligo, a hamlet in the municipality of Palazzago, located in the province of Bergamo. Burligo is famous for being the site of the "guerrilla warfare of Palazzago" in 1848, during the first insurrectionary movements for Italian independence, but it also deserves to be known for its ancient and fascinating history. Thank you for reading until the end!
