THE ROMITORIO DEL GORGOLARE
HISTORIC SITE OF CALENDASCO
Umberto Battini
Historian of S. Corrado
An interesting local historical question, but it has risen to thè chronicles in volumes published in Rome and elsewhere already a few centuries ago, concerns thè hospital called "del gorgolare" now incorporated Into thè small viilage of Calendasco.
We did a careful research and it turns out that it was known place both in "geographical" way and in thè "topographical" already from thè '600 by historians of clear fame.
The first to deal with it in 1568 is thè historian of Noto Girolamo Pugliese, in one of his books study dedicated to thè patron of that Sicilian city, who holds thè holy body.
In thè viilage on thè river Po in Calendasco, untll a few years ago there was stili, although abandoned, thè mill on thè Confaloniero stream, completely intubated for some decades. Practically behind thè current building of thè Municipality built itself a century ago on thè lawn attached to thè mill, as it appears for example from thè Napoleonic estimate.
The anclent place stili in 1800 called "Baffoni mill" whlch was thè owner, had thè water channel that went to turn right near thè old medieval hospital.
From this unmistakable sound of thè waters, which broke in this curve, thè particular and locai name of "ospltio del gorgolare", produced precisely by thè gorgoglio of thè waters.
Among thè historians who cite thè place, dear therefore also to San Corrado for its conversion, an important volume published in 1935 in Macerata, written by thè historian Raniero Luconi where we read that "at thè beginning of thè fourteenth century there was in Piacenza, in a place called Gorgolare, a community of hermits under thè obedience of Friar Aristide" thè superior of thè small convent hospital for pilgrims of thè viilage.
Also in a volume of thè "Acta selecta" Franciscans published in Rome in 1944 is mentioned "thè hermitage of Gorgolare where S. Corrado Confalonieri took thè dress by hand of Friar Aristide".
Another quote comes from thè historian Raffaele Pazzelli who in thè volume printed in Rome in 1958 by thè General Curia of thè Franciscan Tor cites, listing all thè tertiary places in Ita ly: "thè third place of which we have been handed down thè memory is thè hermitage of Calendasco near Piacenza" placed right next to thè mill canal.
But also thè study of Giovanni Parisi in a volume entitled "San Corrado Confalonieri Patrono di Noto" printed in Turin by thè publisher Carteggio in 1960 remains remarkable. Writes thè historian: "in thè place where stands thè current Calendasco... many years before thè events of our Conrad was in great fame a hermitage convent of tertiary" and after his personal visit to thè place before thè writing of thè volume, He was therefore able to write other precise historical notations.
On thè basis of deductions and documentation, thè very authoritative historian Parisi writes: "we are of opinion that thè romitorio said of Gorgolare carne to be located right at thè beginning of thè current Calendasco... thè well, thè celiar, thè stairs teli us clearly in their leftovers that it is a reai romitorio".
The same opinion expressed by thè historian Francesco Bordoni in his study of
1658 leaves us written: "Gorgolarii conventus in diocese Placentinam" in which live friars dedicated to penance and assistance.
In a few words, here just citing some of those who dealing with ancient history Franciscan, go to corroborate thè certain vitality of this medieval place that has however a foundation even in Lombard time, as recently documented.
In short, thè position leaning against thè old mill mill's mill, with a bend in front of thè ancient site, is a beautiful historical proof of thè toponymy that once survived, and unfortunately forgotten over thè centuries with thè disuse of thè Francigena hospital.
But thè remarkable thing is that even in maps kept in thè State Archive of Parma it is possible to see clearly distinct this place next to thè viilage of Calendasco with marked just thè river that turns elbow and continues towards thè castle going to feed thè moat that surrounded.
The land of Piacenza is rich in small places full of history, perhaps forgotten, neglected, but that has left certain traces in written memory in thè powerful studies of historians whose existence we probably did not even know.
Umberto Battini Historian of S. Corrado
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