Torre Boldone
Welcome to Torre Boldone!
Hello everyone! Today we will talk about a small municipality located in Lombardy, called Torre Boldone. It is a place with a varied territory, with an area of almost 3.5 square kilometers, which has about 8,620 inhabitants. Would you like to learn more about this location? Then keep reading our article.
Physical Geography
Territory
Torre Boldone is located at the entrance of the Seriana valley, on the right bank, at an altitude of about 280 meters above sea level. If you want to visit this area, you will have to travel along the ancient road that connects the valley with the city of Bergamo. The territory extends over almost 3.5 square kilometers, of which almost half is located in the alluvial plain, a third is hilly, and less than 20% is classified as mountainous area. Torre Boldone is bordered to the north by the "colle di Ranica", a relief that develops east of Maresana, and administratively divides the municipality of Torre Boldone from Ponteranica. To the east and west, the territory is marked by the extensions that branch off from the aforementioned height, while to the south it is the course of the Guidana and Morlana streams that divides Torre Boldone from Gorle. In the territory of Torre Boldone, you can find numerous hamlets such as "Fenile" or "Gaito" (located in the highest portion), "Marzanica" and "Calvarola" (in the hilly area), "Viandasso" and "Imotorre" (in the flat area). As for hydrography, the most important watercourse is the Gardellone, a tributary of the Serio from the right, which collects the waters of other small streams, including the Rio Pedoga, composed of excess waters from the surrounding hills. Significant importance is instead attributable to the two artificial canals that have greatly helped the agricultural and industrial development of the territory. Built in the period between the twelfth century and the thirteenth century, they were born from the load tanks located in the southern portion of Albino. The Morlana and Serio Grande canals, already in the Middle Ages, were fundamental for the possessions of the municipality of Bergamo in the countryside of the Bergamo plain. Their importance grew further in the nineteenth century with the industrial expansion.
History
Torre Boldone has very ancient origins, dating back to the Roman period, as shown by the remains of a Roman villa found in the current area of the Sanctuary of Loreto, where you can admire the Roman fountain and some funerary inscriptions. However, the first written mention of Torre Boldone dates back to March 9, 777 AD, when the Frankish king Charlemagne donated the churches of San Giovanni Battista, Sant'Agata and San Giorgio in Torre Boldone to a certain Adelchi. During the medieval period, the position of Torre Boldone on the edge of the Bergamo plain often made it the scene of disputes between Reti and Lombards. In 1191, in the "War between Bergamo and Cremona", the "Torriani di Bergamo" conquered Torre Boldone, which remained under the Bergamo government until the French conquest in 1797. After the Unification of Italy, Torre Boldone experienced strong industrial and agricultural development and later, in the early years of the twentieth century, also became a tourist destination.
Historical References
The area on which the municipality of Torre Boldone develops is characterized by a pre-existing ancient culture, dating back to the Bronze Age. Remains of prehistoric settlements have in fact been found in the area of Ardesio and the upper Val Seriana, near the Nudo di Rino, along the banks of the Serio river. Roman presence, on the other hand, is attested by the villa found in the current area of the Sanctuary of Loreto, where you can admire the Roman fountain and some funerary inscriptions. During the medieval period, the territory of Torre Boldone was highly contested, as it was located on the edge of the Bergamo plain. In 1191, in the "War between Bergamo and Cremona", the "Torriani di Bergamo" conquered Torre Boldone, which remained under the Bergamo government until the arrival of the French in 1797. During the period of Italian Unification, Torre Boldone experienced significant development both from an industrial and agricultural point of view. In the 1930s, the town also became a tourist center thanks to its natural and scenic beauties. Today, Torre Boldone is a dynamic and lively municipality, with an interesting cultural and tourist offer.
Tourist Attractions
Torre Boldone is a strategic location, from which you can set off to visit the surroundings of the city of Bergamo, but it also offers some significant attractions.
One of the most important churches is the Parish Church of San Giorgio Martire, whose construction dates back to the fourteenth century and which was partly renovated in the eighteenth century. Inside, you can admire a series of frescoes, some of which date back to the sixteenth century.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna of Loreto, located within an immense park, is a very suggestive place, where you can admire the ruins of a Roman villa, a Roman fountain and some funerary inscriptions from the Roman period. Here, every year, the Sagra della Madonna di Loreto is held, a traditional event in the village that attracts visitors from all over the region.
The Chapel of the Madonna del Fiume, located in the hamlet of Viandasso, is a small chapel dating back to the seventeenth century, very suggestive and picturesque. The chapel is located near the Morlana stream, an irrigation channel that played a fundamental role in the agricultural and industrial development of the territory.
Conclusions
Well, guys, we have finished our virtual tour to discover Torre Boldone, a municipality that offers so much, both culturally and scenically. We hope to have made you a little more familiar with this small corner of Lombardy, and if you have the opportunity, visit it in person. It's definitely worth it!
