Information on the project

The Society aims to promote and foster the medieval village of Prada, which is situated in an area of archaeological interest and inserted in the landscape plan as protected area at cantonal level.

Pierluigi Piccaluna, Prada: Una Chiesa un Villaggio (Bellinzona: Torriani, 2014)

The author depicts Prada’s past and present through research and in loco analysis. The volume also presents various documents from parish, cantonal, and Confraternita del Santissimo Sacramento’s archives.
The book costs 15.- CHF and can be purchased at the Tourist Centre in Bellinzona or online.

Stefano Anelli, ‘Radiografia di un Insediamento Rurale del Territorio Bellinzonese: Il Villaggio di Prada (XVI-XVII Secolo)’, unpublished PhD thesis (University of Neuchâtel, History Institute, 2009)

This research is divided in two parts: the first analyses the geographical, juridical, and economic context of Prada; the second attempts a reconstruction of the village based on the available sources.

Andrea Fazioli, Various Short Stories
andreafazioli.ch

Andrea Fazioli is a Bellinzonese who graduated in Italian and French Language and Literature at the University of Zurich. He is a journalist, a playwriter, and award-winning writer.
The following is a list of some texts by Andrea Fazioli that use the village of Prada as their inspiration.

Massimo Pacciorini-Job
fotolabojob.ch

Born in Bellinzona in 1956, he is the owner of Foto Studio Job in Giubiasco since 1979.
A Photography graduate and a member of the Swiss Professional Photographers and Film Creators (SBF), in this interview to RSI (Swiss-Italian Radio and Television), he talks about his work and about the inspirational subjects supplied by Prada.

Pierluigi Piccaluga, Bell from the deconsecrated Chapel of Rima Ostini Family of Ravecchia

On the Eve of St Roch’s day, a third bell was added to the bell tower of the Prada church.
The bell, along with a chalice and a Missal, originally belonged to the now-deconsecrated Rima Chapel.

Pierluigi Piccaluga, About the Neighbours – On the Ravecchia Curate’s Duty – On the Vines Disease

Research material on this interesting three interconnected aspects.

Pierluigi Piccaluga, ‘Quell’Antica Prada Tornata di Moda a Bellinzona’, Schweizerischer Verband der Bürgergemeinden und Korporationen, 1 (2018), 59-61

Interview with Pierluigi Piccaluga that talks about the history of Prada and the beginning of the homonymous Foundation.

Danilo Mazzarello, ‘Prada la Rinascita’, La Turrita (2017), 18-21

The history of the Prada Society, from its institution to the end of woodland clearing to make the settlement resurface.

Danilo Mazzarello, ‘Prada: Una Chiesa ed un Villaggio’, La Turrita, 2 (2015)

"A cluster of houses above Ravecchia, amidst the Dragonato and Guasta streams, an interweaving of pathways, a little church with its minuscule parvis.
All around, patches of vegetable gardens and vineyard lines.
This is how Prada must have looked like hundreds of years ago..."

Prada: una chiesa, un villaggio
Giovanni Maria Staffieri, Rivista Patriziale Ticinese, No. 2 2015

Article on the book "PRADA: una chiesa, un villaggio" written by Pierluigi Piccaluga.

Alex Furger, Ruinenschicksale Naturgewalt und Menschenwerk (Basel: Schwabe Verlag, 2011), chapter ‘L’Esempio di Prada in Ticino sopra Bellinzona’, pp. 25-34, trans. By N. Dell’Ambrogio, photographic adaptation by P. Piccaluga

The author analyses the village constructions.

AA. VV., ‘Alla scoperta dei misteri di Prada’, Rivista di Bellinzona, ISSUE NRS (July 2010; August 2010), 32-33; 18-19

Issue on the history of the Prada church of St Jerome and St Roch and of its paintings.

Giuseppe Chiesi, ‘Prada: Un Insediamento Bellinzonese Abbandonato’, Mittelalter, 12:2 (2007), 49-54

Giuseppe Chiesi, former head of the cultural heritage office, describes the interesting historical, architectural and archaeological heritage left to us by Prada.

Stefan Lehmann, ‘Prada? Storia di un villaggio abbandonato’, Vivere la Montagna (2005), viverelamontagna.ch

Archaeologist Stefan Lehmann describes with ample examples this Bellinzonese 'flower'.

Further Bibliography:

Primary Sources:
-Archivio comunale di Bellinzona (registri e documenti sciolti)
-Statuti della comunità di Bellinzona
-Archivio parrocchia di Ravecchia (registri della Confraternita del SS Sacramento e registri dela chiesa di Prada)
-Rapporti visite vescovili rilevate dall’archivio dell’arcidiocesi di Milano, codice intitolato, visite serie Como
-Libro dell’estimo della comunità di Ravecchia e Prada 1608-1650

Secondary Sources:
-Bianconi, Giovanni, Costruzioni contadine ticinesi, Locarno, 1982.
-Caldelari Adolfo, “ A peste Fame et bello”, ed. Arti grafiche malcantonese, Agno Bioggio
-Ceschi, Raffaello (dir.), Storia della Svizzera italiana dal Cinquecento al Settecento, Bellinzona, 2000.
-Chiesi, Giuseppe, Bellinzona ducale: ceto dirigente e politica finanziaria nel Quattrocento, Bellinzona, 1988.
-D’Alessandri Sacerdote atti di San Carlo senza data
-De Carli Don Salvatore, San Biagio e la sua Chiesa – Ed. “La Buona Stampa” – Lugano 1947
-Ostinelli, Paolo, e Chiesi, Giuseppe (dir.), Storia del Ticino: Antichità e Medioevo, Bellinzona, 2015
-Pometta, Giuseppe, Briciole di storia bellinzonese: serie X, postuma, Bellinzona, 1977.
-Schinz ans Rudolf, descrizione della Svizzera italiana nel settecento, Ed. Armando Dadò – Locarno 1985

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