Roncobello
Introduction
Hello friends! Today I want to talk to you about a beautiful Italian municipality located in Lombardy: Roncobello, or as it is said in Bergamo dialect, Roncobèl. With its 415 inhabitants, Roncobello is one of those places that stays in your heart. Located in the Valsecca valley, it is about 47 kilometers north of Bergamo and offers wonderful landscapes to admire both in summer and winter.
Origins of the name
The toponym Roncobello has an uncertain origin. It is believed to derive from the Latin "Runcus", which indicates a land with terraces, or from "Ronch", which in the local dialect means "hill with steep walls". The adjective "Bello" was added by the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy, who was enchanted by the beauty of the place during a visit.
History
Antiquity
As in many nearby villages, it is believed that the first stable settlements in the Roncobello area can be traced back to barbarian invasions. The populations subjected to raids took refuge in remote places, sheltered from the onslaught of conquering hordes. In particular, it is presumed that the inhabitants of the nearby Valsassina were the first to arrive, around the 6th century, as evidenced by some identical place names between the two areas.
Middle Ages
The first written testimonies of the existence of the village date back to 1258, when the division of the lands, which took place almost 70 years earlier, by the bishop of Bergamo, who at the time owned the entire area, was mentioned.
In a deed preceding this, drawn up in 1234, the hamlet of Bordogna is named, whose name would go back to "Bordonus", probably an ancient inhabitant who owned property in the area.
Information about the village is also scarce in medieval times, when it is known to have been placed in the fiefdom held by the Ghibelline Visconti family. However, there are no documents attesting to any battles taking place on the communal soil, except for the presence of some fortifications in the territory of the Bordogna hamlet.
In 1442, the village became part of the Republic of Venice and was included in the administrative district of the "Valle Brembana oltre la Goggia", which included all the municipalities in the upper valley, with the capital located in Valnegra. Roncobello enjoyed tax breaks and numerous privileges.
Modern and contemporary age
In 1810, during the Napoleonic Age, the neighboring municipalities of Baresi (Roncobello) and Bordogna were aggregated to the municipality of Ronco, but regained autonomy with the establishment of the Lombardo-Veneto Kingdom.
At the Unification of Italy in 1861, the municipality of Ronco had 592 inhabitants and later, in 1863, took on the new name of Roncobello. In 1927, the municipalities of Baresi (Roncobello) and Bordogna were definitively merged.
Symbols
The coat of arms and the banner of Roncobello were granted by decree of the President of the Republic in 1998. The coat of arms features a black eagle with lowered flight and a diminished red head.
In conclusion, Roncobello is an enchanting municipality, rich in history and natural beauty. If you want to take a dip into the past, stroll through its alleys or simply enjoy the breathtaking panorama, I recommend you visit it as soon as possible!
