Vaglio Basilicata
Vaglio Basilicata: A Municipality in the Province of Potenza
Hello friends! Today I'm going to talk to you about one of the municipalities in my region, Basilicata. It's called Vaglio Basilicata, a small town located in the province of Potenza, with a population of approximately 1871 people.
History of Vaglio
The name "Vaglio" is believed to derive from "Balios", the progenitor of a race of horses in Greek mythology. It is believed that this breed of horses was bred in this locality. This claim is supported by the fact that in the locality of Rossano in Vaglio, Greek tombs, armor, and shields have been found, which are currently preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Basilicata.
The town of Vaglio was probably founded in the twelfth century, as a result of the transfer of population groups originally from northern Italy who came with the feudal lords in Norman conquest of southern Italy (11th century-12th century) and Angevins (13th century).
After a period of depopulation, in 1277 there were 210 inhabitants, and the territory of Vaglio passed, in 1496, to the Orsini family, who were very powerful in Rome and competitors of the Colonna and the Tuscolo counts. In 1530, Vaglio was sold to Filiberto di Chalons, Prince of Orange, a friend of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, and then returned to Ferdinando Orsini in 1560.
The succession of powers continued, and the universitas of Vaglio continued to be a subject of dispute. In 1569, Vaglio passed to a certain Giovanni del Tufo, and then was reacquired by the Dukes of Gravina. Only in 1582 did they redeem themselves from every form of servitude, at a considerable price of 21000 ducats, but failing to raise the sum, the territory was put up for auction for 34000 ducats. When it was sold to the Massa family, the living conditions of the peasants worsened because they had appropriated the communal lands and grazing areas, denying their usage to the citizens, in complete contrast with protective laws.
This discontent erupted in 1647, the year of the Neapolitan revolt, when, thanks to a revolt, they regained the use of grazing. The ownership of Vaglio, given in dowry to Gabriella Massa, passed to the Baron of Laurenzana, Francesco Quarto. Vaglio remained with the Quartos until the end of the feudal system.
The Land Registry
By order of Charles of Bourbon, in 1740 the municipalities must have a land registry, including Vaglio. In 1741, there was a separation of ecclesiastical property, now fully taxed, from those belonging to the clergy, taxed at half. These were suppressed and put up for sale in 1792, but the only buyers were feudal lords and bourgeoisie, given their economic possibilities, strengthening their economic power.
The Rebellion of 1741
In 1741, Vaglio tried to remove its feudal lord by bringing 9 charges to the Sacred Council. This happened in a period marked by many revolts against feudal lords in Basilicata.
Conclusions
That's it, my friends, this is the history of Vaglio Basilicata, a municipality in my region with an ancient history, which has gone through several feudal lords and faced several peasant uprisings against the injustices suffered. I hope you enjoyed this brief overview of the history of this small Lucanian town.
