Priero is a small town and ''
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 ...
'' of the
Langhe
The Langhe (; ''Langa'' is from old dialect Mons Langa et Bassa Langa) is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo and in the province of Asti in Piedmont, northern Italy.
It is famous for its wines, chees ...
, located east of
Ceva
Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream.
History
In the pre-Roman period th ...
in the
Province of Cuneo
Cuneo (Italian), or Coni (Piedmontese), is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Haut ...
,
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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,
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 ...
. Presently it has a population of 441.
History
The original settlement, on a hill called Poggio to the south of the present village, dates from around the beginning of the second millennium. A ''
pieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.
The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin ''plebs'' which, after th ...
'', dedicated to the Virgin Mary, had authority over the churches at
Costelnuovo,
Montezemolo
Montezemolo (Piedmontese: ''Monzemo'') is a village and ''comune'' (municipality) of c. 250 inhabitants in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about east of Cuneo.
Montezemolo borders the f ...
,
Osiglia
Osiglia ( Ligurian and pms, Oseria) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about west of Genoa and about west of Savona.
Osiglia borders the following municipalities: Bormida, Calizzano ...
,
Calizzano Murialdo
Calizzano ( lij, Carizan or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Savona.
Calizzano borders the following municipalities: Bagnasco, Bardine ...
and
Perlo while the fortified ''
ricetto A ricetto was a small fortified area used in medieval Italian villages for storing agricultural products, livestock, and working tools. It was also sometimes used for protection of the residents in case of attack, particularly from marauders and ...
'' was the seat of a ''
viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
'' appointed directly by the
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. In the mid-14th century the
Marquis of Ceva
The Marquisate of Ceva was a small independent state in north-western Italy, situated at the foot of the Apennines, with its seat at Ceva, in what is now a part of Piedmont.
Establishment
The marquisate was created in 1125 at the death of Bonifa ...
became Lord of Priero and in 1387 plans were drawn up for the construction of the settlement, which forms the basis of today's Priero.
Main sights
The village preserves its 14th-century layout. The remains of the old castle, the defensive walls and their towers are all visible. The church of Santi Antonio e Giuliano, first constructed in 1494, retains its original campanile. The rest of the building, however was demolished in the late 17th century and rebuilt in 1716 to plans by F. Gallo.
People
*
Sylvester Mazzolini da Prierio (1456–57 – 1523)
References
''Comune di Priero'' at vallinrete.org
Cities and towns in Piedmont
Comunità Montana Valli Mongia, Cevetta e Langa Cebana
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