Pietra de' Giorgi
The Municipality of Pietra de' Giorgi in Italian and Lombard history
Hello friend! Today I want to talk to you about this small Lombard jewel called Pietra de' Giorgi. This municipality of 751 inhabitants is part of the province of Pavia and is located in the Oltrepò Pavese, on a hill overlooking the Po Valley.
History
But the history of Pietra has ancient roots. In fact, the municipality is mentioned in the diploma of 1164 with which Frederick Barbarossa subjected most of the Oltrepò to the rule of Pavia. Under the Pavesi, Pietra was the seat of a podesteria or squad, soon subject to the lordship of the Sannazzaro family, a branch of which was called ''de Petra''.
The Sannazzaro, of Guelph faith, supported a harsh siege by the Ghibellines in 1277. In 1405 it was assigned to Galvagno Beccaria, son of Messer Fiorello and Filippina Sannazzaro, after the expropriation of the other Sannazzaros. It remained in that family, hence it was called ''Preda Beccaria''; it then passed, by inheritance, to the ''Giorgi di Soriasco'', also called ''Giorgi Beccaria''. After this family became extinct at the beginning of the 17th century, the feudal lands were acquired by the ''Giorgi di Vistarino'', from whom it took its current name.
And it doesn't end here. In the territory of the municipality of Pietra de' Giorgi there was also the municipality of Predalino, suppressed in the 18th century. Here we find the castle located in the northern part of the current town and its municipal territory was made up of a series of lands scattered in a "leopard spot" pattern in the territory of Pietra.
Monuments and places of interest
But Pietra is not just history and tradition. The municipality can also boast some truly suggestive monuments and places of interest. One of these is certainly the Castle of Pietra de' Giorgi.
Society
But let's move on to society. While the municipality has a fairly small population, it is interesting to note that the population has grown significantly in recent years. In 2001, the municipality had only 590 inhabitants, while in 2018 they became 751.
Conclusions
So here, dear friend, is all you need to know about Pietra de' Giorgi, a small but fascinating Lombard municipality where history blends with modernity. All that's left for me to do is to invite you to visit it and experience all the beauty it has to offer in person!
