Monte Barro Natural Park: An Archaeological Landscape in Italy
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.7
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Classical, Medieval
- Civilizations
- Ostrogothic
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page6 sections
History
Monte Barro Natural Park is a regional park in Italy centered on Monte Barro, whose territory lies mainly within Galbiate and also extends into Valmadrera, Pescate, and Malgrate. Archaeological investigations have revealed an early medieval military settlement built in phases from the fifth century AD through the Gothic period, the era of the Ostrogothic kingdom in Italy.
The early medieval settlement
Excavations carried out between 1986 and 1997 brought important evidence of the settlement to light. It included the Great Building, probably the residence of a public official. Among the finds was a pendant crown, a hanging ceremonial ornament interpreted as a sign of the building’s connection with public authority.
A tradition recorded by the Milanese chronicler Galvano Fiamma says that Gerberga, daughter of the Lombard king Desiderius, sought refuge on Monte Barro while fleeing Charlemagne. The Lombards established a kingdom in Italy from the sixth to the eighth century, while Charlemagne, the Frankish ruler, conquered that kingdom in 774. Gerberga’s refuge on the mountain remains a tradition rather than an archaeologically established event.
Monte Castelletto and later occupation
Surface surveys discovered the archaeological area of Monte Castelletto in 2007, followed by excavations between 2011 and 2015. The site had been occupied at least since the eighth century, although earlier phases remain unexcavated and research continues. In the thirteenth century, a small military garrison controlled the tower and the surrounding territory.
Many objects recovered from excavations on Monte Barro are preserved in the Barro Archaeological Museum at the Hermitage. The name Barro is thought to have Celtic origins and may have meant something like “mountain,” with related forms occurring in the names of other mountains in Lombardy and Switzerland.
Remains
Monte Barro is an isolated mountain in the Lombard Prealps, reaching 922 metres and standing between Lake Annone and the lakes of Garlate and Como. It forms part of the Lugano Prealps and the Larian Triangle. Monte Castelletto lies on the mountain’s eastern foothills, where its natural position overlooks the Adda River, Lecco, and the surrounding communication routes.
The Great Building
The early medieval settlement included the Great Building, probably a residence associated with public authority. Its archaeological material included a pendant crown, whose ceremonial character helped associate the building with a public official. Finds from the Monte Barro excavations, including this ornament, are preserved in the Barro Archaeological Museum at the Hermitage.
Monte Castelletto fortification
The remains at Monte Castelletto consist of a medieval tower joined to a defensive wall. The wall enclosed a small group of buildings, forming a compact fortified settlement on the eastern foothills. The structures visible today belong to the later phases of occupation and are connected with the thirteenth-century military garrison that controlled the tower and the surrounding territory.
