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Cuneo The High Middle Ages: a black hole in five centuries


Vagienna Well, Roman ruins

Another episode of the history of the Southern Piedmont Herald that week after week Guido is writing for Wind off since the beginning of our blog. A constant presence and very welcome as evidenced by the large number of visitors to its pages. Thanks, Guido.

Guido Herald

Cuneo The High Middle Ages: a black hole in five centuries

has always influenced the five centuries ranging from the Battle of Pollenzo, "won" with many doubts Stilicho , the diploma of Otto I of 23 March 963. Half a millennium is no small thing: a huge! A period that looks like a huge black hole.
As is known, the ancient Roman town of Bagienni (the people of beech trees), which probably was headed to Augusta Bagiennorum and which corresponded to the vast territory between Stura, Tanaro, Ligurian and Maritime Alps, was a prosperous land, rich and populous.
Certainly the advent of the Sarmatians, whose presence is attested in the name of Salmour, took place before the confused battle against the Goths, clearly reveals a severe demographic crisis so that affected the agricultural area adjacent to the big city.
Then nothing! How many questions! For example: where's the old Auriate? Mystery! A name in the mists of history ... There are vague and uncertain outline to Byzantine garrisons along the course of the Stura, on the right side, which endured for decades before the spread of the Lombards: Morozzo Breolungi were probably "Kastros" the Romans of the East, as well as Dronfield, whose name seems to derive from the Byzantine cavalry catafratti (the forerunners of the medieval knights armor mightily, including the horses). Following
vague hints to the existence of large Benedictine monasteries such as San Dalmazzo this side of the Stura, San Costanzo beyond Stura, San Pietro di Varatella inland Ligurian Borghetto Santo Spirito.
I remember a conference in history to Savona, where the speaker, distinguished university professor of Genoa, cast serious doubt on the very presence of the Saracens and in the Ligurian Riviera, which in Cuneo, despite the widespread tradition for them to be builders of a devastating and persistent terrifying invasion between the ninth and tenth centuries, after having settled in Provence, Frassineto, near Saint-Tropez. In fact, in the face of total lack of historical documentation, professor complained that "the myth of the Saracens" a romantic fantasies of the nineteenth century ... Moreover the same cycle of companies, the valiant Aleramo, Marquis of the brand that was named after him in the Tanaro Orba and the Ligurian Sea, written in the late fourteenth century in order to satisfy the ambitions of August nobility of his descendants, it makes the slightest mention of the Saracens, despite the romantic history of the nineteenth century the objections decisive victories against the invading Moors.

Barchi Ormea, Tower Saracen

Anyway, surprises me most is the total lack of religious and political authority, for centuries, in the vast territory of Bagenni, where, however, requires that you have, for Bagiennorum Augusta, one of the oldest dioceses in Piedmont.
the early days of official historiography, namely the eleventh and twelfth centuries, all from Cuneo Stura, Tanaro Alps and was totally dependent on distant bishopric of Asti, with no identity of its own. It will be the bishop of Asti to encourage the creation of the Municipality of Cuneo, and then regret it a few years later, perhaps due to the presence within its walls of Cathars dall'Occitania deserters.
It returns the name: the Vast! What distinguished the territory which now comprises three provinces: Cuneo, Savona, Imperia. Vast as "failure" destroyed? Just
the deletion of entire dioceses, corresponding to the Roman town halls, would indicate the areas that suffered the most barbarian invasions and, for the latter, the Saracen raids.
The first to disappear was the diocese of Pollenzo, which in Roman times was one of the main cities in the upper valley of the Po, controlled the vast, rich and fertile land between the Stura, the Tanaro, the Roero hills and the Po It was then the turn of the diocese of Augsburg Bagiennorum, which corresponds to Mondovi, until Tanaro. Then touch the mythical Auriate, Travolta probably from the Saracen invasion. On that occasion also the diocese of Alba was suppressed, when the bishop was forced to improvise Guido mason, but later returned to the eleventh century revival.
The "historical vacuum" that permeates our province suggests that a thousand years ago our ancestors really believed the impending Apocalypse!

Guido Saliceto Herald was born in, lives in Cuneo. Author of 44 works including novels and essays, some of which appeared in France by Editions Harmattan, Paris. In 2000 he won first prize in the literary "Ladie's cart" with the book Prèscricia, Stone inscription. His books are found in the online catalog Feltrinelli. For more detailed information please consult the website Editoriale L'Espresso "ilmiolibro.it.