Bianzano (
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
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 ...
, 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 ...
,
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 ...
. It is above sea level and lies on a little plateau between Cavallina and Seriana valleys. The village boasts a historic center, having kept its original structure with some remains of minor fortified buildings and the imposing medieval
Suardi
Suardi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km southwest of Milan and about 35 km southwest of Pavia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 692 and an area of ...
Castle overlooking the valley. Other two outstanding monuments are the shrine of
Our Lady of the Assumption
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
(1234) and the parish church dedicated to
Saint Roch
Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...
(1575).
Suardi Castle
The date of the castle construction remains unknown, although an inscription on the right side of the portal which leads to the inner courtyard bears the date 1233. Surrounded by a double walls with the remains of the rampart, the castle has a perfectly square shape and is dominated by its tower, centered on the front side of the building. The castle was never used as a noble residence but served as a safe place to keep agricultural produce and shelter wayfarers. Thanks to its position, it was also used to control the road linking up Cavallina and Seriana valleys.
Valuable frescoes are still preserved in the castle main entrance: playful Cupids with garlands and flowers on the barrel vault; the cardinal Virtues on the niches by the sides of the Gothic portal.
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Assumption
Built in 1234, it served as parish church until 1614, when a new, greater church was built in the center of the village. Heavily restored at the beginning of the 18th century, it houses a valuable wooden
ciborium carved by
Andrea Fantoni
Andrea Fantoni (1659–1734) was an Italian sculptor and woodcarver of the late- Baroque period, active in the region near Bergamo.
He was born in Rovetta in 1659, and he died in Bergamo in 1734. He trained with his family of artisans as well ...
.
Gallery
Image:Bianzano castello 01.jpg, The Castle, view from the courtyard of the Parish Church
Image:Bianzano castello 03.jpg, The Castle with remains of the battlement
Image:Bianzano parrocchia.jpg, The parish church with its bell tower
External links
{{authority control
Cities and towns in Lombardy