Discovered in 1883 by Vincenzo Barelli and James Bruyn Andrews who promptly reported it in the "Rivista Archeologica Comense", the site was identified as a "castelliere" by Antonio Magni during the first research dating back to 1906.
The excavations brought to light a large quantity of ceramic fragments characterized by a wavy pattern and decorations imprinted with fingers attributable to vases used by the inhabitants of the castle for cooking, consuming and preserving food; these and other findings such as a spindle spindle for wool processing, two stone millstones and several grinders are today preserved in the Archaeological Museum of the Sforzesco Castle, the Civic Museum of Como and the Civic Museum of Lecco.
On the basis of the first images conducted, the site was dated between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (between the 13th and 10th centuries BC); in Northern Italy the hillforts spread in this period in strategic positions, such as near important communication routes and/or at the confluence of two valleys, in order to constitute a defensive network.
Subsequent events such as the creation of the Cadorna Line during the First World War and the subsequent reforestation of the area compromised the research, especially in the entire southern part of the castle which was mostly affected by excavations for the construction of trenches and blockhouses.
The following re-evaluation of the area allowed the cleaning of the perimeter wall for a length of approximately 80 metres; it was built in a "sack" shape with medium-large sized limestone blocks and its width (4/5 metres) suggests a height of around 4 metres.
The first investigations using the stratigraphic method took place between 2006 and 2010, bringing to light further important discoveries. Some surveys carried out near a large boulder adorned with cupels, found at the foot of the castle, have highlighted the presence of human settlements dating back to an era preceding the construction of the Caslè, attributable to the Copper Age.
CURIOSITY: in the Caslè area there is also a bubble to testify to the importance of water for the survival of men and animals. In the past the bubbles, ponds that collected rainwater by exploiting natural depressions, were carefully monitored and maintained by local populations who, to prevent them from drying up, periodically carried out some important operations: "the bottom had to be cleared of grasses and roots, the soil made waterproof by beating it for a long time with wooden poles and sprinkling it with ash and dry leaves. The very trampling of the cows that entered the water to drink favored waterproofing and oxygenation during the mountain pasture period” (1)
(1) Uboldi M. “The Caslè of Ramponio Verna. Guide to places and excavations”, 2011, Ed. Noto (Co) – pag. 46;
Sources:
- Uboldi M. “The Caslè of Ramponio Verna. Guide to places and excavations”, 2011, Ed. Noto (Co);
- Uboldi M. Archaeological research in the Bronze Age castle on Monte Caslè by Ramponio Verna, in “Archaeological Journal of the Province of Como”, 190, 2008;
- Uboldi M., Caimi R. Ramponio Verna (CO), Monte Caslè, Bronze Age Castelliere, in “Lombardy Archaeological Superintendency Newsletter”, 2005;
- Uboldi M., Caimi R. The Bronze Age Castelliere on Monte Caslè in Ramponio Verna (Como). Intervention project and first data, in Pessina A., Visentini P. “Prehistory of Northern Italy. Studies in memory of Bernardino Bagolini”, Udine, 2006.
- Magni A. Ramponio's Caslè. The first Castelliere discovered in Lombardy, in Val d'Intelvi (Como), in “Rivista Archeologica della Provincia di Como”, 72, 1915;
- Degrassi N. Val d'Intelvi, in “Rivista di Scienze Preistoriche”, VII, 3-4, 1952;