Berzo Inferiore ( Camunian: ) is an Italian comune of 2,316 inhabitantsDato Istat all'31/12/2008
in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, 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.

Geography

The village of Berzo Inferiore (Inferiore means "at the bottom" to distinguish from Berzo Demo) is situated in Val Grigna, a side valley of the Oglio valley, upstream from Esine and downstream from Bienno.

History

The area has known habitation dating back to

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...

prehistory, as ascribed from artifacts found near Passo Crestoso. The first documentation of the town name is in a document from 1041, that mentions ''Bercio''. Documents also cite a quarrel with the nearby town of Bovegno regarding pastoral lands. In 1350, the bishop of Brescia, Zanino Federici of Gorzone, asserted feudal rights for the territories of the Lower Berzo, Ono and Cricolo and Cerveno of Rainaldo. In July 1404, the town of Berzo was destroyed by the Guelphs from the towns of Predore and

Adrara San Rocco Adrara San Rocco (Bergamasque: or simply ) is an Italian town in the province of Bergamo, in the administrative region of Lombardy. The town is located about east of Bergamo and is situated in the Guerna river valley. The town is part of the ...

, which had suffered depredations and looting at the hands of townsmen of Berzo. In 1562, the priest Giacomo Pandolfi was sent by the Bishop of Brescia, Domenico Bollani, to Berzo; his mission was to urge the local authorities to censure and cease the frequent episodes of public dancing in the town. A miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary to Marta Polentini is said to have occurred in 1618. In 1867, the provincial council of Brescia agreed to the union of municipalities and Bienno Berzo: this was not carried out due to popular opposition. Between 1927 and 1947, due to fascist laws on municipalities, the municipalities of Bienno Berzo were aggregated.

Main sights

The churches of Berzo Inferiore are: * Shrine of Our Lady parish church, erected at the 1609th It has a tower of 55 meters and a portal "stone of Sarnico". Inside, the altarpiece of Fiammenghino. * Church of

San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...

, fifteenth century church with frescoes by Giovanni Pietro da Cemmo * Church of San Glisente, is on top of the mountain the same name, retains a crypt of the sixteenth century.

Culture

The scütüm are in

camunian dialect Eastern Lombard is a group of closely related variants of Lombard, a Gallo-Italic dialect spoken in Lombardy, mainly in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia and Mantua, in the area around Cremona and in parts of Trentino. Its main variants are Be ...

nicknames, sometimes personal, elsewhere showing the characteristic features of a community. The one which characterize the people of Berzo Inferiore is ''Gòs'' or '' Farisé''.

People

* Innocenzo da Berzo

References

Sources

External links

Historical photos - Intercam

Historical photos - Lombardia Beni Culturali
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lombardy Municipalities of the Province of Brescia