Vergato is one of the main settlements of the Reno valley and is the administrative seat of the Unione dei comuni dell'Appennino Bolognese.[3] The town is connected with Bologna by the Porrettana railway and by the Porrettana State Road.
The town lies in an alluvial basin where the Vergatello stream flows into the Reno river.[3] Its municipal territory includes several villages and localities distributed between the river valley and the surrounding Apennine slopes, including Riola, Tolè, Cereglio, Castelnuovo, Calvenzano, Carbona, Susano, Pioppe, Tabina, Lissano, Prunarolo, Amore and Pieve Roffeno.[4]
History
Local historical sources state that, in the 11th century, Vergato and Riola were small settlements without major administrative or ecclesiastical importance. Vergato was then part of the parish of Liserna, while Riola belonged to that of Lissano.[5]
Vergato became more important in the second half of the 15th century, when the seat of the Capitano della Montagna was transferred there from Casio. A separate parish was established in Vergato in 1578.[5]
Under the Napoleonic administrative reorganisation, several previously distinct territories were brought together. In 1810 the areas of Vergato, Castelnuovo and Tolè, with the exception of Rodiano, were merged into the municipality of Vergato. The municipality later became part of the Papal States and, in 1859, of the Kingdom of Italy.[5]
The opening of the Porrettana road in 1847 and the construction of the Bologna–Pistoia railway in the 19th century changed the internal balance of the area, favouring settlements located along the main transport routes.[5] The section of the Porrettana railway from Vergato to Pracchia was inaugurated on 21 November 1863, while the full trans-Apennine line from Bologna to Florence via Pistoia opened in 1864.[6]
Main sights
Palazzo dei Capitani della Montagna
The Palazzo dei Capitani della Montagna stands in the centre of Vergato and is now the town hall. Originally a 15th-century house, it became the seat of the Capitanato della Montagna in 1483.[7]
The present appearance of the palace is the result of reconstruction work carried out around the middle of the 20th century. Its façade preserves coats of arms connected with the Capitani della Montagna.[7] In 1998 the palace was enriched with four stained-glass windows by the artist Luigi Ontani, now located in the municipal council chamber.[7]
MuseOntani
The MuseOntani is a permanent exhibition located inside the municipal palace of Vergato and dedicated to the Italian artist Luigi Ontani.[8] The museum displays works by the artist, including pieces donated or made available to the municipality.[8]
Ontani also created the fountain RenVergatellAppenninMontovolo, a marble and bronze work inaugurated on 7 April 2019 in the square in front of Vergato railway station.[9]
Riola and the Tarot Museum
Riola is a settlement in the Reno valley divided between the municipalities of Vergato and Grizzana Morandi.[5] The part of Riola in Vergato is served by the Porrettana railway.
Riola hosts the Museo Internazionale dei Tarocchi, a museum dedicated to contemporary tarot art and iconography, located at Via Arturo Palmieri.[10]
Pieve Roffeno
Pieve Roffeno is located in the upper Vergatello valley. The church of San Pietro is described by local tourist sources as a 12th-century example of rural Romanesque architecture along the ancient Via Nonantolana.[3]
Tolè
Tolè is a village in the municipality of Vergato known for its open-air artworks. Since 1998, the village has developed as an outdoor art site through the Artolè initiative, with murals, frescoes, terracotta works and sculptures placed in streets and small squares.[11]
Second World War
During the Second World War, Vergato was heavily affected by fighting and bombing during the Gothic Line phase of the Italian Campaign. Between 27 November 1943 and 13 October 1944 the municipality suffered 23 air raids. In the municipal territory, 1,074 buildings out of 1,755 were damaged and about 400 were completely destroyed; civilian life was disrupted, with over 400 victims and the remaining population evacuated.[12]
In 2001 the President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, awarded Vergato the Gold Medal of Civil Merit for the suffering and solidarity shown by the local population during the war.[12]
Transport
Vergato is served by Vergato railway station, on the Porrettana railway, which links Bologna with Pistoia through the Apennines. The municipal territory is also served by the stations of Pioppe di Salvaro, Carbona and Riola.[4] The town is crossed by the SS64 Porrettana road.
