Mazzo di Valtellina

Mazzo di Valtellina Maz
Comune
Comune di Mazzo di Valtellina
Coat of arms
show Location of Mazzo di Valtellina
Mazzo di Valtellina Location of Mazzo di Valtellina in Italy Mazzo di Valtellina Mazzo di Valtellina (Lombardy) Show map of ItalyShow map of LombardyShow all
Coordinates: 46°15′N 10°15′E / 46.250°N 10.250°E / 46.250; 10.250Coordinates: 46°15′N 10°15′E / 46.250°N 10.250°E / 46.250; 10.250
Country	Italy
Region	Lombardy
Province	Province of Sondrio (SO)
Frazioni	Vione, Sparso, Cà del Papa, Piazzola, Cà Lunghe, Li Cà
Area [1]
• Total	15.32 km2 (5.92 sq mi)
Elevation	552 m (1,811 ft)
Population  (Jan. 2021)[2]
• Total	1,022
• Density	67/km2 (170/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Mazzolatti
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	23030
Dialing code	0342
ISTAT code	14040
Patron saint	Saint Stephen
Saint day	26 December
Website	https://www.comune.mazzo.so.it/hh/index.php

Mazzo di Valtellina (Maz in Valtellinese dialect) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy. It is located in Valtellina about 120 kilometres (75 mi) northeast of Milan and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Sondrio. As of 1 January 2021, the estimated population was 1,022.^[3] The municipality covers an area of 15.32 square kilometres (5.92 sq mi).^[4]

Mazzo di Valtellina

Mazzo di Valtellina borders the following municipalities: Grosotto, Monno, Tovo di Sant'Agata, Vervio.

Name^[5][6][]

The name of Mazzo derives from the South Tyrolean family of "de Mazia" or "von Matsch", originally from the homonymous valley in Val Venosta, who arrived in Valtellina during the 11th century (and took the name of "Venosta" due to its area of origin).

History[]

The territory of Mazzo has been inhabited since remote and prehistoric times. This is proved by the famous rock carvings discovered in 1966 by the archaeologist Davide Pace on the Rupe Magna in Grosio: the oldest date back to the 4th–3rd millennium BC while the most recent to the 8th–6th centuries BC.

Mazzo is located in an area of primary importance: laying at the foot of the Mortirolo Pass, it allowed easy access to the Valcamonica valley and subsequently to the territories of the Republic of Venice, which had strategic interests in trade with the German-speaking countries.

This attracted to the town some noble families, including the Venosta family from Val di Mazia (South Tyrol), the Lavizzari and Quadrio, whose coats of arms can be seen on various palaces.

Mazzo was conquered by the Roman Empire in 16 AD. With the disintegration of the Western Roman Empire and the Barbarian invasions, Mazzo was probably incorporated, after 489, into the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Theodoric the Great. In the same century, Christianity made its appearance in the valley.

In the 8th century, Valtellina passed under Lombard domination. Traces of this presence can be found in dialectal terms. To name just a few, commonly used, we can mention "sberlüsc '" (lightning), "güdàzz" (godfather), "sluzz / slòz" (wet), "balòss" (smart, rascal), "maschérpa" (ricotta), "gnècch" (in a bad mood), "lifròch" (silly), "bütér" (butter), "scràna" (bench), "stracch" (tired), "trincà "(to drink)," sgrafignà "(to steal)," grignà "(to laugh)," biótt "(naked)," rüt "(rubbish, garbage)," bródeg "(dirty)," ghèi "(money).

When in 774 Charlemagne defeated the Lombards, Mazzo was subjected to the new Frankish domination. A legend (without historical foundation) has it that at the Mortirolo Pass, Charlemagne exterminated a large number of Camuni who had remained pagan and that the pass was named after this battle.

The first written records of Mazzo date back to 795, where the presence of the homonymous parish (pieve), which extended from Sernio to Sondalo, was mentioned by the emperor of the Franks Lothair. Those who lived in the pieve enjoyed several rights (including appointment and revocation of small feudal lords, right of scabbard during the war, the appointment of parish priests etc.) which, however, were revoked over time.

After the year 1000, the parish of Mazzo dedicated to Saint Stephen played a fundamental role in the spread of the Christian faith in Valtellina (together with others including that of Samolaco, Chiavenna, Ardenno, Teglio, Bormio and Sondrio). A document from 1240 attests to its importance within the diocese of Como, of which it was one of the four main parishes.

The fragmentation of Charles' empire led to the annexation of the Kingdom of Italy to that of Germany. In the 11th century a noble family from Val Venosta, the Venosta di Matsch, arrived in Mazzo, entrusted by the emperor Henry IV with the task of keeping the Alpine passes open for the passage of imperial troops. The Venosta family, who decided to reside in Grosio, were therefore assigned by the Bishop of Como the feudal rights over Mazzo, and preserved them until 1512, the year in which the domination of the Gray League began.

In the 13th century the Venosta family built the castle of Mazzo, of which only the Pedenale tower remains. The castle was part of a fortification system that connected the Castle of Grosio to that of Bellaguarda in Tovo, which served to control the movement of merchants and armies to and from the German-speaking countries, and the two entrances to Bormio (namely the Val Grosina and Valdisotto).

In 1335 the Visconti of Milan extended their dominion over Como and Valtellina. During the mid-15th century, they were replaced by the Sforza, who had to face the first attempts of the Three Gray Leagues to dominate Valtellina. In 1487, the Grisons army coming from Valdidentro sacked Bormio and the neighbouring territories several times as compensation for the lack of exemption from customs duties by the government of Ludovico il Moro.

Monuments^[7][8][]

The fresco in Vicolo della Torre[]

The 15th-century painting on a house in Vicolo della Torre, which depicts scenes of battles with camels and elephants, tropical plants and oriental figures, attests to the connection of Mazzo with the Republic of Venice, whose merchants crossed the Mortirolo Pass to reach the Raetia.^[9][10]

The church complex of Saint Mary[]

The church complex includes the medieval baptistery (see below), the church of Saint Mary built in 1452 and the 17th-century oratory (a small chapel for private prayer or worship). The complex was renovated in the 17th century and later in the 19th century. A recent renovation revealed that the outside walls were covered with ancient frescoes depicting coats of arms, inscriptions, zodiac signs and the representation of the Months.

The baptistery[]

The baptistery dates to the late Middle Ages and is the oldest monument in Mazzo. It is built on the ruins of a pagan temple; at the beginning, it had a circular shape and was bigger, but it was rebuilt in the 11th century in the shape of an octagon, which has a strong symbolic value (it represents the seven days of the Divine Creation in addition to Judgement Day). A 16th-century front door engraved with the figure of the Annunciation to Mary allows entering the Baptistery. The 7th-century plunge pool located inside the baptistery is the most ancient in Valtellina. Frescoes from the 15th century represent the Trinity, Saint Barbara, Saint Stephen and John the Baptist.

View of the bell tower of Saint Stephen's church

Saint Stephen's Collegial Church[]

The church was probably built in the 8th century and then it was renovated in the 1530s after the crash of the belltower in 1522. The latter has four openings with gothic elements. The carved main door is from 1597; the frame around it was made by Bernardino da Maroggia with white marble in 1508. The baroque interior presents three Naves and a sculptured statue of the Virgin carved in 1609. On both sides of Mary, there are the statues of Bishop Nicola and Bishop Carlo Borromeo, surrounded by twenty-five images of the Rosary. The white marble altar replaced a precious triptych made with gilded wood currently on display at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan.

The Altar of the Virgin Mary[]

The altar was commissioned by the Confraternity of Rosary and carved in 1609. The statue of the Virgin in the central recess probably dates to the previous century. The Virgin had a rich trousseau with precious Dresses and jewellery. Nothing has remained of it except for the 18th-century brocade cloak. On the sides, we can find the statues of the Saints Carlo Borromeo (on the right) and Nicola (on the left). All around them, 15 pictures represent the Mystery of Rosary. On the left, we find the joyful rosary mysteries, to the right the glorious mysteries and above the recess, there are the sorrowful mysteries. An elegant fence made by Giovanni Battista Scalvino in 1614 surrounds the altar.

The Church of Saint Abbondio[]

The church dates to the year 1400 and is well-known for its frescoes of Judgement Day. Inside there is only one big room with a wood ceiling. The sacristy was built in the base of the bell tower.

Lavizzari Mansion[]

The house was built in 1536 and is composed of two parts: the oldest one belongs to the Venosta Family and the newest one to the Lambertenghi Family. In 1650 the mansion became the property of the Lavizzari Family.

On the front door, there is the coat of arms of the Three Leagues, that links the mansion to the history of Valtellina: when the valley was under Swiss rule, three Swiss leagues formed in 1471 an alliance to protect themselves from the Austrian power, leading eventually to the formation of the Canton of Grisons. The large hall on the ground floor has a beautiful ceiling coffer that dates to 1536.

Quadrio Mansion[]

Renovated in the 16th century, the mansion presents many decorations on the external wall: in the lower part, there are inscribed images, whereas in the upper part monochromatic frescos represent the Muses and the moment in which Paris awards Venus with the golden Apple of Discord. Above the double-arched window, there is the coat of arms of the Quadrio Family. Underneath there is the coat of arms of the Venosta Family.

Saint Matteo and Saint Filippo Neri Church[]

The construction of the baroque church started in 1667. On the external façade, we can see a fresco from Giambattista Muttoni, while inside paintings from Francesco Piatti represent four episodes of the Old and New Testament. Most of the furniture was lost following the profanation of 1945 and the resulting abandonment. The church was renovated and sanctified in the early 2000s.

The little stone mountain hut visible a few metres above the church is in reality an older church: the semi-circular apse on the back has maintained its structure and on the façade we can still admire a beautiful fresco from the artist Valorsa.

Pedenale Tower

Pedenale Tower[]

Pedenale Castle was built by the powerful Venosta Family in the 12th century to defend the roads to Mortirolo Pass. Of it, only the four-storey rectangular tower has remained, with arrow-loops and windows through which archers would launch Arrows to defend the castle; around it, we can see the ruins of the houses that constituted the hamlet of Pedenale.

Demographic evolution[]

References[]