Roverbella
Hello everyone! Today I want to tell you a bit about some of the most interesting aspects of Roverbella, a municipality in the province of Mantua, Lombardy. Together we will discover the characteristics of its climate, environmental conservation efforts, the origins of its name, and the history of this enchanting village.
Physical geography
Climate
Roverbella boasts a warm and temperate climate. Throughout the year, the average temperature is around 12.9°C. The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 23.3°C, while the coldest month is January, with an average of 1.8°C. Precipitation is common in autumn and winter, averaging around 802 mm of rainfall per year. The driest month is February, with 48 mm of precipitation, while the month with the most precipitation is October, with an average of 84 mm.
Environmental conservation
An aspect that makes Roverbella even more special is its attention to the environment. In 2010, the village was ranked first for its good management of urban waste in the "Comuni Ricicloni" index among all municipalities in the Lombardy region, according to rankings compiled by Legambiente. This demonstrates the village's commitment to preserving its natural heritage.
Origins of the name
The name Roverbella comes from the Latin word "robus," meaning "Quercus petraea." According to legend, however, the name was due to an ancient, tall, robust, and beautiful oak tree that existed in the village centuries ago, where Piazza Italia now stands, next to the Municipio. Nevertheless, the toponym Roverbella is older than a few centuries. The most plausible etymological origin of the name should derive from the position of the village at the intersection of the road to Mantua-Verona and the road to Garda. The toponym would therefore stem from precise Celtic words: Rho - Heer - Beld, where Rho means crossroads, Heer means military, and Beld means settlement. Roverbella would have hence been an important military crossroads where passing troops were stationed since the Celtic expansion in northern Italy in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE.
History
Roverbella is a village with a very ancient history. In 1182, in fact, there is documented litigation in which testimonial provisions regarding land located in "Roverbella" were produced. Even in the contracts for land rent from 1206, the name of Roverbella appears without any contraction. The territory was already occupied by autochthonous populations long before the arrival of the Celts. In the Roverbella area, the Research and Protection Group of Roverbella History has identified about seventy small archaeological sites that provide a fairly clear idea, almost a map, of the distribution of ancient settlements that embrace a time span from the Neolithic period (6000-2500 BCE) to the Roman era.
Roverbella was also an important city in the Middle Ages. In 1449, during the Gonzaga's Signoria, Roverbella was attacked by the Republic of Venice and was almost completely destroyed. However, the inhabitants rebuilt the village, which since then has lived an era of prosperity, thanks also to its strategic position that made it an important commercial center.
Throughout history, Roverbella has seen many famous people pass through, such as the poet Virgil, who apparently had his summer residence here. The famous general Napoleon Bonaparte also passed through Roverbella during his campaigns in Italy.
Today, Roverbella continues to be a village rich in history and life, where families can live in a healthy and peaceful environment. The inhabitants of the village care about their community and are committed to preserving the natural landscape and their history, sharing them with all those who want to visit this special place.
