Morterone
Morterone (Valassinese ) is a "comune" (municipality) in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Lecco. With a population of 33 persons, it was considered the smallest of any comune (municipality) in Italy – in an area of . For this record, it competes with the comune (municipality) of Pedesina, which in the past years had even fewer inhabitants. In 2016, Morterone with its 32 residents became the smallest Italian comune once again. Morterone borders the following municipalities: Ballabio, Brumano, Cassina Valsassina, Cremeno, Lecco, Moggio, and Vedeseta. Etymology. The name Morterone  derives from the Latin mortarium (pond) or murtus (myrtle). Since it lies on the eastern slope of Mount Resegone, in a lush and unspoilt natural basin surrounded by valleys, it would derive its Latin name mortarium (a wooden or stone bowl in which grass, roots, etc. were crushed), for others from mons, with reference to the pastures found there in large numbers. Geography. Morterone is situated at the foot of the Pizzo of the same name (a peak that is part of the Resegone), in an area of woods where you can walk along mountain paths. In an isolated position , from a hydrographic point of view it is part of the Taleggio valley (the stream that runs through it is a right tributary of the Enna stream). Geology. The Morterone area is also an interesting karst area (caves, dolines, resurgences, gorges); more than forty cavities have been explored between the Morterone valley, the Remola valley and the Palio coast. Politics. Twin Towns. Morterone is twinned with: