Pieve Vergonte

Pieve Vergonte is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Verbania and 110 kilometres (68 mi) northeast of Turin.

Pieve Vergonte
Pieve Vergonte
Coat of arms of Pieve Vergonte
Location of Pieve Vergonte
Pieve Vergonte is located in Italy
Pieve Vergonte
Pieve Vergonte
Location of Pieve Vergonte in Italy
Pieve Vergonte is located in Piedmont
Pieve Vergonte
Pieve Vergonte
Pieve Vergonte (Piedmont)
Coordinates: 46.0045402°N 8.268456°E / 46.0045402; 8.268456
CountryItaly
RegionPiedmont
ProvinceVerbano-Cusio-Ossola (VB)
FrazioniFomarco, Rumianca, Megolo Cima, Megolo Mezzo, Megolo Fondo[1]
Government
  MayorMaria Grazia Medali[2]
Area
  Total41.67 km2 (16.09 sq mi)
Elevation232 m (761 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2021)[1]
  Total2,447
  Density59/km2 (150/sq mi)
DemonymPievesi[1]
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
28886
Dialing code0324
Patron saintSt. Vincent and St. Atanasius[1]
Saint day22 January[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography

Pieve Vergonte lies in the valley of Ossola where the Anza river flows into the Toce. It is bordered, west to east, by the municipalities of Piedimulera, Vogogna, Premosello-Chiovenda, and Anzola d'Ossola.[3] It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Verbania and 110 kilometres (68 mi) northeast of Turin.

The town is served by State Highway 33 from Simplon.[4] 20th century to today

Main sights

.Church of Saint Vincenzo e Saint Anastasio.
The Borgaccio Roman wall, part of the river harbour ruins.
Gold mine in Val Toppa.
  • Church of Pieve Vergonte
  • Workers' village, designed by architect Paolo Vietti-Violi from Vogogna, is, along with the one of Villadossola, among the model villages for northern workers built during the years of Benito Mussolini's government (1922–1943).[5]
  • Chemical factory, with offices designed by Vietti-Violi
  • The cinema, designed by Vietti-Violi[6]
  • The mill for grinding gold ore, of which only the tub remains, at the Park of the Fallen of the Great War
  • Borgaccio Wall, near the river Toce, which demarcates Pieve Vergonte from the nearby village of Vogogna. It is the remains of a wall of the castle of Pietra Santa, which was destroyed on 9 February 1348, and it is commonly called the Borgaccio.

Economy

Industry

The industrial chemical plant of Pieve Vergonte was founded in 1915 on the initiative of the Italian Society of Explosive Products (PETS) based in Milan, with 2,500,000 lire of capital. The first product for the military was iodine monochloride of chlorobenzene and phosgene, used during the First World War and later in the African campaign.

During World War II, chloralkali process, sulfuric acid, and fertilizers were produced. After the war, shutting down the production of sulphuric acid, Rumianca SpA, and then the SIR Group, developed new product lines for the production of DDT and chloroaromatics. These products were used by the United States of America during the Vietnam War.

In 1981, the facilities of this company were transferred to the ENI Group and the ANIC Company. The ANIC, then EniChem, DDT plants ran until June 1996, and remained in production until their sale on 1 July 1997 to Tessenderlo, Italy. The chloralkali, chlorine and aromatic synthetic HCL are in production for the Tessenderlo Group.

In May 2013, Tessenderlo Group sold Tessenderlo Partecipazioni SpA, and its subsidiary Tessenderlo Italy Srl, to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG).[7] The transaction includes the plant in Pieve Vergonte (VB), where there now are an active electrolysis plant, one for chloro-aromatics, and two hydroelectric plants that provide energy.[8]

Energy production

The village of Pieve Vergonte produces electricity from hydroelectric power. The largest producer is the Edison Company with plants in Val Anzasca and Pieve Vergonte, both fed by the waters of the river Anza, with a total average production of 95 GWh. The second-largest producer is Tessenderlo's Battiggio plant, ex-Rumianca of Ceppo Morelli in Val Anzasca, on the Toce river at Megolo, which has a total average production of 90 GWh.

Natural resources and minerals

Gold-bearing pyrites were mined in the Toppa Valley using mercury.[9]

References

  1. "Il Comune in Breve" [The Municipality in Brief]. Comune di Pieve Vergonte (in Italian). Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  2. "Sindaco" [Mayor]. Comune di Pieve Vergonte (in Italian). Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  3. "Come Raggiungerci" [How to reach us]. Comune di Pieve Vergonte (in Italian). Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  4. "Home". Comune di Pieve Vergonte (in Italian). Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  5. (Simon Martin, 2004, p.81)
  6. (Canella, Giuntini, 2009, p.280)
  7. "Who We Are". International Chemical Investors Group. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  8. "Benvenuti nel sito internet di HydroChem Italia - Pieve Vergonte" [Welcome to the Website of HydroChem Italia - Pieve Vergonte]. HydroChem Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  9. Rosina 1819.

Sources

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