Rosasco
Welcome to Rosasco: a brief guide to its history and monuments
Hello everyone, today I'm going to talk about Rosasco, a municipality of 547 inhabitants located in the province of Pavia, in Lombardy. This small city is located in western Lomellina, not far from the left bank of the Sesia river.
History
Rosasco has a long history dating back to the 10th century. The first document relating to the municipality and its castle dates back to 977, when Ottone I del Monferrato granted ownership to the Diocese of Pavia. Over the centuries, Rosasco has seen various lords in charge, including the Beccaria in 1355, the Borromeo in 1452 and the Visconti of Saliceto in 1701. However, the bishop of Pavia has always remained the supreme lord of Rosasco.
In 1859, Rosasco became part of the province of Pavia and that's where it still is today.
Symbols
The coat of arms and the gonfalon of Rosasco were granted in 2004. The coat of arms consists of a shield with the letters C and R (standing for Comune di Rosasco) topped by an abbreviation sign and, inside, the papal keys. The gonfalon, on the other hand, is a white flag with a red border.
Monuments and places of interest
The castle
The castle of Rosasco dates back to the year 1000, but suffered serious damage during the wars of Monferrato in 1636 and 1643. Today, some parts of the perimeter walls can still be seen, including the entrance tower, the main tower and traces of a third tower in the parish church. The entrance tower was equipped with a drawbridge and a pedestrian gateway and was called "del consegno".
San Valentino church
The church of San Valentino was built within the castle enclosure and dates back to the 15th century. The date "8 May 1496" is written on the architrave of the side door, confirming its construction in that year. The church has been restored several times over the years, but was returned to its ancient form by a restoration in 1986 and a conservation intervention in 2002.
The central nucleus of the town
The central nucleus of Rosasco still preserves a typical urban development of fortified medieval villages. Traces of the ancient fortifications can still be seen in the houses and streets of the city.
Conclusions
In summary, Rosasco is a historic and interesting city with a long history dating back to the 10th century. The medieval castle and the church of San Valentino are just some of the historical monuments that can be seen in the municipality. We hope that our brief guide has been useful to you and that you can soon visit this fascinating city.
