Poggio Rusco
Poggio Rusco: history and origin of its name
Poggio Rusco is a town with a population of 6,355 located in the province of Mantua in Lombardy. Its name is composed of Poggio, which means hill, and Rusco, referring to the canal that flows between Mantua and Modena. The area has been inhabited since pre-Roman and Etruscan times when it was used as a landfill. The town sits on a 16-meter high hill, which makes it less exposed to the dangers of floods from the Po River.
History of Poggio Rusco
Under the rule of Otto III, the territory of Poggio Rusco was donated to the Diocese of Mantua. In 1332, the Diocese ceded the Poggio Court to the Gonzaga family. Over the centuries, ownership of the land of the Poggio Court was divided into two cadet branches of the Gonzaga family: the Gonzaga of Palazzolo, lords of the Corte Piccola, and the Marquises of Gonzaga of Vescovato, masters of the Corte Grande. In 1707, Poggio Rusco became part of the direct domains of the House of Habsburg and, in the late eighteenth century, found itself sharing the fate of the Cisalpine Republic. In 1867, it was decided to better identify the name Poggio by postponing the toponymic epithet "Rusco".
Poggio Rusco today
Poggio Rusco extends in the southeastern part of the Mantuan foothills, about 9 km south of the Po River on the border with the province of Modena. The town was severely affected by the 2012 Emilia earthquake. Since September 2015, with the municipalities of Borgocarbonara, Magnacavallo, and Sermide and Felonica, Poggio Rusco has been part of the Sei Oltrepò union of municipalities. The town is famous for the Mediterranean shrub known as "pungitopo", which grows along the irrigation canals of the Poggio's countryside, particularly along the Rusco Canal.
Conclusions
Poggio Rusco is a small town with an ancient and fascinating history. Its name is composed of Poggio, which means hill, and Rusco, referring to the canal that flows between Mantua and Modena. Over the centuries, the town has been ruled by different powers, and today it is one of the municipalities of the Sei Oltrepò union. The town is famous for the Mediterranean shrub known as "pungitopo", which grows along the irrigation canals of the Poggio countryside.
