Azzano San Paolo (

Bergamasque The Bergamasque dialect is the western variant of the Eastern Lombard group of the Lombard language. It is mainly spoken in the province of Bergamo and in the area around Crema, in central Lombardy. Bergamasque has official status in the pro ...

: ) is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' in the

province of Bergamo The Province of Bergamo ( it, provincia di Bergamo; lmo, proìnsa de Bèrghem) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,112,187 (2017), an area of , and contains 243 ''comuni''. Its capital is the city of Bergamo. ...

, in

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

, northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

History

The origins date back to

Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

and the place-name, according to many experts, comes from a landowner of that historical period named ''Attius''. The place was first mentioned in 875, referring to a certain ''Agemundi de Aciano''. The area was ruled by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

and after them the Holy Roman Empire. During the communal period, the village was affected by significant clashes between opposing factions of the

Guelphs and Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...

. Because of its proximity to the city

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...

, numerous fortifications for defensive purposes, such as towers and a castle, were built. In 1083 Count Albert, son of

Arduin Glaber Arduin Glaber ( it, Arduino Glabrio,'' Glabrione'', or'' il Glabro'', meaning "the Bald"; died c. 977) was count of Auriate from c. 935, count of Turin from c. 941/942, and Margrave of Turin from c. 950/964. He placed his dynasty, the Arduinici, on ...

, allowed the serfs to own homes, lands and any kind of good. This event, reported by official documents, anticipated by almost seven centuries the democratic achievements towards the slaves, occurred in Europe only since the 18th century. Azzano was subsequently ruled by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

, the

Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic ( it, Repubblica Cisalpina) was a sister republic of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organized t ...

and the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

. In 1859 it was annexed into the Kingdom of Italy. In 1896 it was founded here a convent of Dominican nuns coming from the monastery of Matris Domini in Bergamo, adapting an old country house and a

textile mill Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods ...

previously owned by the counts Morlani. Traditionally a small farming village on the outskirts of Bergamo, it maintained its agricultural vocation until the end of World War II. With the Italian industrialization process of the 1960s and 1970s, the hamlet's economy diversified, the population tripling since then. The expansion process is still ongoing because the proximity to Bergamo makes it a suitable area new settlements.

Neighbouring ''comuni''

Orio al Serio Orio al Serio (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southeast of Bergamo. Orio al Serio Airport is located in the territory of the ...

Stezzano Stezzano (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about south of Bergamo. Main sights *Villa Moroni (17th century) *Villa Caroli-Zanchi *Vil ...

Zanica Zanica ( Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of around 8,804 inhabitants in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and south of Bergamo. Zanica borders the following municipalities: ...

References

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