Pietracolora

Pietracolora is a village within the municipality of Gaggio Montano;

it overlooks the valley where the Aneva brook flows into the Marano. Due to its stategic location on the Monte Ancisa, in the past Pietracolora was a fortress. In the early XIV century, the Bolognese owned its castle and built a water tank. The last keeper of the castle was nominated by Giovanni Bentivoglio in 1401. In the XII century the building already had a castle with towers; it was ruled by the Barbetti family until 1110, when the Andalò family took over. After a century the count Raniero (from the Panico counts) conquered it on behalf of the Ghibelline Lambertazzi family; but in 1276 the Bolognese captured the Lambertazzi and brought them to Bologna. In 1316 the castle was assigned to the Bolognese society 'Società dei Cartolai' and was protected by a keeper and by a soldier. In the second half of the XIV century, Pietracolora had a hospital.

The origin of the place name is probably 'pre d'la clura', which means meadow of the hazelnut tree; some have suggested that Pietracolora could come from 'préda cloreda', as a reference to the colourful stones and fossils of the area.