Capriate San Gervasio ( Bergamasque: ;

Milanes Milanese (endonym in traditional orthography , ') is the central variety of the Western dialect of the Lombard language spoken in Milan, the rest of its metropolitan city, and the northernmost part of the province of Pavia. Milanese, due to ...

e: ) is a 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 ...

'' in the

province of Bergamo The Province of Bergamo ( it, provincia di Bergamo; lmo, proìnsa de Bèrghem) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,112,187 (2017), an area of , and contains 243 '' comuni''. Its capital is the city of Bergamo. ...

, in

Lombardy (man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , ...

, northern

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 ...

. , its population was 8,216. The

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

is located about from

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

History

About two thousand years ago, the Romans founded settlements in the area, together with the previous

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

ones. The first document attesting the existence of the village dates back to 948; the land had been exploited by the

Bishop of Cremona The Diocese of Cremona ( la, Dioecesis Cremonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Milan. ...

, who had received the feudal investiture from the Emperor of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

. During the following centuries the city witnessed a number of conflicts between the opposing factions of Guelphs and

Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, r ...

. The situation induced the construction of buildings useful for defense, such as a castle. Also, towards the end of the 12th century, the troops of

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Com ...

built a huge fortification used as a weapons deposit. The village was involved in punitive expeditions led by

Facino Cane Facino Cane. Facino Cane da Casale (1360 – May 1412), born Bonifacio Cane, was an Italian condottiero. Biography Cane was born in Casale Monferrato to a noble family. He trained in the military arts by fighting under Otto of Brunswick agains ...

and

Francesco Bussone Francesco Bussone, often called Count of Carmagnola (c. 1382 – 5 May 1432), was an Italian condottiero. Life Bussone was born at Carmagnola, near Turin, in a humble peasant family. He began his military career when twelve years old under Faci ...

, culminating with the destruction of the bridge over the Adda. Numerous battles affected the population, who were also subjected to the battles between the troops of

and the troops of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. The troops of Milan were led by the Sforza-Visconti family and they initially prevailed. The Venetian recaptured the control of the area in the XV century, ensuring political stability for many years. In 1797, French rule began with the

Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic ( it, Repubblica Cisalpina) was a sister republic of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organiz ...

, and afterwards the Austrians came and constituted the

Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia ( la, links=no, Regnum Langobardiae et Venetiae), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" ( it, links=no, Regno Lombardo-Veneto, german: links=no, Königreich Lombardo-Venetien), was a constituent land ...

. In 1899 in the municipality of Capriate d'Adda, joined Crespi that since that moment had been part of the municipality of

Canonica d'Adda Canonica d'Adda (Bergamasque: ; Milanese: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Bergamo. It lies on the left bank of the river Ad ...

. Only in 1928 did the municipality take its current form when the municipalities of Capriate d'Adda, San Gervasio d'Adda and Crespi became the new municipality of Capriate San Gervasio as it is today. It received the honorary title of city () by a presidential decree on July 11, 2006.

Geography

It is situated on the southern tip of the so-called Bergamasca Island, a territory delimited by the rivers Adda and

Brembo Brembo S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. Its head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy. History Brembo was established in Paladina, Italy on January 11, 1961 ...

. It includes three hamlets (''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'') at slightly different altitudes: San Gervasio d'Adda (north), Capriate d'Adda (center) and Crespi d'Adda. The latter, a perfectly preserved example of a 19th-century "workers' village", is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. The municipality borders

Bottanuco Bottanuco (Bergamasque: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 4,874 and an ...

Brembate Brembate ( Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2010, it had a population of 8,234 and an ...

, Filago,

Trezzo sull'Adda Trezzo sull'Adda ( Milanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan on the Adda River. The Naviglio Martesana canal starts from the Adda in Trezzo's ter ...

( MI) and

Vaprio d'Adda Vaprio d'Adda ( Milanese: ; Bergamasque: ; locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, about northeast of Milan. Vaprio d'Adda borders the following municipalities: Trezzo sull'Add ...

(MI). The municipality's territory has a linear shape; it is located along the left bank of the river Adda, where the river turns into a characteristic double handle that creates a natural environment rich in vegetation. It has a particular structure: from north to south it is composed of three different "steps"; each one has a historical urban settlement: the first is San Gervasio d'Adda (north), the second Capriate d'Adda (middle), and the last Crespi d'Adda (south).

Monuments and places of interest

Religious architecture

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

church dedicated to Saint Alexander was built in the early 20th century on the site of an older, smaller church. The new building has preserved the altar, the

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

, and a number of

frescos Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

. Other notable churches in the municipality include the church dedicated to Saint Gervasio and Protasio, Crespi d'adda Church, the oratory dedicated to

Saint Rocco Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...

and that of Saint Siro and Saint Sigoldo.

Civil architecture

The town has many important civil buildings, such as Villa Valsecchi, the headquarters of a religious order, the town hall building, and the bridge over the river Adda.

Minitalia Leolandia

A theme park, Minitalia Leolandia, is located in Capriate San Gervasio. Among its main attractions are rides, a reptilian and a miniature version of Italy.

Village of Crespi

The most important tourist attraction is the village of Crespi d'Adda. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. The village of Crespi is, according to UNESCO, the fifth best site in the world linked to the history of industry.

Infrastructure and transport

The A4 motorway has a dedicated exit in Capriate San Gervasio. A station for the Monza–Trezzo–Bergamo tramway was located in the town between 1890 and 1958.

Administration

The mayor is Vittorino Verdi, elected in 2018.

Demographics

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References

External links

Capriate San Gervasio official website
Municipalities of the Province of Bergamo {{Bergamo-geo-stub