Pergine Valsugana

Here is the translation into English:

**Pergine Valsugana** (/ˈpɛrʤine valsuˈgana/; "Pèrzen" or "Pèrzem" in Trentino dialect, "Persn" in Mochena language) is an Italian municipality with 21,641 inhabitants in the province of Trento, the third-largest after the capital Trento and Rovereto.

It is the seat of the Alta Valsugana e Bersntol community and is located at the exit of the Fersina Valley and at the beginning of the Valsugana Valley. The town is dominated by the historic Castel Pergine.

Geography

Territory

The town lies in central Trentino on the left bank of the Adige River at 490 meters above sea level, 12 km east of Trento. The municipality of Pergine Valsugana covers an area of about 5439 hectares and includes the wide basin at the foot of the Tegazzo Hill as well as the Fersina Creek's valley. To the west, it is dominated by the Monte Marzola (1738 m a.s.l.) and the Monte Celva (1000 m a.s.l.), as well as the Cimirlo towards Trento; to the southwest, by the Vigolana (Becco di Filadonna, 2150 m a.s.l.); to the southeast, by the Panarotta (2002 m a.s.l.); and to the east, by the Monte Orno (also called "Montagna Grande," 1538 m a.s.l.). Other mountains include the Gronlait (2383 m a.s.l.) and the Monte Fravort (2347 m a.s.l.). To the northwest, the peaks of the Brenta Dolomites (Cima Tosa, 3173 m a.s.l.) and the Paganella (2125 m a.s.l.) are visible. To the south, one can also see the Pizzo di Levico with the Forte Vezzena fortress.

The Fersina Creek originates from the Lago di Erdemolo, located above Palù del Fersina at 2036 meters in the Lagorai range, and extends down to Trento, where it flows into the Adige River.

The Lago di Caldonazzo (maximum depth 49 m) lies south of the town and is part of the Pergine municipality from the village of San Cristoforo al Lago (its origin) to the Valcanover area. The rest of the lake belongs to other municipalities. The Brenta River originates from Lago di Caldonazzo.

Other lakes in the area of Pergine include the Lago di Costa, the Lago Pudro, the Lago di Canzolino, and the Lago di Madrano. Lago Pudro, part of the Natura 2000 network, spans about 13 hectares and is home to fauna closely tied to water, which has disappeared in the valley due to drainage measures.

There are also smaller streams that are tributaries of the Fersina Creek.

Climate

According to the average values of the thirty-year period 1961–1990, the average temperature in the coldest month, January, is 1.4°C, while the warmest month, July, has an average temperature of 22.6°C.

Annual rainfall exceeds 900 mm, distributed over about 90 days, with a peak in late spring and summer, and a relative minimum in winter.

Climate Classification: Zone F, 3147 GGT

Origins of the Name

There are numerous hypotheses regarding the origin of the name: In the 18th century, it was suggested that the name came from the Fersina Creek, as it passes through an area with iron mines; the name would thus derive from "ferrugo" or "ferri sinus." However, this theory is now considered outdated. Other hypotheses explain that Pergine is a locative form of "pergo," meaning "elevated place": "perg," possibly a parallel to "Berg" (mountain). Another theory suggests that the name comes from "pyrgus," meaning Pergamon and pergus, hill. Recently, the derivation from "colle-altura" (hill, height), connected with the existence of a fortress, is preferred. Some, however, refer to studies of the toponymic name Pergine Valdarno in the province of Arezzo, where the name is derived from a primitive language, probably that of the Ligures, who influenced the Etruscans and the world. In the mid-20th century, it was proposed that Pergine comes from "perga-parga," meaning "hay shed" or "hut." Some scholars, on the other hand, believe that toponyms with the suffix "-ine" are of oriental origin and indicate a water source: Pergine, according to this hypothesis, would come from "perku-ine" = source on the hill. This theory is the most widely accepted, although a Latin origin due to Roman rule is not excluded.

History

Prehistory

The area of Pergine was already inhabited in prehistoric times by the Retics. Settlement remains have been found on the Pergine hills, especially in the Montesei area of Serso. However, there is no evidence of a settlement in the valley. The existence of a possibly Roman castle on the Tegazzo hill is also conceivable, and it could be older than the Roman era.

Roman Period

After the Raetian War (1st century BC), the area of Pergine became part of the Roman province of Feltre. The military road Via Claudia Augusta was built to run from Altinum (today Altino, near Venice) through the Valsugana Valley to Tridentum (modern-day Trento).

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, Pergine was an important strategic location, controlled by the Lombards and later by the Franks. The name of the town first appeared on February 26, 845 in a document.

Main sights

*Castle, a medieval fortification on a hill at 657 m above the sea level. It is known from 845, although it could be of Lombard or even late-Roman origins.
*Late Gothic-style church of Santa Maria
*Church of San Carlo, rebuilt in 1619
*Palazzo Tomelin (17th century)
*Palazzo a Prato (16th century)
*Palazzo Gentili-Crivelli (16th century)
*Palazzo Hippoliti (late 15th century)

Residents

* Fabio Garbari (born 1937), botanist and academic

References

External links

Official website

San Cristoforo al Lago, "frazione" in Pergine Valsugana

Cities and towns in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

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