Project Description
“A person running more than a mile from Casteggio towards Santa Giuletta or less than a mile from Santa Giuletta towards Casteggio finds himself in front of a wonderful villa called Verzate, part of the Parish of Torricella. From here, looking eastwards, a view opens upon the small valley, or better, a sinus surrounded by picturesque hills covered by luxurious vineyards. In the middle of this valley, at the distance of a thousand steps from Verzate, stands a small, isolated hill dominating the great valley of the Po river, a big limestone mound, on the southern slopes of which lies the village of Torricella, named after a tower that existed there…”. This tower still exists and Torricella takes its name from the Saracen Tower near the parish church and Sanctuary, located at the highest point of the village. The name of Torricella is older than the 13th century; in fact, the first historical signs of the village date back to 972 at the time of Otto I of Saxony, who donated the land, part of the Monastero della Croce monastery, to the Pope with Oliva, Montalto, Mairano and Torricella. Some time after the fief of Montalto was bought by the Belcredi and the descendants of this family owned in 1350 three fortified centres, one of them Torricella, with its tower of watch and a great defensive system of walls.
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