Rionero in Vulture
Encyclopedia
Rionero in Vulture is a town and comune
in the province of Potenza
, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata
. It is located on the slopes of Monte Vulture
in the northern part of the region of Basilicata.
which had received tax concessions. The hamlet remained unpopulated during most of the 14th and 15th centuries until the influx of refugees from Albania
(i.e. from Scutari and Corona) and several groups taking advantage of tax exemptions promulgated in those years. Its history overlaps with those of the neighbors Barile, Melfi, Ginestra ("Lombarda Massa") and Maschito.
On April 1, 1502 Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours
and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
met at the Church of St. Antonio Abate in Rionero to negotiate whether France or Spain would control the provinces of Principato Citra, Principato Ultra, Capitanata, and Basilicata
.
In 1627 the inhabitants of Rionero were forced to change their religious observances from the Greek rite to the Latin rite by Diodato Scaglia, the Bishop of Melfi.
Seriously struck by the earthquake of 1694
, Rionero's population in that period did not exceed 700. Later on the Caracciolo
, princes of Torella, to whom belonged the feudal rights, granted permission for the deforestation, the tillage, and the cultivation of lands occupied from the forests of the locality "Gaudo" and as a result of the consequent economic development the population endured a strong growth: in the year 1735 the inhabitants had grown to approximately 3,000, in 1752 to approximately 9,000 and by 1811 they had exceeded 11,000. In this year, on May 4, the ancient hamlet obtained the administrative autonomy as a comune
from King Joachim Murat
. By the mid 19th century the population grew until reaching approximately 20,000 inhabitants. The successive and periodic waves of emigration diminished the population down to roughly 14,000 inhabitants.
After the Italian unification
, Rionero gave the birth to Carmine Crocco
, the most well-known brigand of that period.
On 23 September, 1943, German paratroopers of the 1st Parachute Division
retreated from Atella after being shelled by Canadian artillery. They withdrew northward and for two more days they occupied Rionero. On September 24, sixteen Rioneresi were massacred in the Largo San Antonio by the paratroopers . Two days later on September 26, patrols from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
attached to the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
entered Rionero and the neighboring town of Barile unopposed.
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:...
in the province of Potenza
Province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
. It is located on the slopes of Monte Vulture
Monte Vulture
Mount Vulture is an extinct volcano located 56 km north of the city Potenza in the Basilicata region . As a prominent landmark it gave its name to the Vulture region, the most significant viticultural zone in Basilicata growing the DOC wine Aglianico del Vulture.With a height of 1326 m, it is...
in the northern part of the region of Basilicata.
History
The first historical mention of the hamlet of Saint Maria di Rivonigro goes back to 1152, when it is mentioned as a feudal possession of the bishop of Rapolla. In 1316 the inhabitants of Rionero abandoned their hamlet and took part in the construction of the village of AtellaAtella
Atella was an ancient city of Campania, halfway between Naples and Capua; its ruins lie between the towns of Orta di Atella and Sant'Arpino. Atella is not mentioned until the Second Punic War, when, although an independent city striking its own coinage, it was allied with Capua and the other...
which had received tax concessions. The hamlet remained unpopulated during most of the 14th and 15th centuries until the influx of refugees from Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
(i.e. from Scutari and Corona) and several groups taking advantage of tax exemptions promulgated in those years. Its history overlaps with those of the neighbors Barile, Melfi, Ginestra ("Lombarda Massa") and Maschito.
On April 1, 1502 Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours
Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours
Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours , known for most of his life as the Count of Guise, was the third son of Jacques d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours and Louise of Anjou....
and Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba known as The Great Captain, Duke of Terranova and Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa, also known as Gonzalo de Córdoba, Italian: Gonsalvo or Consalvo Ernandes di Cordova was a Spanish general fighting in the times of the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars...
met at the Church of St. Antonio Abate in Rionero to negotiate whether France or Spain would control the provinces of Principato Citra, Principato Ultra, Capitanata, and Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
.
In 1627 the inhabitants of Rionero were forced to change their religious observances from the Greek rite to the Latin rite by Diodato Scaglia, the Bishop of Melfi.
Seriously struck by the earthquake of 1694
1694 Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake
The 1694 Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake occurred on September 8. It caused widespread damage in the Basilicata and Puglia regions, resulting in more than 6,000 casualties. The earthquake occurred at 11:40 UTC and lasted between 30 and 60 seconds....
, Rionero's population in that period did not exceed 700. Later on the Caracciolo
Caracciolo
Caracciolo is the surname of a famous noble family of southern Italy.Its members include:*Battistello Caracciolo, Italian painter*Carmine Nicolao Caracciolo, Spanish viceroy of Peru*Francesco Caracciolo, Neapolitan admiral and revolutionist...
, princes of Torella, to whom belonged the feudal rights, granted permission for the deforestation, the tillage, and the cultivation of lands occupied from the forests of the locality "Gaudo" and as a result of the consequent economic development the population endured a strong growth: in the year 1735 the inhabitants had grown to approximately 3,000, in 1752 to approximately 9,000 and by 1811 they had exceeded 11,000. In this year, on May 4, the ancient hamlet obtained the administrative autonomy as a 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:...
from King Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
. By the mid 19th century the population grew until reaching approximately 20,000 inhabitants. The successive and periodic waves of emigration diminished the population down to roughly 14,000 inhabitants.
After the Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, Rionero gave the birth to Carmine Crocco
Carmine Crocco
Carmine Crocco, known as Donatello was an Italian brigand. Initially a robber in revenge for the abuses suffered, he fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi and, soon after the Italian unification, he formed an army of two thousand men, leading the most cohesive and feared band in southern...
, the most well-known brigand of that period.
On 23 September, 1943, German paratroopers of the 1st Parachute Division
1st Parachute Division (Germany)
The German 1st Parachute Division was a German elite military parachute-landing Division that fought during World War II. A division of paratroopers was termed a Fallschirmjäger Division...
retreated from Atella after being shelled by Canadian artillery. They withdrew northward and for two more days they occupied Rionero. On September 24, sixteen Rioneresi were massacred in the Largo San Antonio by the paratroopers . Two days later on September 26, patrols from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
attached to the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
1st Canadian Infantry Division
The 1st Canadian Infantry Division was a formation mobilized on 1 September 1939 for service in the Second World War. The division was also reactivated twice during the Cold War....
entered Rionero and the neighboring town of Barile unopposed.
Notable people
- Giustino FortunatoGiustino FortunatoGiustino Fortunato was an italian historian and politician.-Biography:He was born in Rionero in Vulture , from a noble family. His homonym uncle was the prime minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies from 1849 to 1852. Fortunato studied at the Jesuit College and then studied law at the...
- historian and politician - Carmine CroccoCarmine CroccoCarmine Crocco, known as Donatello was an Italian brigand. Initially a robber in revenge for the abuses suffered, he fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi and, soon after the Italian unification, he formed an army of two thousand men, leading the most cohesive and feared band in southern...
- brigand - Beniamino PlacidoBeniamino PlacidoBeniamino Placido was an Italian journalist, writer and television critic.Placido was a columnist on Italian culture for the newspaper La Repubblica and wrote three best selling books on television in the 1990s....
- journalist, writer and television critic