Gromo

Origins of the name

Its toponym comes from a Latin word: Grumus, meaning upland, hill. Based on this theory there are many examples within the province of Bergamo, referred to places nearby hills or mountains like Grumello del Monte, Gromlongo (hamlet of Palazzago) and Bergamo's hill Gromo, that gave the name to Gromo street, then changed into San Cassinao street and finally into Gaetano Donizetti street.

History

In Natural History, Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) wrote of the first Christians condemned by the Romans to quarry metals in the mines of the Seriana Valley, a punishment known as Condemnation to the mines. This and some traces on weapons and corks demonstrate the presence of inhabitants on the territory up to the Roman period. The area was a shelter for the first Italians from the Barbaric invasions.

In 774 the king of the Franks, Charlemagne, gifted Saint Martin of Tours’ monastery and the one of Saint Denis de Paris with the territories of the upper Seriana Valley. Then in 1026 the Bergamo's episcopate with the bishop Ambrogio II took the property in exchange with other properties, keeping for himself the rights on the revenues from quarry and working of iron and silver present within the valley, so began a period of hard disagreements between the laic power, represented by the feudatarian and the ecclesiastic one, represented by the bishop. The first documents about the existence of the village date back to that period too: for the first time the expressions ``vallis Ardexie seu Grumi” or “curia Ardesii er Grummi”, as to point out Ardesio and Gromo as those areas that will be turned into comuni rurali.

In 1179 Bishop Guala from Bergamo, allowed the use of the goods of the upper Seriana Valley to the families provided that they were willing to pay 200 lire, the community was represented only by consuls including Cremonese de Cromo, even if the territory of Gromo was still part of the Aresio valley. By the way, it starts the formation of the Gromo county that in the 13th century seems to be autonomous. …

Monuments and interesting places

The square is enriched with the fifteenth-century church of Saint Gregory the Great. It belongs to the local administration and it has a gate in Sarnico's stone and barrel ceiling. It hosts the altarpiece known as The Virgin with the child dating back to 1625 by Enea Salmeggia known as Il Talpino where underneath the Saints Gregory the Great and Charles Borromeo there is the landscape of the ancient Gromo as it was in the 17th century.

In 1184 the Bishop of Bergamo named a certain Alberto from Parre as priest of this church, that is the parish one dedicated to Saints James Apostle and Saint Vincent Levita. Its architectural structure is romantic and has 3 naves as well as it suffered many changes. Inside, there are many worthy works of art: the north and south naves shows a strong Baroque impact; the presbytery is composed by a gold wooden altar (1645); a choir with 34 caryatids, 6 canvas by Antonio Cifrondi about the martyrdom and death of the patron saints and two golden copper cases containing some valuable relics. Within the south nave you can find an All Saints’ day altarpiece by Antonio Marinoni, while a polypitch with golden wood frame is hosted on the northern side. The baptistery dates back to 1511 and follows the Renaissance style. Outside, at the end of the 17th century portico, you can see Saint Benedict's chapel, while nearby you can find the museum safeguarding works connected to Gromo's faith and is dedicated to the Bishop of Brescia Luigi Morstabilini, born in the small hamlet of Ripa.

The small chapel dedicated to the Saint from Nursia was built upon the ancient cemetery that surrounded the parish church in 1454 as decided by the bishop Giovanni Buccelleni. It is located at the bottom of a portico on the west side of the church and is oriented to the north. You can enter it thanks to 2 big stoned steps, it is square shaped and decorated with frescoes about Saint Benedict's life and the one of his sister. On the floor there is also the gravestone of the bishop Francesco Buccelleni who died in 1482. …