Rovello Porro
Rovello Porro: the history and meaning of the name
Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you the history of my town, Rovello Porro. Located in Lombardy, this town of 6,193 inhabitants has very ancient origins and a name that encapsulates an interesting meaning.
It is believed that the term "Rovèllo" derives from the word "roa", which in the local dialect means stony ground. Another less credited theory instead suggests that "Rovèllo" is a fusion of the Germanic terms "rose" ("valley") and "vel" ("fortification"). "Porro", on the other hand, refers to one of the families to whom the town was feudalized over the centuries.
The history of Rovello Porro: from feudalism to the present
The town of Rovello Porro was feudalized by several families over the centuries: the Pagano family, who exercised their feudal rights until 1707, when Cesare Pagano bequeathed the fiefdom to Count Carlo Giuseppe Porro. After the Pagano family, the town was feudalized by the Della Porta family, then by Andrea Lucini Passalacqua and his mother Caterina Brentano Monticelli.
During the Duchy of Milan, Rovello Porro was part of the same "pieve" (subdivision of the Diocese) of Appiano, and in 1780 it was granted as a fiefdom to Andrea Lucini Passalacqua and his mother Caterina Brentano Monticelli. In 1807, a decree of administrative reorganization of the Kingdom of Italy sanctioned the annexation of Rovello to Rovellasca, but this aggregation was canceled by the Restoration.
In 1926, the municipality of Rovello changed its name to "Rovello Porro" and two years later, the two municipalities of Rovello Porro and Rovellasca merged to form a new municipality called "Rovi Porro". This experience lasted only ten years, and in 1939 Rovello Porro and Rovellasca became two autonomous municipalities again.
The coat of arms of Rovello Porro
The official coat of arms of Rovello Porro was granted in 1991. The coat of arms features a castle, as the origin of the name could derive from the Celtic words "rose" and "vel", meaning "fortified valley". The Moor's head derives from the coat of arms of the Pagani marquises, feudal lords of the town, and recalls the battles fought by family members against the Saracens. The blue color of the shield's background alludes to the Lura river.
Here is the history of my town, Rovello Porro. I hope to have sparked your curiosity and invite you to visit this town if you have the chance!
