Costa Valle Imagna
Encyclopedia
Costa Valle Imagna is a comune
counting 620 inhabitants in the province of Bergamo
, in Lombardy
, Italy
. It is bounded by other communes of Sant'Omobono Imagna
.
, including Monte Resegone
to the north. From the former ski resort of Forcella Alta and the Pertüs pass (1186m or 1193m), you can see the whole of the Brianza
range, and even Milan
on the clearest days. For communication reasons the Town has had closer links to San Martino
, Almenno San Salvatore
and La Piana than the rest of the Valle Imagna.
, Costa seems to have been populated year-round only since 1300. The town faces northeast and gets very cold in winter; as a result Costa was known in local slang as "Valle Imagna's warehouse of snow" (la nevera della Valle imagna).
When the Republic of Venice
annexed the province of Bergamo in 1428, the town found itself on the borders between Venice and the Duchy of Milan
. This is reflected in the slang of the town, which refers to "foreigners" as bir, the equivalent of sbirri
, a medieval police force. It has been suggested that this dates back to customs officials sent from Venice
to patrol the borders of the republic.
In the Counter-reformation
, a bishop sent a dispatch deploring the state of the village's church that was a result of the poverty of the area. A plague pit
is evidence of the 1630 epidemic described by Alessandro Manzoni
.
Since the earliest years of the twentieth century, Costa Valle Imagna has been renowned as a summer resort.
The patron saint is San Rocco, who is celebrated on 16 August with a procession, fireworks, and dances in the public square.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
counting 620 inhabitants in the province of Bergamo
Province of Bergamo
The Province of Bergamo is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,098,740 , an area of 2,722.86 square km, and contains 244 comuni...
, in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is bounded by other communes of Sant'Omobono Imagna
Sant'Omobono Imagna
Sant'Omobono Terme is a comune in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about 50 km northeast of Milan and about 15 km northwest of Bergamo...
.
Geography
Costa lies on a high slope above the Valle Imagna. The village has panoramic views of the Bergamo AlpsBergamo Alps
The Bergamo Alps are a mountain range in the Italian Alps which forms part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are located in northern Lombardy and named after the city Bergamo, south of the mountains....
, including Monte Resegone
Monte Resegone
Monte Resegone or Resegone di Lecco is a mountain in the Bergamo subrange of the Alps, in northern Italy. It has an elevation of 1,875 m and is located on the boarder of the provinces of Bergamo and Lecco....
to the north. From the former ski resort of Forcella Alta and the Pertüs pass (1186m or 1193m), you can see the whole of the Brianza
Brianza
thumb|250px|The [[Corni di Canzo]].Brianza is a geographical area at the foot of the Alps, in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy.-Geography:...
range, and even Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
on the clearest days. For communication reasons the Town has had closer links to San Martino
San Martino
San Martino is Italian for Saint Martin.It can refer to:-Towns:* Adrara San Martino, a comune in Bergamo province, Lombardy* Borgo San Martino, a comune in Alessandria province, Piedmont* Campo San Martino, a comune in Padua province, Veneto...
, Almenno San Salvatore
Almenno San Salvatore
Almenno San Salvatore is a comune in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 km northeast of Milan and about 9 km northwest of Bergamo...
and La Piana than the rest of the Valle Imagna.
History
Originally the area seems to have been used for summer grazingTranshumance in the Alps
Transhumance in the Alps, or seasonal migration between valley and high pastures is a traditional practice that has shaped much of the landscape in the Alps, as without it, most areas below 2000 m would be forests.While tourism and industry contribute today much to Alpine economy, seasonal...
, Costa seems to have been populated year-round only since 1300. The town faces northeast and gets very cold in winter; as a result Costa was known in local slang as "Valle Imagna's warehouse of snow" (la nevera della Valle imagna).
When the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
annexed the province of Bergamo in 1428, the town found itself on the borders between Venice and the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
. This is reflected in the slang of the town, which refers to "foreigners" as bir, the equivalent of sbirri
Sbirri
Sbirri is a 2009 dramatic documentary, directed by Roberto Burchielli.It was released in Italy on April 10, 2009,- Plot :The protagonist is a journalist that is always away from home. He is advised of the death of his son Marco for an Ecstasy overdose...
, a medieval police force. It has been suggested that this dates back to customs officials sent from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to patrol the borders of the republic.
In the Counter-reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
, a bishop sent a dispatch deploring the state of the village's church that was a result of the poverty of the area. A plague pit
Plague pit
A plague pit is the informal term used to refer to mass graves in which victims of the Black Death were buried. The term is most often used to describe pits located in Great Britain, but can be applied to any place where Bubonic plague victims were buried....
is evidence of the 1630 epidemic described by Alessandro Manzoni
Alessandro Manzoni
Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Manzoni was an Italian poet and novelist.He is famous for the novel The Betrothed , generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature...
.
Since the earliest years of the twentieth century, Costa Valle Imagna has been renowned as a summer resort.