Capriate San Gervasio (
Bergamasque: ;
Milanese: ) 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 ...
'' in the
province of Bergamo, in
Lombardy, 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 municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
is located about from
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...
.
History
About two thousand years ago, the Romans founded settlements in the area, together with the previous
Celtic ones.
The first document attesting the existence of the village dates back to 948; the land had been exploited by the
Bishop of Cremona, 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 ...
.
During the following centuries the city witnessed a number of conflicts between the opposing factions of
Guelphs and
Ghibellines. 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 built a huge fortification used as a weapons deposit.
The village was involved in punitive expeditions led by
Facino Cane and
Francesco Bussone, 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
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...
and the troops of
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
. 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 organized ...
, 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 ...
.
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. It includes three hamlets (''
frazioni'') 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 ...
,
Brembate,
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 ...
,
Filago
Filago ( Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, ...
,
Trezzo sull'Adda (
MI) and
Vaprio d'Adda (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, and a number of
frescos. 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 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