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 ...

Val Camonica Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard: ''Al Camònega'') is one of the largest valleys of the central Alps, in eastern Lombardy, Italy. It extends about from the Tonale Pass to Corna Trentapassi, in the ...

province of Brescia The Province of Brescia ( it, provincia di Brescia; Brescian: ) is a Province in the Lombardy administrative region of northern Italy. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city of Brescia. With an ar ...

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 ...

Bagolino Bagolino (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy, in the valley of the river Caffaro, on the right side of Valle Sabbia. Bagolino is known for the cheese named Bagòss and the carnival. Similar to grana padano ...

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

,

Bovegno Bovegno (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It borders the communes of Artogne, Berzo Inferiore, Bienno, Collio, Esine, Gianico, Irma, Marmentino and Pezzaze. It is located in the valley named Val Trompia. The ...

, Breno,

Cividate Camuno Cividate Camuno ( Camunian: ) is an Italian ''comune'' of 2,774 inhabitants (2011), in Val Camonica, province of Brescia The Province of Brescia ( it, provincia di Brescia; Brescian: ) is a Province in the Lombardy administrative region of nor ...

, Collio,

Prestine Prestine (''Prèhten'' in camunian dialect) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is situated in the Val Camonica Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard dialect, Eastern Lombard ...

.

Géographie

History

In 1295 a dispute occurred with the neighbouring village

Bovegno Bovegno (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It borders the communes of Artogne, Berzo Inferiore, Bienno, Collio, Esine, Gianico, Irma, Marmentino and Pezzaze. It is located in the valley named Val Trompia. The ...

regarding some high pastures. On January 25, 1350 the bishop of Brescia invested iure feuds for a tenth of the rights in the territories of the Municipality of Bienno (vicinia) and men of Bienno. This also happened back in 1295, 1336, and later in 1388, 1423 and 1486. In 1391 the land of Bienno, which sided with the

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, rivalr ...

, was the site of extensive

cattle raiding Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle. In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the perpetrator as a duffer.Baker, Sidney John (1945) ''The Australian language : an examination of the English language and English ...

by the

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...

Camuni, led by Baroncino Nobili of

Lozio Lozio ( Camunian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demo ...

. The peace of Breno was signed on 31 December 1397 by the representative of the community of Bienno, Lanini Bertolino di Martino, who was a

Ghibelline 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, rival ...

. Between 1805 and 1815 the town of Bienno was united to

Prestine Prestine (''Prèhten'' in camunian dialect) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is situated in the Val Camonica Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard dialect, Eastern Lombard ...

and called "Bienno with Prestine."

Main sights

Bienno is part of the club of "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy" creation of the Council of Tourism of the Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI). Statua di Cristo Re Bienno

Religious architecture

* The parish church, dedicated to Saints Faustino and Giovita, was rebuilt in the early years of 17th Century strictly in accordance with

Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

rules; a single

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

with six side altars; impressive painting cycle mostly made by Giovanni Mauro della Rovere (also known as ''Il Fiamminghino''); a beautiful

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...

gate dating back to 1647; a 17th-century

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

made by members of the Antegnati family and remodeled by Serassi. * The smallest church in the lower part of the old town, the ''Chiesa di Santa Maria Annunziata'' (once called ''Santa Maria degli Orti''). In its single nave, it contains frescoes of great value produced during the 16th century by various artists, including

Giovanni Pietro da Cemmo Giovanni Pietro da Cemmo (15th century - 16th century) was an Italian painter. Details on the artist's life are very scarce: perhaps born in Cemmo, he was active from 1474 to 1504 in a large area including Brescia and Cremona. Giovanni Pi ...

and

Romanino Girolamo Romani, known as Romanino (c. 1485 - c. 1566), was an Italian High Renaissance painter active in the Veneto and Lombardy, near Brescia. His long career brought forth several different styles. Biography Romani was born in Brescia. Hi ...

. The frescoes also include, among various subjects, a

danse macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

to the right of the altar. * Hermitage of St. Peter and Paul, built in the second half of the 20th century, but originated in the 11th or 12th century, when

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 9 ...

monks came to

Valcamonica Val Camonica (also ''Valcamonica'' or Camonica Valley, Eastern Lombard: ''Al Camònega'') is one of the largest valleys of the central Alps, in eastern Lombardy, Italy. It extends about from the Tonale Pass to Corna Trentapassi, in the ...

.

* Church of San Defendente on a hill at the north entrance of Bienno dating back to the 15th century. * Church of ''St Peter ad Vincula'' (or ''San Peder Suc'') of 16th century. It is built onto a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

of

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

(hence the name ''St. Peter Succo'') of which you can see the remains in the back of the building. * Hill of

Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where the Christ is described as seated at the right hand of God. Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one of ...

: there stands a monument to Christ the King, a golden statue erected in 1931. * Chapel of the pools (''Cappella delle piscine''), dating back to the 15th century and reworked in the 17th century. bienno casatorre2

And also

* The House of

Panteghini The Panteghini family is an Italian family, with Camunni, proto-Celtic, established in Bienno, recognised as one of the 5 Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, near the city of Brescia, in Val Camonica, Lombardy. Its etymological origin could be b ...

, built in 1483. * The House of

Bettoni Bettoni is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Count Lorenzo Bettoni ennobled in 1684 in Venice, Italy * Count Francesco Bettoni Cazzago (1835–1898), writer and professor at the University of Padua, Italy. * Count Fe ...

dated of 1550. * The Simoni-Fè Palace, was given in 1932 to the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

by the Countess Paolina Fè of Ostiani Montholon when she left, after a fatal hunting accident caused by her husband, Count '' Jean Charles Tristan de Montholon '', son of

Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon (21 July 1783 – 21 August 1853) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars. He chose to go into exile on Saint Helena with the ex-Emperor after Napoleon's second abdication. Early life and career Montho ...

, suspected to have poisoned the Emperor

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, in

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

, and brother of '' Hélène Napoleone Bonaparte de Montholon '', whose father could be

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

and who lived 90 years, with the exception of the

usufruct Usufruct () is a limited real right (or ''in rem'' right) found in civil-law and mixed jurisdictions that unites the two property interests of ''usus'' and ''fructus'': * ''Usus'' (''use'') is the right to use or enjoy a thing possessed, directl ...

of the lower floors, left to ''Liberata Fostinelli'' and ''Battista

Panteghini The Panteghini family is an Italian family, with Camunni, proto-Celtic, established in Bienno, recognised as one of the 5 Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, near the city of Brescia, in Val Camonica, Lombardy. Its etymological origin could be b ...

'' and all their descendants '' ad vitam eternam'', to reward them from their

loyalty Loyalty, in general use, is a devotion and faithfulness to a nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another h ...

. This usufruct has been transferred to the municipality of Bienno by their children ''Battista

Panteghini The Panteghini family is an Italian family, with Camunni, proto-Celtic, established in Bienno, recognised as one of the 5 Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, near the city of Brescia, in Val Camonica, Lombardy. Its etymological origin could be b ...

'', son of Liberata, and ''Maria

Bettoni Bettoni is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Count Lorenzo Bettoni ennobled in 1684 in Venice, Italy * Count Francesco Bettoni Cazzago (1835–1898), writer and professor at the University of Padua, Italy. * Count Fe ...

'', whose family was the owner of the Palazzo Bettoni in Bienno, in 1988, because of the difficulties of maintenance and heating the palace, and their old age. It becomes the Public

Library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

and a

cultural center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Ce ...

.

Traditions and folklore

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 Bienno is ''Padèle''. On June 28, the eve of

feast of Saints Peter and Paul The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul or Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is a liturgical feast in honor, of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which is observed on 29 June. The celebration is of ancient Christi ...

, the villagers put an

egg white Egg white is the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms arou ...

in a bottle which they leave in the open air until the next morning; albumin coagulated in filaments then evokes the masts and sails of a

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

, it is the

boat of Saint Peter The boat of Saint Peter ( it, barca di san Pietro) is a popular rural tradition prevalent in northern Italy, particularly in the geographical area of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Trentino, Lombardy, Liguria and Piedmont. This tradition is also ...

.

Events

All buildings, museums and churches are open to the public every year, for a week, until midnight in August, during the village festival called ''Mostra Mercato'' former flour mill and

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...

are returned to service. This week welcomes thousands of visitors.

Film

Mostra mercato 2014
Mostra Mercato 2014

People

*

Geltrude Comensoli Geltrude Caterina Comensoli, also known as Mother Geltrude (January 18, 1847 – February 18, 1903) is the Patron of Youth, Val Camonica and Relic Custodians. She was the founder of the Institute of the Sacramentine Sisters. Biography Gel ...

(Bienno, 1847 -

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 ...

, 1903), religious. * Luigi Ercoli (Bienno, 1919 -

Mauthausen Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with nearly 100 further subcamps located throughout Austria and southern German ...

, 1945), Italian partisan. * Battistino Bonali (Bienno, 1962 -

Huascarán Huascarán () (Quechua: Waskaran), Nevado Huascarán or Mataraju is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay (Ancash Department), situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the western Andes. The southern summit of Huascarán (Huascarán ...

, 1993), alpinist.

Photo gallery

Image:Abitazione con elementi decorativi - Bienno (Foto Luca Giarelli).jpg, Casa e Fucina Image:bienno casatorre1.jpg , House Tower Image:Torre Rizzieri - Bienno (ph Luca Giarelli).jpg, Another Tower Image:Oratorio_di_S_Carlo_Borromeo_-_Bienno_(Foto_Luca_Giarelli).jpg, Oratorio de San Carlo Borromeo Image:bienno lavatoio.jpg, Lavatoio on Vaso Re Image:Panorma centro storico - Bienno (Foto Luca Giarelli).jpg, Panorama in the morning File:New Panteghini House at Inol (Berzo Inferiore).jpg, New Panteghini House at Inol (Berzo Inferiore) Image:Chiesa_San_Pietro_in_Vincoli_Bienno.jpg, Chiesa San Pietro in Vincoli Image:Bienno old 1930.jpg, Old Bienno in 1930

References

Sources

*

External links

Historical photos - Intercam

Historical photos - Lombardia Beni Culturali

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lombardy

Geography

Géographie

History

Main sights

Religious architecture

And also

Traditions and folklore

Events

Film

People

Photo gallery

References

Sources

External links