page_title: Berzo Inferiore
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Berzo Inferiore / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Parish church of St Maria, Berzo Inferiore, Val Camonica Italiano: Chiesa parrocchiale di Santa Maria, Berzo Inferiore, Val Camonica
context_page_description: Berzo Inferiore is an Italian comune of 2,316 inhabitants in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, in Lombardy, northern Italy.
context_section_description: The area has known habitation dating back to Mesolithic prehistory, as ascribed from artifacts found near Passo Crestoso. The first documentation of the town name is in a document from 1041, that mentions Bercio. Documents also cite a quarrel with the nearby town of Bovegno regarding pastoral lands. In 1350, the bishop of Brescia, Zanino Federici of Gorzone, asserted feudal rights for the territories of the Lower Berzo, Ono and Cricolo and Cerveno of Rainaldo.
  In July 1404, the town of Berzo was destroyed by the Guelphs from the towns of Predore and Adrara San Rocco, which had suffered depredations and looting at the hands of townsmen of Berzo. In 1562, the priest Giacomo Pandolfi was sent by the Bishop of Brescia, Domenico Bollani, to Berzo; his mission was to urge the local authorities to censure and cease the frequent episodes of public dancing in the town.
  A miraculous apparition of the Virgin Mary to Marta Polentini is said to have occurred in 1618.
  In 1867, the provincial council of Brescia agreed to the union of municipalities and Bienno Berzo: this was not carried out due to popular opposition. Between 1927 and 1947, due to fascist laws on municipalities, the municipalities of Bienno Berzo were aggregated.
caption: Parish of St Maria
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