Monghidoro
Encyclopedia
Monghidoro is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Bologna
in the Italian
region Emilia-Romagna
, located about 30 km south of Bologna
.
, Loiano
, Monterenzio
, Monzuno
, San Benedetto Val di Sambro
.
The main town sits on a ridge of the Apennines, between two river valleys, Savena and Idice. The main fareway, joining Bologna to Florence, is the SS65. Traces of a roman road, joining Florentia
with Felsina can still be found at the very top of Mount Oggioli.
The territory surrounding the comune
is, for the largest part, mountainous with elevations ranging between a minimum of 400 meters above sea level to the north-east to a maximum of 1,290 meters above sea level on its southern flank.
, Longobards, who were pillaging and looting at will up and down the Italian "boot" around the 8th, 9th century BC. It is believed that a Gothic settlement lasted long enough to give its name to the locality of Mons Gothorum (Goths' Mountain), but another theory links the name to "Mungi d'oro" (Golden Milking, in Italian), perhaps connected to the many green pastures that abound in the surrounding area.
The town, in its current form, originated in 1264 when the commune of Bologna created a vanguard here to counter the expansion of the Republic of Florence
and in 1246, as a result of the complex politics of Italian city states of that period, the village was fortified to counter the continued border skirmishes and was given the nickname of “Scaricalasino” which literally translates as “unload the donkey”; this because the village sits at the top of a harsh ascent, which takes the traveller from 598 m to 841 m and it was indispensable to rest the bests of burden before attempting the climb.
In 1528 the Olivetan Order of Benedictin monks (Olivetans
) built a monastery which was to become a very important religious, administrative, political and social centre in the area for almost three centuries and around which the town grew.
Throughout the early to mid 20th century, following a national trend, the town witnessed a slow decline with large parts of Monghidoro's inhabitants either moving to larger cities or emigrating abroad, looking for work or a better way of life, reaching an all time low, in 1978, of only 2,450 people (against the 6,000 of the previous century). It has recently grown back to some 3,800, due, mainly, to people returning to spend their retirement in their native surroundings, elderly people wanting a quieter way of life away from the hustle and bustle of city life or foreign immigrants looking for a cheaper alternative to living in the city.
Today's local economy is largely based on commerce with tourism being common in the summer months; this is augmented by the very scenic Highway 65 thoroughfare, between Bologna and Florence, which attracts many foreign visitors. There are some small industrial activities, mainly of an artisan nature (carpenters, builders, blacksmiths). Agriculture, pastoral and raising of livestock is also present, although, due to the nature of the territory, this is a minor occupation. A large proportion of the workforce commutes daily to areas where industry is prevalent.
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Bologna
Province of Bologna
The Province of Bologna is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bologna.-Geography:It has an area of 3,702 km², and a total population of 991,647 . There are 60 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Bologna...
in the Italian
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...
region Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, located about 30 km south of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
.
Geography
The territory of Monghidoro borders the following municipalities: FirenzuolaFirenzuola
Firenzuola is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 40 km northeast of Florence....
, Loiano
Loiano
Loiano is a town and comune of province of Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the Tusco-Emilian Apennines at 714 m above sea-level. Its population was 4260 as of the 2003 census...
, Monterenzio
Monterenzio
Monterenzio is a town and comune in the province of Bologna .-Geography:The territory of the municipality rises on the ridge between the valleys of the Idice and Sillaro streams. The eleven rural units that make up the territory date back to the Pre-Napoleonic era...
, Monzuno
Monzuno
Monzuno is an Italian comune in the province of Bologna .The territory of the commune is loctaed on the western slope of the Savena valley, on the northern ridge of Monte Venere and on the left side of the Setta and Sambro streams....
, San Benedetto Val di Sambro
San Benedetto Val di Sambro
San Benedetto Val di Sambro is a comune in the Province of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 35 km southwest of Bologna.-External links:*...
.
The main town sits on a ridge of the Apennines, between two river valleys, Savena and Idice. The main fareway, joining Bologna to Florence, is the SS65. Traces of a roman road, joining Florentia
Florentia
Florentia is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.- References :*...
with Felsina can still be found at the very top of Mount Oggioli.
The territory surrounding the comune
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:...
is, for the largest part, mountainous with elevations ranging between a minimum of 400 meters above sea level to the north-east to a maximum of 1,290 meters above sea level on its southern flank.
History
The name of Monghidoro is thought to be dating back to the times the Ostrogoths, ByzantinesByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Longobards, who were pillaging and looting at will up and down the Italian "boot" around the 8th, 9th century BC. It is believed that a Gothic settlement lasted long enough to give its name to the locality of Mons Gothorum (Goths' Mountain), but another theory links the name to "Mungi d'oro" (Golden Milking, in Italian), perhaps connected to the many green pastures that abound in the surrounding area.
The town, in its current form, originated in 1264 when the commune of Bologna created a vanguard here to counter the expansion of the Republic of Florence
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
and in 1246, as a result of the complex politics of Italian city states of that period, the village was fortified to counter the continued border skirmishes and was given the nickname of “Scaricalasino” which literally translates as “unload the donkey”; this because the village sits at the top of a harsh ascent, which takes the traveller from 598 m to 841 m and it was indispensable to rest the bests of burden before attempting the climb.
In 1528 the Olivetan Order of Benedictin monks (Olivetans
Olivetans
The Olivetans, or the Order of Our Lady of Mount Olivet, are a monastic order formally recognised in 1344. They have formed the Olivetan Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation since 1960.-History:...
) built a monastery which was to become a very important religious, administrative, political and social centre in the area for almost three centuries and around which the town grew.
Throughout the early to mid 20th century, following a national trend, the town witnessed a slow decline with large parts of Monghidoro's inhabitants either moving to larger cities or emigrating abroad, looking for work or a better way of life, reaching an all time low, in 1978, of only 2,450 people (against the 6,000 of the previous century). It has recently grown back to some 3,800, due, mainly, to people returning to spend their retirement in their native surroundings, elderly people wanting a quieter way of life away from the hustle and bustle of city life or foreign immigrants looking for a cheaper alternative to living in the city.
Main sights
- Chiostro della Cisterna, the only remains of the Olivetans monastery.
- L'Alpe, an area of natural interest, lies on the border with Tuscany
- Public park in the frazione La Martina (430-770 m), with camping facilities.
Economy
A number of mills used to provide an important source of income to the local area: an activity which lasted well into the 1950s was connected to the natural resources afforded by the proximity of the two rivers. Few mills survive to this day; few have been carefully restored to a workable condition, allowing a suggestive insight into a bygone way of life, but, as this is often the case, the vast majority were converted to residential homes and little was done to protect and preserve any resemblance or character of their former "life".Today's local economy is largely based on commerce with tourism being common in the summer months; this is augmented by the very scenic Highway 65 thoroughfare, between Bologna and Florence, which attracts many foreign visitors. There are some small industrial activities, mainly of an artisan nature (carpenters, builders, blacksmiths). Agriculture, pastoral and raising of livestock is also present, although, due to the nature of the territory, this is a minor occupation. A large proportion of the workforce commutes daily to areas where industry is prevalent.
Frazioni
Ca' dei Brescandoli, Ca' del Costa, Ca' di Fiore, Ca' di Francia, Ca' del Gappa, Ca' dei Marchi, Ca' di Pallerino, Campeggio, Ceragne, Frassineta, La Ca', La Costa, La Fossa, La Lastra, La Martina, La Piazza, Lamazze di Qua, Madonna dei Boschi, Malalbergo, Molino della Pergola, Pallerano, Pergoloso, Piamaggio, Pian dei Grilli, Sant'Andrea di Savena, Sumbilla, Vasellara Bassa, Vergiano, Villa di MezzoFamous citizens
- Armaciotto de' Ramazzotti http://www.condottieridiventura.it/condottieri/r/1562%20%20%20%20%20%20MELCHIORRE%20RAMAZZOTTO.htm
- Gianni MorandiGianni MorandiGianni Morandi is an Italian pop singer and entertainer.He made his debut in 1962 and quickly placed high at or won a number of Italian popular song festivals, including the Canzonissima festival in 1969. In 1970, he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Occhi di ragazza"...
- Giordano BertiGiordano BertiGiordano Berti is an Italian writer and teacher of History of Arts. Born in Bologna, he grew up in Monghidoro, a town of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines...