Vernio 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 ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Prato The province of Prato ( it, provincia di Prato) is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Prato. It was formed from part of the province of Florence in 1992. The province has an area of and a total population of a ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, located about northwest of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

and about north of

Prato Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 i ...

History

Vernio's name derives from that of an

ancient Roman 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 ...

winter camp (''

castra hiberna In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

'') located here. A Roman bridge existed in the area, but was destroyed during World War II. In the 12th century it went from the Carolingians to the counts Alberti from Prato, who lived here after 1107. In the 13th century it went to the Bardi family, as the seat of a county which remained independent until 1798, when it was abolished by

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 ...

. After the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

it was annexed to the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany ( it, Granducato di Toscana; la, Magnus Ducatus Etruriae) was an Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In th ...

. On June 7, 1944, an American B-25J mitchell bomber was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire over the hills of Vernio. With four 1,000 pound bombs on board, the plane erupted and crashed in the Carbonale woods, in Poggiole, Vernio. Six of the seven men on board perished. The sole survivor parachuted out of the plane and hid in the mountains before making it back to allied lines in Florence three months later. The fallen crew were buried in the cemetery in Montepiano shortly after the crash, their final resting place at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA. In the winter of 2013, the pilot's military tag was found in the woods, and brought to the local museum. The museum hosts an exhibit of the B-25J mitchell consisting of parts of the plane found through metal detecting and also donated by locals. A monument at the crash site was built by the museum and unveiled at the 70th anniversary memorial event on June 7, 2014. A book was written about the crew and events surrounding the incident, presented at the city hall in downtown Vernio also on the 70th anniversary.

Geography

Vernio borders the following municipalities:

Barberino di Mugello 240px, Villa di Cafaggiolo. Barberino di Mugello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about north of Florence. Barberino di Mugello borders the following municipalities: Ca ...

Camugnano Camugnano ( Medial Mountain Bolognese: ; City Bolognese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southwest of Bologna. Camugnano borders the following municipali ...

, Cantagallo,

Castiglione dei Pepoli Castiglione dei Pepoli ( egl, label= High Mountain Bolognese, Castión) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, located about southwest of Bologna. It takes its name from the Pepoli noble family ...

. The municipality of Vernio is a union of three villages: *San Quirico (with the town hall) *Mercatale with the Vernio-Cantagallo-Montepiano train station *Sant 'Ippolito (with a nice parish church)

Villages

* Cavarzano * Celle di Vernio * Ceraio * Costozze * Gavazzoli * Gorandaccio * La Rocca di Vernio * La Storaia * La Valle di Vernio * Le Confina * Luciana di Verrio * Mercatale di Vernio * Montepiano * Poggiole * San Quirico di Vernio * Sant'Ippolito di Vernio * Sasseta * Segalari * Terrigoli

Main sights

The main sight is the Abbey of Santa Maria (11th century), at Montepiano, housing 13th-century frescoes.

Churches

*Sant'Agata chapel in La Rocca *Former oratory of the

Company of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

in Sant'Ippolito *Madonna della Neve in Sasseta *San Pietro in Cavarzano *Sanctuary of Sant'Antonio Maria Pucci *San Bartolomeo in Costozze *San Martino in Luciana *San Michele in Sasseta *San Niccolò oratory in San Quirico *San Quirico e Leonardo in San Quirico *Sant'Antonio da Padova in Mercatale * Sant'Ippolito e Cassiano in Sant'Ippolito *Santa Maria in Montepiano

Nature

*La Torricella *Alpe di Cavarzano

Feasts

*''Carnevalino'' (Carnival) in Sant'Ippolito, the Saturday immediately after

Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...

. A traditional plate (pasta with tuna sauce) is served to the participants, accompanied with herrings. *''Festa della polenta'' (polenta feast), also called ''Pulendina,'' at San Quirico, the first Sunday of Lent: it remembers an episode happened during the

16th century The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582). The 16th cent ...

, when the county of Vernio was hit by a famine, after which the Bardi counts ordered an extraordinary distribution of sweet

polenta Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...

(made by

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...

flour), herrings and cods to the people. *''Fiera di San Giuseppe'' (St. Joseph Fair) at San Quirico, on 19th March or the weekend immediately after this date. *''Montepiano Country'', July *''Madonna delle Neve'' feast in Sasseta, 5th August. *''Rificolona'' feast in Montepiano, August

Twin towns

Senones The Senones or Senonii (Gaulish: "the ancient ones") were an ancient Gallic tribe dwelling in the Seine basin, around present-day Sens, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Part of the Senones settled in the Italian peninsula, where they ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

* Jettingen,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Marchin Marchin (; wa, Mårcin) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Marchin had a total population of 5,114. The total area is 30.00 km² which gives a population density of 170 inhabitant ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities and towns in Tuscany