Valentano
Encyclopedia
Valentano is a town and comune
of the province of Viterbo
, in the Lazio region of central Italy
. It is 33 km from the provincial capital, Viterbo
.
The placename is of uncertain origin. Some identify the town with an Etruscan
Verentum, others trace the name to ontano, Italian for alder
, since alders cover the slopes of a nearby valley: Valle Ontano becoming Valentano.
and near Mt. Becco, Mt. Saliette, the Poggi del Mulino and Mt. Starnina seem to confirm the theories of historians, who identify the lake with the Lake of Statonia (Lacus Statoniensis) described by Seneca
in his Naturales Quaestiones
and by Pliny the Elder
(ii.209, xiv.67 and xxxvi.168).
In 1649, when the town of Castro
, capital of the Duchy of Castro
, was destroyed, Valentano became the natural center of the Castrense region and the custodian of its archives.
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of the province of Viterbo
Province of Viterbo
The Province of Viterbo is a province in the Lazio region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Viterbo. It is bordered to the north by the Province of Grosseto and Siena, by the north-east with the Province of Terni and Rieti, in the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and south by the Province of Rome.It...
, in the Lazio region of central Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is 33 km from the provincial capital, Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
.
The placename is of uncertain origin. Some identify the town with an Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
Verentum, others trace the name to ontano, Italian for alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, since alders cover the slopes of a nearby valley: Valle Ontano becoming Valentano.
Antiquity and High Middle Ages
The town is named for the first time in a manuscript of 813 in the Farfa Register; starting in 844 a "Balentanu" appears in other documents of the abbey of San Salvatore on Mt. Amiata. The land was definitely inhabited in prehistoric times, and important finds in the Lake MezzanoLake Mezzano
Lake Mezzano is a small crater lake of central Italy, of volcanic origin, which was formed 400,000 years ago.The lake has a circular shape typical of crater lakes...
and near Mt. Becco, Mt. Saliette, the Poggi del Mulino and Mt. Starnina seem to confirm the theories of historians, who identify the lake with the Lake of Statonia (Lacus Statoniensis) described by Seneca
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
in his Naturales Quaestiones
Naturales quaestiones
Naturales quaestiones is an encyclopedia of the natural world written by Seneca around 65 AD. It is much shorter than the Naturalis Historia produced by Pliny the Elder some ten years later, however.-Content:...
and by Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
(ii.209, xiv.67 and xxxvi.168).
The Farnese
In the Renaissance period, the town fell under the dominion of the Farnese family: it is to them that Valentano owes its fortress (Rocca) and many of its churches.In 1649, when the town of Castro
Castro (city)
Castro was an ancient city on the west side of Lake Bolsena in the present-day comune of Ischia di Castro, northern Lazio, Italy. It was destroyed at the conclusion of the Wars of Castro in the 17th century.-Early history:...
, capital of the Duchy of Castro
Duchy of Castro
The Duchy of Castro was a fiefdom in central Italy formed in 1537 from a small strip of land on what is now Lazio's border with Tuscany, centred on Castro, Lazio, a fortified city on a tufa cliff overlooking the river Fiora which was its capital and ducal residence...
, was destroyed, Valentano became the natural center of the Castrense region and the custodian of its archives.
Modern times
In June 1944, an artillery shell exploded in the "Portonaccio" gate, killing seven civilians who had taken shelter in it. The gate itself is a witness to the tragedy, since one of its stones is missing, but in 2004 a plaque was placed in the Via Trento e Trieste to commemorate all local victims of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Main sights
- Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall)
- Porta Magenta, designed by VignolaGiacomo Barozzi da VignolaGiacomo Barozzi da Vignola was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Church of the Gesù in Rome...
- Vitozzi Palace
- Cruciani Palace, birthplace of Paolo RuffiniPaolo RuffiniPaolo Ruffini was an Italian mathematician and philosopher.By 1788 he had earned university degrees in philosophy, medicine/surgery, and mathematics...
- San Martino lookout
- Museum of the Prehistory of Tuscia and of the Rocca FarneseMuseum of the Prehistory of Tuscia and of the Rocca FarneseThe Museum of the Prehistory of Tuscia and of the Rocca Farnese is a museum in Valentano, northern Lazio, Italy. IT was opened in June 1996, the museum is located in the highest part of the village, within the Rocca Farnese itself....
- Churches:
- Collegiate church of San Giovanni Evangelista
- Santa Maria
- Santa Croce
- Madonna del Monte
- Sanctuary of the Madonna della Salute
- Chiesa dell'Annunziata at Villa Fontane
- Sancta Maria ad Templum
- Chiesa dell'Eschio
- Church of the Madonna della Pietà (also Madonna dell' Ospedale)
Natives of Valentano
- Gaetano Amoroso
- Ranuccio FarneseRanuccio Farnese (Cardinal)Ranuccio Farnese was an Italian prelate, who was Cardinal of Santa Lucia in Messina, Sicily from 1545 to his death in 1565....
, Roman Catholic cardinal - Alessandro Guarnelli
- Lino Lottatori
- Alessandro Mazzinelli
- Antonio Ongaro, 16th century poet
- Paolo RuffiniPaolo RuffiniPaolo Ruffini was an Italian mathematician and philosopher.By 1788 he had earned university degrees in philosophy, medicine/surgery, and mathematics...
, 18th century mathematician - Giordano Starnini
Celebrations and festivals
- Good Friday: Procession of the Body of Christ ("Cristo Morto")
- 3d Sunday in May: Cedar Fair, instituted by the Farnese in 1461
- August 14‑15 Agosto: Feast of the Assumption, with a Plowing Competition.
- throughout the summer: various events, including the Palio of the Duchy of Castro, a historical pageant.
External links
- Official website
- Valentano.Org
- ProLoco Valentano (Tourist Office)
- George Dennis on Valentano