Torri di Quartesolo
Discovering the origins of Torri di Quartesolo
Torri di Quartesolo, or "Łe Tóri" in Venetian, is a municipality in the province of Vicenza in Veneto, with a population of around 11,690 residents. But what is the origin of the name "Quartesolo"? It is assumed that it derives from the Latin "quartum milium solum", which means "a place located four Roman miles (about 6 km) away from Vicenza". The name "Torri" instead clearly refers to the defensive works erected here by the Vicenza in the Middle Ages.
History of Torri di Quartesolo
Ancient times and the Middle Ages
The history of Torri di Quartesolo begins during the Roman Civilization, when the territory was crossed by one of the most important roads of the time, the Via Gallica. Torri di Quartesolo, which was then called "Ad Quartum", was located four miles away from Vicenza. In the communal period, in the twelfth century, the Vicenza built the towers of Quartixolus de subtus, to protect the city from rivalry with Padua. The fortifications were built at the point where the Tesina river, after having converged with the Astico and swollen by the Tribolo and the Tergola, cutting off the road to Padua, "loses" its name in the Bacchiglione.
The destruction of the Towers
The definitive destruction of the Towers of Quartixolus de subtus took place in 1387 when Antonio della Scala, fearing that he would not be able to defend them, had them demolished. From that moment on, they were no longer spoken of until the area was occupied by Napoleonic troops in 1797.
Marola and Lerino
The name Marola appears in a document from 1262, the Regestum Possessionum Comunis Vincentie, but where does it come from? It is assumed that the name may derive from the Roman family of the "Maruli", or from "Marula" or "Mara", which respectively mean swamp and canal. The latter interpretation is very realistic, responding to the geological conformation of the terrain.
Lerino, on the other hand, derives from the Latin "Larin", meaning "hearth" or "household deities". In 1297, documents report "Lerinum". It has been hypothesized that Lerino derives from the islet off the coast of Provence where the monastery dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours was located, named after the same name of the monastery.
Conclusions
In summary, the origins of Torri di Quartesolo date back to the Roman Civilization which had established an important road here, the Via Gallica, and then to the Vicenza who in the Middle Ages built the towers to protect the city from rivalry with Padua. The name Marola responds to the geological conformation of the terrain and Lerino derives from the Latin "larin" which means "hearth" or "household deities".
