The
antecedent facts - Year 1516
For
about twenty years the Lombard and Venetian regions
have been invaded by foreign soldiers who brought
with them devastation, robberies, rapes and any
other kind of cruelty. The rich and laborious
fields and countries around Milan became silent
because of the periodic incursions of Swiss, Spanish,
French and Lansquenets troupes, which depredated,
set on fire, killed and destroyed everything they
found on their way.
In
the upper part of Lake Como, the Tre Pievi (Three
Parish) Musso, Dongo and Gravedona, which for
several reasons had succeeded in freeing themselves
from the Grisons’ dominion, entered into alliance
with the French. Unfortunately, as soon as the
French withdrew some of their forces, they were
easily re conquered.
At this point, the French armed a fleet of thirty
boats and attacked the enemies, gaining back the
Tre Pievi, thus allowing many local families,
who sought shelter in Menaggio, Torno and Como,
to go back to their villages.
This situation lasted for a long time, also due
to the splitting of the inhabitants into two factions:
one supporting the French and the other the Grisons.
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