4.1 Paper 1
Non mireris lector, si tot nominibus consularibus vocata censeantur Oppida Feroniana; scribit enim
In
Praeter castra aedificata super cacumina montium a filiis, vel nepotibus Equitum Romanorum, vel etiam ab eisdem civibus in exilium actis tempore
Videanturc
4.2 Paper 2
Nomina antiqua, et recentia, quae in Caferoniana Provincia notantur.d
1M.M. Tegulii—Tea.
2Montes Attilii Reguli—Tiglio.
3M.M. Sp. Duilii et Antonii—Dalli, e…
4Merendae—Magliano.
5Livius Salinator—Sala.e
6Orius Resiliensis—Roggi.
7M.M. Violati—Pania Forata.
8C.us Geganius—Gragnano.
9Veientes Superiores—Vaii di Sopra.
10Felicula—Felicaia.
11Ospitolum—Ospidaletto.
12M.M. Sagatenia—Pania di Corfigliano.
13Turrita—Torrita.
14Vallis Occo—Vallico.
15L. Metranius—Motroni.
16Panias M.—Pania.
17L. Piso Caesonianus—Ceserana.
18C.P. Lib. Visolinus—Vitiana: presso Coreglia. Etc.
19Faide M.M.—Taiole.f
21M. Fegatensis—Fegatese.
22Serulium Fl.—Soraggio o Seraglione.
23Coiza Fl.—Coeza.
24Penninus Fl.—Penninus.i Pennino.
25Pallenus Fl.—Pollone.
26Aesarulum Fl.—Esarulo.
27Siliceus Fl.—Siliceo.
28Cesarion Fl.—Cesarione.
29Corsona Fl.—Corsona.
30Opiter Fl.—Oppio.
31Lanies Fl.—Lanio.j
32Fegana Fl.—Fegana.
33Ledron Fl.—Ledrone.
34Turrita Fl.—Torrita.k
35Broliuml Fl.—Broglio.
36Terrida Fl.—Torrita.
37Turita Cava Fl.—Tortecava.
38Sarita Fl.—Sarrida. XXV.r] XXV.v]
4.3 Paper 3
Fonte raro.
V’è sotto le Panie un fonte, che sboccam solo, quando vuole tirare il vento, e durante quello, e dopo 3 giorni, e poi si ferma, onde que’ paesani predicono sempre il vento. Lo credono venir dal mare, ma è falso. Io stimo, che dipenda da una fermentazione sotterranea etc.18
Poca terra nelle piante. Osservazione.
Ne’ boschi de’ faggi si vedrà in terra, come un disegno di pianta col tronco, rami, e ramicelli, fatto di poca, e sottil terra nera, e non capivo, che cosa fosse. Interrogati i pastori, dissero, essere faggi caduti putrefatti, che lasciano quel sugno di poca terra nera. Mi certificai dipoi col vederne de’ mezzi putrefatti e di quelli, che incominciavano. Da ciò cavo quanta poca terra sia nelle piante.
In un sepolcro trovato in campagna in volto, non v’era, che un disegno d’uomo disteso in terra fatto di poca, e sottilissima cenere.
Sali nelle piante.
Tutti sono volatili, e gli alcalici delle ceneri sono que,’ che sono fusi dal fuoco, e raccolti. Etc.19 XXVI.r] XXVI.v]n
4.4 Paper 4
Così io, quando era ne’ monti etc. XXVII.r] XXVII.v]
4.5 Paper 5
Apeninus. Apenino.p Inter agrum Mutinensem, et Lucensem dictum Mons S. Peregrini, ibique arduus, et difficilis valde.
4.6 Paper 6
Descrizionet del Lago detto di Ventasso23 nella Giurisdizione di Nigone24 fatta da
Ha dalla parte meridionale le cime dell’Alpi, da tramontana non più discosto di 18 miglia il Po re de’ fiumi d’Italia, et quasiché dal pari lontano 8 miglia da levante il fiume Sechia, et altretanto da ponente quello di Lenza26 detto da
Propositione fatta nel Conseglio di Reggio di mandare
Item ipsis sic existentibus Dominus Massarius32 predictus dixit: vos Domini Anziani scitis quod iam diu fuit tractatum de conducendo aquamv de Lacu Ventaxii esse bonum; donec Magister
Qui Domini Anziani pergaraverunt, et cum habuerunt dictum per dictum Massarium, et deliberaverunt facere videre a dicto Magistro
Item eligerunt
Item etiam habeant ire una statim ad Lacum Ventaxii et alibi ubi opus fuerit.
Ex Libro Provisionum Anni 1452 ad 54 Ill.mae Comunitatis Regii in Archivio eiusdem existente, pag. 111.35 XXIX.v]
4.7 Paper 7
Supplica della Comunità di Busana36 al Duca
Stante quadam ruina incepta in Monte Ventassio, quae minando decurrit usque in flumen Situlae38 destruendo castagneta, terras aratorias, et prativas, et domos, et segetesaa cum ecclesia dictae terrae.
Registrata nel registro delle lettere della Cancellaria della Comunità di Reggio dell’anno 1453, pagina 122. XXXI.r]
4.8 Paper 8
Proccurata dal
Memoria per l’Istoria Naturale.
Nel libro del
Descrizione del suddetto luogo, e della di lui situazione. Ivi, si copi dal Rev. Vallisneri.
Tutto si vegga e si copi.
Memoria di una gran salatta, o lavina, o ammotamento, o scorrimento di terra colà seguito l’anno 1453. Ivi.
Memoria.
Si porti il libro delle croniche Vallisneri a casa, e si vada a Nigone, Ventasso etc. e si descrivino que’ luoghi. XXX.r] XXX.v]ab
Footnotes
The reference in the manuscript is incorrect. The exact one is (Florus n.d.), II, 21, http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi1242.phi001.perseus-lat1:2.9.21.1.
In the aftermath of the civil war which opposed the Optimates (led by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, 138–78 BC) and the Populares (whose main leaders were Gaius Marius, 157–86 BC, and his son Gaius Marius Minor, 110–82 BC), and was won by Sulla in 82 BC, thousands of Roman citizens were proscribed. Many of them were killed; others escaped from Rome, taking refuge in inaccessible areas—as, in this case, Garfagnana.
Quintus Lucretius Ofella (?–81 BC), a Roman general who served under Sulla’s command. See (Plutarchus/Πλούταρχος n.d.), XII, 29 (8), http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg033.perseus-grc1:29.8; (Appianus/Ἀππιανὸς n.d.), XIII, 11 (101), http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0551.tlg017.perseus-grc1:1.11.101.
The reference in the manuscript is incorrect. The exact one is (Inghirami 1637), Liber II, pp. 120–128. Actually, the Ethruscarum antiquitatum fragmenta are a forgery. The real author (and self-proclaimed editor), Curzio Inghirami (1614–1655), was an archeologist and historian from Volterra. He claimed to have found these documents among his family papers, and that they had been written by a certain Prosper Fesulanus in the I century BC—hence this name is mentioned in the manuscript. However, already in 1640, the Greek-Italian scholar Leone Allacci (1586–1669) discredited Inghirami’s book ((Allacci 1640)). On this topic, see (Rowland 2004).
After the failure of his conspiracy against the Roman Republic and the Senate, Catiline (Lucius Sergius Catilina, 108–62 BC) tried to reach Gaul by passing through Etruria. However, near Pistoia he was stopped by the legions led by Marcus Petreius (110–46 BC), where he was forced to fight (battle of Pistoia, or Pistoria), and where he eventually died.
Caius Antonius Hybrida (106–after 42 BC), Roman politician and legate. A former ally of Catiline, he turned coat against him and took the side of the Senate.
See note 9.
Decimus Iunius Silanus (I century BC). In 62 BC, he was made consul with Lucius Licinius Murena.
Lucius Licinius Murena (105–22 BC). In 62 BC, he was made consul with Decimus Iunius Silanus.
Probably an unspecified and learned member of the Orsucci, an ancient and noble family in Lucca.
Arguably, Bartolomeo (not Simone) Morganti.
Perhaps the historian Niccolò Franchini Taviani (circa XVII century): a member of the Franchini Taviani, a noble family in Pistoia. See (Capponi 1874), 144–145; (1878), 198; (Moreni 1805), 497.
Arguably, Timoteo (not Lazzaro) Tramonti.
Probably, this was (or is—the vagueness of the note makes it impossible to verify the location of the spring, and whether it still exists or not) a secondary outflow of an underground karst channel.
Because of its high calcium content (mainly CaO), wood ash is typically alkaline.
Lago Calamone, also known as Lago del Ventasso (“Lake of Ventasso”). It is a glacial lake located on the northwestern slope of Mount Ventasso (1,727 m/5,666 ft above sea level). Both the lake and the mountain are now part of Ventasso (Province of Reggio Emilia). See http://www.parcoappennino.it/percorso.php?id_zona=7id=107.
Nigone, now a hamlet in the municipality of Ventasso. On this topic, see (Tiraboschi 1825), 142–143.
In Azzari’s Compendio ((Azzari 1623)) there is no trace of this quote. We can find just a short hint at the voice Nigone: “Nigone, Monte Moscoso, Ramoseto, Buora, Lago di Ventasso, con titolo di Contea, di Claudio Valisneri, Regiano, a cui è sottoposto quel bellissimo lago detto Ventasso” (page not numbered). Given that Azzari’s book is a Compendio—i.e., a “summary”—Vallisneri’s quote likely refers to a longer, unpublished text from the same author.
Torrente Enza (“Enza Creek”), a main tributary of the Po River. It forms a natural boundary between the Provinces of Parma (on the west) and Reggio Emilia (on the eastern side). It was once known as Incia, or Lenza. For a terminological history of this name, see (Brambilla Ageno 2000), 582; (Tiraboschi 1824), 390.
The Secchia River originates on the slopes of the Alpe di Succiso (“Alp of Succiso”), at 1,450 m/4,757 ft above sea level. This location is now part of the municipality of Ventasso. Currently, in the surroundings of the Alp there isn’t any place named “Pra’ di Reno.” This may be due to the extreme antiquity of such a toponym.
Actually, the Enza does not originate from the Lake of Ventasso. Rather, its source is located on the slopes of Mount Palerà (at circa 1,300 m/4,265 ft above sea level), a few kilometers west of the Alp of Succiso.
Since the XI century, the Counts of Vallisneri (also known as Vallisnera, or Vallisniera, or Vallisnieri, or Vallisneria) were the feudal rulers of this land and of many other nearby regions in the current Province of Reggio Emilia (see (Tiraboschi 1825), 389–392). Not without a struggle, as Antonio himself attested in two private manuscripts ((Vallisneri, n.d.), State Archive of Reggio Emilia, Archivio Vallisneri, Busta 27, n. 1; (n.d.), State Archive of Reggio Emilia, Archivio Vallisneri, 5, mazzo c, Busta II, Scheda n. 51), he succeeded in proving that his family descended from this ancient and noble lineage, whose roots date back to the Lombard (or Longobard) dominion in Italy. On this topic, see (Generali 2007), 1–4. Still today, Vallisnera is a hamlet in the municipality of Ventasso.
The boundaries of the current administrative region of Lombardy are far different from medieval and early modern Lombardy, whose territory included a large part of northern Italy and covered the whole Po Plain, up to the northern Apennines. On this topic, see (Andenna 1998); (Black 2014).
No biographical data were found about this person.
In the Duchy of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (and, from 1597, in the Duchy of Modena and Reggio), a “Massaro ducale”—literally, “ducal estate Manager”—was the officer in charge of taxes and tolls, and the custodian of funds in a community. See (Rezasco 1881), 612–614.
Perhaps Simone Calcagni (XV century), who later became Archdeacon in Reggio (see (Affarosi 1737), 93; (Turchi 2007), 358).
No biographical data were found about this person.
(“Oblatio Facta de Derivatione Facienda de Aqua Lacus Montis de Ventaxio” 1453), State Archive of Reggio Emilia, Consigli, Provvigioni del Consiglio Generale, dei Dodici Saggi e Difensori della Città; dei Deputati sulle entrate del Comune; e degli Anziani, Anni 1452–1454, 111r. The same text, though with some variations, is reported in (I Canali Di Secchia E d’Enza. Riassunto Storico E Giuridico. Parte I: Notizie E Questioni Riguardanti Le Derivazioni Dei Canali Reggiani Di Secchia E d’Enza Dai Fiumi Omonimi 1886), 27–28.
Busana (now part of the municipality of Ventasso).
Borso d’Este (1413–1471), first Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. On this topic, see (Tiraboschi 1825), 130.
“Situla”: Secchia River. See (Tiraboschi 1825), 333.
Mauro Vallisneri (16?–17?), a Benedictine priest, historian, and a disciple of Benedetto Bacchini (1651–1721). He was a relative of Antonio, and helped him to prove the nobility of his ancestors. On this topic, see (Generali 2007), 1–3; (Vallisneri 1991), 384–385.
As this note clearly attests, Vallisneri found in this (currently lost) manuscript the “Propositione” on the Lake of Ventasso (see note 35).
This paper is written by Domenico Cecchi.
In the text: Caferniana
In the text: Vedeantur
This title is written by Vallisneri. The rest of the paper is completed by two different hands. The former writer, who lists the Latin toponyms, is unknown. The latter is Domenico Cecchi, who completes the list with the corresponding Italian names.
Salinator—Livignano, o Sala
M.M.—Faidi, o Taiole
Visaria
In the text: Borrgae
Fl.—Pollone. Penninus
Fl.—Loppia Lanio
Turrita
Blolium
pbocca
This paper is the recycled cover of a letter. On the verso is written: “All’Ill.mo Sig.re Sig.r e P.ron Col.mo
Il Sig.r Dottor Antonio Vallisneri Pu.
Lettore nell’Univ.tà di Padova
Reggio”
Appeninus. Appenino
Appeninus
This line is written in regular font.
This line is written in regular font.
The text in Papers no. 6 (XXIX) and 7 (XXXI) is written by a different hand. The writer is unknown.
detto monte lago
In the text: acquam
In the text: aurire
In the text: acquas
In the text: aurire
In the text: acquas
In the text: tegetes
This paper is the recycled cover of a letter. On the verso is written: “<Ill.mo> Sig.r Sig.r P.rone Col.mo
<…> Antonio Vallisnieri Lett.re Pri.rio
pardello Studio di
Padoa”