Corchia is a village in northwest

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 ...

. It is a ''

frazione 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 ...

'' of the comune of

Berceto Berceto (Parmigiano dialect, Parmigiano: , or ; lij, Bercèi) is a village and ''comune'' in Italy, located in the Apennine Mountains on the main road between La Spezia and Parma, in the Taro River valley, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. The m ...

in the

Province of Parma The Province of Parma ( it, Provincia di Parma) is a province in the Emilia–Romagna region of Italy. Its largest town and capital is the city of Parma. It is made up of 47 '' comuni''. It has an area of and a total population of around 450,00 ...

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

. Set in the chestnut groves of Val Manubiola, Corchia is an example of a medieval borough of northern Italy. It is a settlement which maintains its medieval nucleus with stone houses, flag-stoned narrow lanes, and archways dating back to the 12th century.

The Church

The church is dedicated to San Martino although it is no longer used for religious purposes; it presents an unusual façade with a bell tower held up by an archway that crosses over the street. A new church, financed by immigrants to America and France has been built on the village outskirts.

Mining

Corchia's history is linked to mining: once all hope of finding gold (actually pyrite) in the valley was lost – a hope that was spurred in the mid-16th century under the

Farnese family The House of Farnese family (, also , ) was an influential family in Renaissance Italy. The titles of Duke of Parma and Piacenza and Duke of Castro were held by various members of the family. Its most important members included Pope Paul ...

– industrial exploitation of the copper deposits started in 1865 and lasted until 1942: mine shafts may still be seen on the slopes of Mount Maggio.

External links

Corchia's official old website

Corchia's Blog
{{authority control Berceto Frazioni of the Province of Parma Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna