Sondalo
A nine-century long history
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk about the city of Sondalo, a municipality of almost 4000 inhabitants in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy. Sondalo is a city that boasts a nine-century long history and like all ancient cities, it has undergone various changes of power and dominations.
From the documents to the 11th century
The first documents speaking about Sondalo date back to the 11th century, but there is not much certainty about its more ancient history. It is said that in the past the area was rich in lakes and some legends speak of a large lake. In any case, the name Sondalo means "land held and worked by the owner and his servants".
The domination of Sondalo
Sondalo was defined as "fundum", which means "farm" and this name could have been attributed as a reward to the Roman legionaries who had distinguished themselves in war. It is also defined as "castrum", which means a fortified place surrounded by walls.
Sondalo was subject to a series of dominations, from the Canton of Grisons to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its geographical position made it a strategically important place and over time many fortifications succeeded each other, which today are only a pale memory.
A destroyed castle
In the ex-fraction of Boffalora, there was a castle that a local legend thinks was built by the Gauls and later possessed by the Goths. It is believed to have been demolished by the Republic of the Three Leagues.
An economic decline
In the 16th century, the inhabitants of Sondalo had the privilege of naming the podestà thanks to Louis XII of France who had just acquired the Duchy of Milan. However, with the advent of the Grisons, the economic decline of the village began and the beginning of a strong emigration. In 1620, the city was destroyed by a major fire set during a revolt against the Protestant reform.
The recent history of Sondalo
In the 1930s, work began in Sondalo on the construction of a Sanatorium Village for the treatment of tuberculosis. It is a cyclopean work, built with the solemn and monumental architecture of the fascist era.
The work began in 1932 and nine ward pavilions were built, eight of which were "typical" pavilions, all identical, and one surgical. The pavilions are connected by a wide road network paved in porphyry. The sanatorium village became very important for the treatment of tuberculosis and its development continued until the 1950s.
Conclusions
Sondalo is a city rich in history and legends, from the different dominations of the past to the construction of the sanatorium village in the 1930s. Its geographical position makes it a strategically important place from a military point of view and its inhabitants have gone through different periods of emigration and economic decline. If you are passionate about ancient stories, Sondalo is definitely a city to visit!
