Verrua Po
Discover the history of Verrua Po
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about a municipality located in the province of Pavia in Lombardy, precisely in the Oltrepò Pavese. I'm talking about Verrua Po, a small town of 1,170 inhabitants located on the right bank of the Po river near the confluence of the Scuropasso stream.
Origins of the name
The name Verrua Po probably derives from the Latin denomination "Verruca Viqueriensium" which means "Verruca of the Vogheresi". The term "Verruca" means "ridge or hill", and probably the village takes its name from a hill that emerged in ancient times on the left bank of the Po river. Over the centuries and frequent periodic floods of the river, the hill and the small village that arose on it disappeared, washed away by the waters. It was then that the inhabitants, forced to move elsewhere, decided to change the name of their village.
History of Verrua Po
Until the seventeenth century, the Po river flowed around Verrua Po and the Verrua peninsula was part of the Siccomario region, belonging to the municipality of Valbona. Only in 1700 did the Po change its course, the Verrua peninsula was divided from the Siccomario and slowly merged with the Oltrepò, as the remaining branch of the old river course began to dry up. Verrua then became a municipality and began to prosper. In 1723 it had its own parish separated from that of Mezzano Siccomario. Until 1800 it continued to be administratively part of the Siccomario and was called Verrua Siccomario until 1929. Then, having been suppressed and merged with Verrua, the municipality of Rea took its current name.
Monuments and places of interest
If you visit Verrua Po, you can't miss the Church of San Giovanni Battista, a very suggestive religious building where you can take refuge for a moment of prayer or inner peace. You can admire the columns of Romanesque style and the frescoes decorating the walls of the church.
Society of Verrua Po
The territory of Verrua Po has a population of about 1,170 inhabitants, of whom 45% are employed, 57 are students, 152 are housewives, 301 are retired and 111 are in other conditions. Workers are mainly employed in the agricultural sector, which represents the major economic activity.
Economy of Verrua Po
Agriculture is the most important economic activity in Verrua Po. In addition to traditional cereal and fodder crops, a specialized cultivation of chrysanthemums was introduced in the mid-twentieth century. Since 1968, Verrua Po has organized a Chrysanthemum Show held every year in the second half of October. In addition to agriculture, there are also artisanal, industrial, and tertiary activities that produce cosmetics, resin-bonded abrasives, metal carpentry and the sale of zootechnical and veterinary products.
With this, I hope to have provided you with an interesting overview of the history, culture, and economy of Verrua Po. I hope you can visit the village to discover more details. See you soon!
