Asiago-history

By the end of the 1920's, emigration was no longer possible, with the frontiers of many nations closed and the world in the grip of an economic crisis. Life in the area became even harder near the end of WWII. It was not until the 1960's that the local economy recovered, due to the development of tourism. Today, Asiago is a well-known summer and winter holiday resort. Localities of the Asiago Commune The localities of the Asiago Commune consist of: ASIAGO, BERTIGO, BOSCO, CHIESA DI SASSO, PENNAR, RODEGHIERI-RIGONI-PODESTÀ-COSTA, SAN DOMENICO, VALLE VESCOVI, Bortoni-Camplan, Busa, Buscar, Caporai di Sasso, Cassordar, Coda, Gianesoni-Cotti di Sasso, Grulli di Sasso, Guardinalti, Kaberlaba, Linta, Melar, Ospedale Civile, Osservatorio Astrofisico, Roncalto, Santa Maria Maddalena, Val Longhini & Zocchi Settlement of Asiago There are at least two theories prevalent regarding the settlement of the region by the Cimbri. It is known that from at least 200 BC the Cimbri lived in the northern parts of Jutland/Denmark. The town of Aalborg and adjoining areas have evidence and artifacts supporting this fact. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder also refers to that area as the land of the Cimbri. The historian Tacitus also mentioned a people bearing the name Cimbri who sent ambassadors to the Roman emperor Augustus. Probably due to climatic changes and great floods, the tribes migrated south into Europe, together with neighboring tribes of Teutons, sometime around the year 130 BC. Indications are that their travels took them through Bohemia to what is now northern Yugoslavia, then turning westward through Austria, Bavaria into eastern France. These journeys correspond quite closely to the river valleys of the Elbe, Danube and Rhone. They reportedly defeated Roman armies in battles at Noreia near the present town of Ljubljana and then again at Orange in the Rhone valley. In 101 BC the Cimbri were annihilated by the Roman general Gaius Marius in the Po valley of northern Italy, perhaps near the present city of Vercelli. One theory holds that the few survivors took refuge in the mountains and plateaus of northern Italy. This raises some question, however, in that Roman writers report that the women killed themselves and all their children in the aftermath of the total defeat by the Romans.
Other ancient documentary evidence supports the theory that the area was settled by Cimbri descendants during large southern migrations from areas around Bavaria in the 11th/12th centuries. One indication is a document showing that in 1287 the prince bishop of Verona, Federico Vanga (the German Friedrich von Wangen) was petitioned by Bavarian neighbors to settle in the territory of the Lessinia hills. These people were called "tzimberer", from which the word "Cimbri" is speculated to have been derived. Another theory holds that the Cimbri may have entered the area through the Brenner Pass during their nomadic wanderings before the time of Christ. Perhaps each of these theories has some legitimate credibility.
Sometime during the 12th and 13th centuries, the various settlements in the Veneto mountains formed themselves into self-governing federations. These were the 13 communes in the northern Verona Hills and the 7 communes in the Asiago plateau. Both groups formed loose alliances with the city of Venice mostly for trade purposes. The Sette (7) Comuni federation is known to have been fully organized between the years of 1270 and 1339 but the Document of Federation was destroyed in fires due to hostilities circa 1500. The federation lasted until the Napoleanic invasions circa 1807. The territory was under Austrian rule from 1815 to 1866 and became a part of Italy by international accord in 1866. A brief history of Spettabile Reggenza dei Sette Comuni The next few paragraphs were shared with me by Gerardo Rigoni Towards the middle of the 1300's the altopiano comunity decided to give itself a sort of government to handle various problems that the enlarged comunity posed. The elders of each family branch (yes the cunico's also!) met and decided to create a "nation" calling it the Spettabile Reggenza. The form was very similar to the swiss state setup: each comune would have a representative in the council. the representative would be voted on each year by the head families that composed his comune. A representative could not be revoted in two following years, that is between his reelection at least a year would have to pass. The council met once every 15 days in Asiago, the reggenza building was where the pastor's house is now. In these reunions every aspect of the altopiano life could be discussed; building a home, where to cut wood, where the animals could pasture, passing rights, taxes and especially making contracts with the farmers in the plains to pasture the sheep in the winter time. (Here a precision is necessary, at that time the predominant farm animal was sheep not cows, so one could say that the original asiago cheese was made with sheep milk! The number of sheep present on the altopiano in the 1500's arrived to over a milion head; the dairy cow was introduced when the farmers in the plains began not wanting the altopiano sheep pasturing on their lands. Cows can stay in barns in the winter, sheep can't.) Getting back to the Spettabile Reggenza, this form of government also had legislation on the land, even today most of the altopiano territory is not privately owned but is property of the people (this is called usi civici). Each Comune had the direct right on it's territory (thru the power given it by the people) and the other Comunes had to pay a transit tax to pass thru the other Comune's territory. On this point a curiosity: Asiago, to get it's lumber to the Brenta river where it would be sold, had to pass thru Gallio. Not wanting to pay, asiago built a stone cut stairway made of 4444 stairs to bypass Gallio. The stairway is calles the Calà del Sasso and should still be in the Guiness world records as the longest stairway. In 1406 the political scenario in the area was quite difficult. The warlord Ezzelino died and his various territories (Bassano and Marostica all the way to Vicenza) began fighting to conquer the most land. The altopiano found itself in the middle of these conflicts and not having a powerful army decided to find protection under Venice, the Serenissima. Seven representatives of the Altopiano, one for every township, went to the doge (the ruling figure of Venice) and promised Venice the first pick on the wood and agricultural produce in change of protection and independence which meant no taxes owned and no military service; only obligation was to defend the northern boader and to not sell wood or food to Venice's enemies. This accord lasted until the end of the 1700's when the Venice lordship finally passed from being after having been defeated by the french and austrian alliance. Another curious note, in the famous battle of Lepanto, where the venitians defeated the turkish navy a boat was built, furnished and manned by altopianesi, For their courage and their dedication Venice gave the altopiano a flag, considered a great honor, which is still visible in the Asiago town hall. The Spettabile Reggenza remained in power for over 500 years maintaining it's independence through all the difficulties in that period with powerful nation states pressing on it's boarders. When napoleon defeated Venice he first imposed a census of the altopiano to better tax the area. Here is when last names became obligatory and the various families began calling themselves Rigoni, Cunico, Rodeghiero, etc. Finding many difficulties in relating woth the altopianesi, remember they spoke a german dialect even if at that ttime the venitian dialect was spoken and began infiltrating the original language. Napoleon, to rid himself of the altopiano, gave the area to the Austrian king thatm in turn, passed the administration of the altopiano to the bishop prince of Trento. The ruler of trento had wanted the altopiano, for it's rich pastures, for time unknown and he immediately began taxing heavily the population to bend the proud altopianesi to his will. When the altopiano didn't pay the taxes he demanded he sent prince maxamillian to invade the land. Maximillian set off, 3000 soldiers strong, to bend the altopianesi, these, instead of bending their heads, affronted maxamillian creating manmade landslides in the Enego area that decimated his troops. Maxamillian pushed on and conquered Enego. He then began pushing towards Asiago. On his way, on the Asiago Gallio boundary, he met up with a powerful resistance. The altopianesi fought him for various days until they were forced to retreat but maxamillian troops were now down to less than a 1000. Another note: The altopianesi that fought Maxamillian's troops on that boundary were considered hero's by the altopiano than gave them the honor be called, even today, with the last name Forte, that is strong. So any Forte is a decendant of one of those valiant fighters! Maxamillian burned most of Asiago to the ground finding it completely abandoned by its habitants. The asiaghesi had run to Rotzo, that is way many asiago last names are found also in Rotzo. No people, no taxes. Maxamillian returned to Trento in shame and the bishop prince no longer wanted anything to do with the Altopiano. The altopiano lived in this conquered, not conquered situation until 1860's when the italian people began dreaming of a nation of their own. This period, from the end of the Serenissima in 1767 to the unification of the Veneto Region to Italy in 1867, was not a good one for the altopiano, surrounded by city states that had no fondness for them and so the altopianesi couldn't sell their produce. In this period the first emigrations began. The altopianesi began going to austria, germany, the united states (even fighting in thr civil war), to prussia. The dream of an italian nation was taken on enthusiastically by the altopiano that had an important part in this new movement called the Risorgimento. The Cimbrian Language Cimbrian is a word that has been used a little bit improperly in the last few centuries to indicate a language spoken in seven ‘Comuni’ of Vicenza and in thirteen ‘Comuni’ of Verona. Cimbro is a language that derives from archaic german, the same that gave the birth to english, german and danish. It is a language which connects itself to Old Bavarian and Old German, a language which has miraculously survived in the Venetian Hills, protected by the territorial isolation and an age-old economy of subsistence. Unfourtunately this dialect is slowly dying out. Nowadays, especially in Rotzo, Mezzaselva and Roana we only find a few people who still use it currently. Of the Cimbrian Culture not only the language remains, but also a rich heritage of traditions connected to the everyday life of the people and their imagination : songs and fables which describe a legendary world. The very few written texts which exist, proof of the use of the Cimbrian language, are preserved in the Museo della Cultura Cimbra in Roana and was promoted by the 'Istituto di Cultura Cimbra'. The original names of L'Altopiano towns are: sleghe = Asiago ghèl = Gallio ghènebe = Enego kunken = Conco wusche = Foza lusaaan = Lusiana robaan = Roana rotz = Rotzo Spettabile Reggenza dei Sette Comuni was the autonomous state of L'Altopiano that lasted for over 500 years and who's motto was "Sleghe un Lusaan, Ghenebe un Wusche, Ghel, Rotz, Robaan Dise saint Siben alte Komoin prudere liben", that is "Asiago and Lusiana, Enego and Foza, Gallio, Rotzo, Roana these are the ancient seven comunes dear brothers"
Asiago (lingua cimbra: Sleghe, ted.: Schlege) è il comune capoluogo della Spettabile Reggenza dei 7 Comuni. CENNI STORICI I primi insediamenti umani risalgono al periodo paleolitico e mesolitico e i primi abitanti stabili appartengono all'epoca preromana. Nella lingua e nella tradizione cimbra, sono stati rilevati anche indizi che sono ricondotti ai Goti o ad altre popolazioni “barbare”, quindi un'influenza longobarda. È invece ormai certo che dalla Germania meridionale sono scesi, intorno e particolarmente dopo l'anno Mille, dei gruppi provenienti per lo più dall'area linguistica bavaro-tirolese e forse in parte anche dalla Danimarca delle famiglie in cerca di terre da coltivare che raggiunsero l'Altopiano e qui si stabilirono colonizzandone il territorio, portando i loro costumi e la loro lingua, il cimbro, parlata da alcune persone ancora oggi. Dal 1310 al 1807 si costituì uno dei primi governi autonomi e democratici della storia, la Spettabile Reggenza dei 7 comuni, con moneta e milizia propria. Agli inizi del XIII secolo gli insediamenti tedeschi, che daranno in seguito vita ai Sette Comuni, dovettero organizzarsi militarmente per difendersi dalle mire espansionistiche dei vicini; come il potente signorotto di Castel Ivano della Valsugana e in questo, trovarono l'appoggio di Ezzelino III da Romano. Tra il 1036 e il 1260 i comuni dell'Altopiano (Asiago, Enego, Lusiana, Gallio, Foza, Roana e Rotzo), si alleano fornendo le migliori truppe all'esercito del ghibellino Ezzelino III. Il 29 giugno 1310 venne definito lo statuto della Spettabile Reggenza dei Sette Comuni; l'insegna che lo sosteneva e guidava recitava: “Dise saint Siben, Alte Komeun, Prudere Liben”, Questi sono i Sette Antichi Comuni, Fratelli Cari. Nel 1327 la Federazione dei Sette Comuni, pur mantenendo la propria autonomia amministrativa, passò sotto l'ala protettiva degli Scaligeri di Verona. La Reggenza nel 1387 passò sotto la protezione dei Visconti di Milano, che ne rispettarono lo statuto, ne assicurarono l'autonomia amministrativa, ne riconobbero le esenzioni e i privilegi, denominò gli abitanti dei Sette Comuni “i tedeschi delle montagne del distretto di Vicenza”. Il 20 febbraio 1404 secondo il calendario Veneto, il 1405 secondo quello attuale, la Federazione dei Sette Comuni fece uno spontaneo atto di dedizione alla Repubblica di Venezia, che con la decadenza delle signorie degli Scaligeri e dei Visconti allargò il suo dominio nella terra ferma. Non fu un atto di sudditanza, quanto piuttosto di un patto che permise ai Sette Comuni un certo sviluppo economico e democratico, favorendo la produzione e il commercio del legname, del carbone, della lana, dei formaggi, dell'artigianato. L'organizzazione interna delle comunità locali fu in genere lasciata all'iniziativa e all'autodeterminazione della gente dell'Altopiano. La comunità costituiva delle frazioni identificate col cognome dei residenti, tutti imparentati tra di loro, in cui ogni decisione veniva discussa in un'assemblea dei capifamiglia che eleggeva tra i suoi membri i governatori del colonnello. I governatori eleggevano a loro volta i deputati per l'amministrazione del comune, che nominava uno o due rappresentanti a formare il consiglio della Reggenza. Con la rivoluzione francese e le vittorie di Napoleone, nel 1797 la Repubblica Serenissima di Venezia cadde e con essa pure la Spettabile Reggenza dei Sette comuni.





Veneto Region The Veneto is one of Italy's 20 regions, and consists of seven provinces, as shown on the map at right. It encompasses a vast variety of terrain - from the lagoons of Venice and the waterways of the Po River Delta to the pre-Alps, high mountain plateaus, and the spectacular Dolomites - covering 7095 square miles (18,376 sq km), or about the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its population is approximately 4.5 million, and the products produced here include textiles, chemicals, paper, processed foods, wine, machinery (DeLongonghi), eyeglasses (Luxottica), gold jewelry, shoes, furniture, and apparel (Diesel, Benetton). Even the word "ciao" is a product of the Veneto, originally meaning "your slave" (in the sense of "at your service") in Venetian dialect. The Veneto officially became part of Italy in 1866, after having been ruled by the Romans, the Lombards, the Venetian Republic, Austria, and the Napoleanic kingdom of Italy. Scroll down to see a complete list of regions and provinces here:

Italian Provinces
AG	AGRIGENTO	GENOVA	GE	PAVIA	PV
AL	ALESSANDRIA	GORIZIA	GO	POTENZA	PZ
AN	ANCONA	GROSSETO	GR	RAVENNA	RA
AO	AOSTA	IMPERIA	IM	REGGIO CALABRIA	RC
AP	ASCOLI PICENO	ISERNIA	IS	REGGIO EMILIA	RE
AQ	L'AQUILA	CROTONE	KR	RAGUSA	RG
AR	AREZZO	LECCO	LC	RIETI	RI
AT	ASTI	LECCE	LE	ROMA	RM
AV	AVELLINO	LIVORNO	LI	RIMINI	RN
BA	BARI	LODI	LO	ROVIGO	RO
BG	BERGAMO	LATINA	LT	SALERNO	SA
BI	BIELLA	LUCCA	LU	SIENA	SI
BL	BELLUNO	MACERATA	MC	SONDRIO	SO
BN	BENEVENTO	MESSINA	ME	LA SPEZIA	SP
BO	BOLOGNA	MILANO	MI	SIRACUSA	SR
BR	BRINDISI	MANTOVA	MN	SASSARI	SS
BS	BRESCIA	MODENA	MO	SAVONA	SV
BZ	BOLZANO	MASSA CARRARA	MS	TARANTO	TA
CA	CAGLIARI	MATERA	MT	TERAMO	TE
CB	CAMPOBASSO	NAPOLI	NA	TRENTO	TN
CE	CASERTA	NOVARA	NO	TORINO	TO
CH	CHIETI	NUORO	NU	TRAPANI	TP
CL	CALTANISSETTA	ORISTANO	OR	TERNI	TR
CN	CUNEO	PALERMO	PA	TRIESTE	TS
CO	COMO	PIACENZA	PC	TREVISO	TV
CR	CREMONA	PADOVA	PD	UDINE	UD
CS	COSENZA	PESCARA	PE	VARESE	VA
CT	CATANIA	PERUGIA	PG	VERBANIA	VB
CZ	CATANZARO	PISA	PI	VERCELLI	VC
EN	ENNA	PORDENONE	PN	VENEZIA	VE
FE	FERRARA	PRATO	PO	VICENZA	VI
FG	FOGGIA	PARMA	PR	VERONA	VR
FI	FIRENZE	PESARO	PS	VITERBO	VT
FO	FORLI`	PISTOIA	PT
FR	FROSINONE	VIBO VALENTIA	VV


This community is in the province of Vicenza, in the Veneto Region of Italia. The district which they occupy, is an area of 86 square miles. The territory is known as the Pre Alpi Venete. It contains 7 burghs, 24 villages, and a population of about 25,000. It is almost entirely mountainous, with it's boundaries being the Brenta on the East, the Astico on the West, the Tyrolian Alps on the North, and to the South it has volcanic hills extending from Marostria to Caltrano.
		L'Altopiano was first inhabited by bronze age hunters. The remains of their huts were found in the 1960's by a group of archeologists from the university of Padova.