Gottolengo

The territory of Gottolengo lies within the Po Valley. The comune is positioned near the borders of the Province of Cremona and the Province of Mantua and falls within the Eastern Bassa Bresciana, the flat lowland area in the southeastern part of the province. Consequently, the town is entirely flat, with the only elevation being the Castellaro locality, a hill that marks Gottolengo’s highest point at 65 meters above sea level.

File:Campagna gottolenghese.JPG

The main river that crosses the town is the Gambara River, named after the neighboring municipality of the same name, which borders Gottolengo to the south.

Numerous artificial canals, vital to the local economy, support the irrigation of cultivated fields.{{Cite web | url = http://www.gottolengo.com/il-comune/la-storia | title = History of Gottolengo | date = 31 May 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140530050345/http://www.gottolengo.com/il-comune/la-storia | archivedate = 30 May 2014 | url-status = dead }}

In terms of seismic risk, Gottolengo is categorized as low risk (Zone 3) following the 2004 Salò earthquake on 24 November 2004.{{Cite web | url = https://www.tuttitalia.it/lombardia/49-gottolengo/ | title = Territorial Data on Gottolengo | date = 9 January 2019 }}

The climate is typical of the Upper Po Valley: summers are hot and humid, winters are cold and often foggy, with occasional snowfalls during the coldest months.

{{Weather box

| location = Brescia Ghedi (1961–1990)

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| Jan high C = 4.3

| Feb high C = 7.9

| Mar high C = 12.8

| Apr high C = 17.1

| May high C = 22.0

| Jun high C = 26.1

| Jul high C = 28.6

| Aug high C = 27.5

| Sep high C = 24.1

| Oct high C = 18.2

| Nov high C = 10.4

| Dec high C = 5.2

| Jan low C = -2.8

| Feb low C = -0.7

| Mar low C = 2.9

| Apr low C = 6.8

| May low C = 11.3

| Jun low C = 15.3

| Jul low C = 17.8

| Aug low C = 17.2

| Sep low C = 13.9

| Oct low C = 8.7

| Nov low C = 3.1

| Dec low C = -1.6

| Jan record high C = 16.4

| Feb record high C = 22.0

| Mar record high C = 23.2

| Apr record high C = 27.1

| May record high C = 31.2

| Jun record high C = 34.8

| Jul record high C = 36.1

| Aug record high C = 35.0

| Sep record high C = 31.6

| Oct record high C = 26.8

| Nov record high C = 19.0

| Dec record high C = 17.0

| Jan record low C = -19.4

| Feb record low C = -11.1

| Mar record low C = -8.6

| Apr record low C = -2.0

| May record low C = 0.2

| Jun record low C = 7.1

| Jul record low C = 9.4

| Aug record low C = 8.1

| Sep record low C = 3.8

| Oct record low C = -1.7

| Nov record low C = -8.2

| Dec record low C = -11.0

| Jan precipitation mm = 59.6

| Feb precipitation mm = 53.9

| Mar precipitation mm = 63.8

| Apr precipitation mm = 69.2

| May precipitation mm = 91.7

| Jun precipitation mm = 75.0

| Jul precipitation mm = 72.5

| Aug precipitation mm = 84.8

| Sep precipitation mm = 62.4

| Oct precipitation mm = 83.7

| Nov precipitation mm = 78.6

| Dec precipitation mm = 53.8

| Jan precipitation days = 7

| Feb precipitation days = 6

| Mar precipitation days = 7

| Apr precipitation days = 8

| May precipitation days = 9

| Jun precipitation days = 8

| Jul precipitation days = 6

| Aug precipitation days = 6

| Sep precipitation days = 6

| Oct precipitation days = 6

| Nov precipitation days = 8

| Dec precipitation days = 6

| Jan humidity = 86

| Feb humidity = 81

| Mar humidity = 75

| Apr humidity = 76

| May humidity = 73

| Jun humidity = 71

| Jul humidity = 72

| Aug humidity = 72

| Sep humidity = 75

| Oct humidity = 79

| Nov humidity = 85

| Dec humidity = 86

| year record high C = 36.1

| year record low C = -19.4

| year precipitation mm = 889.0

| year precipitation days = 83

| source =

| collapsed = Y

|date=March 2025}}

• Climatic classification: Zone E, 2479 DD.

The toponym Gottolengo is very probably of Gothic-Lombard origin, as evidenced by the root Gott-, of Gothic origin, and the suffix "-engo," characteristically Lombard. The influence of Germanic dialects, particularly Lombard, is notably widespread in the toponymy of the surrounding area. Gottolengo likely means "territory belonging to the village."{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|1985|pp=107–109}}. This name first appears in the Diploma of Berengar II to the Abbot of Leno in 958.{{Harvtxt|Schiapparelli|1924|p=323}}.

{{See also|History of Gottolengo}}

File:Lapide-Gottolengo-chiesa.JPG

The area now occupied by the modern municipality of Gottolengo was first inhabited around 2000 BCE, when early settlers established themselves in the Castellaro area, initially constructing simple stilt houses. They chose this location due to its strategic hilltop position above a surrounding stream. However, the site was abandoned by the end of the Bronze Age, and a new village emerged where the current town center now stands. This shift is evidenced by the so-called Tombstone of the Quattuorviri (1st century CE), which commemorates the construction of a defensive tower, authorized by a decree of the decurions—the municipal council based in Brixia (modern-day Brescia), of whose municipium Gottolengo was a part)—under the supervision of the supreme municipal magistrates, the Quattuorviri. The tombstone, embedded in the apse of the parish church, bears the following inscription:{{Harvtxt|Lucini|1988|pp=88–89}}.{{CIL|05|04131}}.

{{Text and translation|1=Caius Mutius, son of Sextus
Publius Popillius, son of Marcus
Quintus Mucius, son of Publius
Marcus Cornelius, son of Publius
Quattuorviri, by decurional decree
erected this tower
and the same approved it|2=C(aius) MVTIVS SEX(ti) F(ilius)
P(ublius) POPILLIVS M(arci) F(ilius)
Q(uintus) MVCIVS P(ubli) F(ilius)
M(arcus) CORNELIVS P(ubli) F(ilius)
IIIIVIR(i) TURREM EX D(ecreto) D(ecurionum)
AD AVGENDAS LOCAVER(e)
IDEMQVE PROBAVERE}}

By the late 6th century, the Gottolengo territory fell under Lombard control, who later donated it to the nascent Leonense Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Leno. The abbey was founded in 758 by Desiderius, a Lombard king from Brescia, who, along with his wife Ansa, had also established the Monastery of Santa Giulia in his hometown, where their daughter Anselperga served as the first abbess.{{Cite web | url = http://www1.popolis.it/abbazia/Temi/dominatus.asp | title = The "Dominatus" of the Abbey of San Benedetto di Leno | date = 2 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140711025530/http://www1.popolis.it/abbazia/Temi/dominatus.asp | archivedate = 11 July 2014 }}

File:Cappella-di-S.Gottardo.JPG located in the former lazaretto area, along the municipal road to Gambara]]

During the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, Gottolengo evolved into a walled village of moderate significance,{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|p=151}}. initially under the political-administrative jurisdiction of the abbey’s monks, then under the Visconti family, and later the Republic of Venice. In October 1521, the town was sacked by Landsknecht mercenaries, plunging it into poverty and neglect. That same year, the French government awarded Gottolengo a distinction; the municipality received three fleurs-de-lis of France, still featured on its coat of arms,{{Cite web | url = http://www.comuni-italiani.it/017/080/stemma.html | title = Coat of Arms of the Comune of Gottolengo | date = 30 September 2008 }} for aiding the Republic of Venice, a French ally, in resisting Charles V.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|Celsa|2007|p=163}}.

In 1836, Gottolengo was ravaged by a cholera epidemic. As a result, a lazaretto was established outside the town center in the Castellaro area to isolate the sick and prevent the spread of infection among the healthy population within the walls.

Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the tertiary sector began to develop, coinciding with the establishment of the first agricultural bank.{{Harvtxt|Fappani|Andrico|1998|p=291}}. In 1914, the town was connected by the Pavone del Mella-Gambara branch of the Brescia-Ostiano tramway, which operated until 1932.{{Harvtxt|Albertini|Cerioli|1994|p=116}}.{{Cite journal |author=Claudio Mafrici |year=1997 |title=I binari promiscui. Nascita e sviluppo del sistema tramviario extraurbano in provincia di Brescia (1875-1930) |journal=Quaderni di sintesi |volume=51 |pages=173–181}} At the outbreak of World War I, many soldiers from Gottolengo departed for the front, later commemorated as national heroes in the town’s war memorial along the provincial road to Leno. The town was deeply affected by World War II, and upon liberation by the Anglo-American forces, it had fallen into abject poverty. It was only with the post-war industrial revolution that Gottolengo’s economic landscape began to transform. Alongside traditional agricultural and artisanal trades, various industrial enterprises emerged, yet the town retains a vibrant rural spirit that continues to hold significant economic and social importance.

File:Gottolengo-Stemma.svg

The coat of arms and banner were granted by a Presidential Decree (D.P.R.) on 20 March 2006.{{Cite web | url = http://presidenza.governo.it/onorificenze_araldica/araldica/emblemi/2006/comuni/Gottolengo.html | title = Gottolengo (Brescia), D.P.R. 20.03.2006 Granting of Coat of Arms and Banner | access-date = 15 September 2021 }}

{{Quote|Or, a fess gules charged with three fleurs-de-lis or, bordered in fess by two fillets, one above and one below, azure. External ornaments of a municipality.|D.P.R. 20.03.2006}}

The banner is a drape of azure.

The Gottolengo coat of arms is a simple golden escutcheon, featuring a fess with the three fleurs-de-lis of France, awarded to the municipality for supporting the Venetians against Charles V of Habsburg.

The passage of Spanish-Papal troops proved devastating for Gottolengo: on 29 October 1521, soldiers stormed the village, looting and plundering everything in their path. Consequently, Gottolengo was exempted from taxes for approximately five years and granted permission to establish its own market.{{Harvtxt|Zamboni|1784|pp=56–57}}.

Until relatively recently, Gottolengo bore a more ornate and elaborate coat of arms, assigned during the Napoleonic era. This emblem was later suppressed by the Fascist regime before being reinstated in the post-war years. It featured various drums, a horse’s head, weapons, and flags, lacking the municipal crown now present above the shield. Recently, the design was simplified and updated, though it retains the fleurs-de-lis as a nod to the historical event.{{Cite book | author = Marco Foppoli | title = Stemmario Bresciano | chapter = Gottolengo | publisher = Provincia di Brescia / Grafo | year = 2011 | isbn = 978-88-7385-844-7 | page = 95 }}

File:Facciata chiesa parrocchiale (Gottolengo).JPG

The current Gottolengo parish church, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was constructed starting in 1746, designed by architect Domenico Prandini from Calvisano, to rival the church in nearby Gambara. Completed in 1765 and consecrated in 1778, as noted by two plaques above the choir’s side portals,{{Cite web | url = http://parrocchiagottolengo.it/luoghi-di-culto/chiesa-parrocchiale-ss-pietro-e-paolo | title = Parish Church of Saints Peter and Paul | date = 30 August 2017 }}
this Baroque-style church boasts numerous frescoes, including the Martyrdom of Saint Peter atop the apse, beneath which lies the high altar. Another notable work is the Virgin with Saint Peter, attributed to Giambettino Cignaroli, positioned above the choir. Beyond its seven marble altars—featuring lateral niches adorned with statues or frescoes—the church houses wooden sculptures of the dying Christ on the cross and the Madonna, as well as a recently restored Serassi organ from the mid-19th century.

The facade is divided into two orders: the first cornice hosts statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, while the summit features a sculpture of Christ’s Resurrection. The parish church hosts the town’s main religious services.

File:San.Girolamo-bell tower.JPG

The Convent of the Carmelites, dedicated to Saint Jerome, was established in 1479 outside the walled village. Construction began after a wealthy Gottolengo goldsmith bequeathed his estate to the municipality for charitable works. The municipality allocated the funds to a Carmelite friar and supplied bricks for the monastery’s erection.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|pp=209–210}}. The complex included the convent and an adjoining church; the resident Carmelites devoted themselves to charitable acts for the poor, providing hospital and welfare services. In the 16th century, they introduced potato cultivation to the area.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|pp=215–216}}. The Carmelite monastery was dissolved in 1797 and repurposed as a hospital, with housing later constructed within.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|p=217}}.

The church persisted as a hospital chapel post-dissolution, becoming a dependency of Gottolengo’s parish; recently restored, it now serves as a place of worship only on specific occasions. The church comprises a single nave flanked by eight niches adorned with numerous frescoes of saints, including standout depictions of Saint Lucy, Saint Apollonia, and Saint Anthony the Great. A 16th-century wooden statue of the Virgin in Prayer enthroned with child, housed within, inspires deep devotion among locals. The church is owned by the Fondazione Casa di Riposo Cami-Alberini.

File:Chiesa dell' Incidella.JPG

The Sanctuary of the Incidella, located along the road from the municipality to the frazione of Solaro and Isorella, is a devotional site dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and designated a sanctuary due to a miracle reported there in 1653.{{Cite web | url = http://parrocchiagottolengo.it/luoghi-di-culto/santuario-della-madonna-dellincidella | title = Places of Worship - Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Incidella | date = 30 August 2017 }} The structure, comprising an oratory and a church with a bell tower, dates to the 17th century and was built in Baroque style atop an earlier chapel.{{Harvtxt|Superfluo|1978|p=81}}.
Its entrance once featured a three-arched portico before the church facade, removed after a truck damaged it in a 1960 accident and never rebuilt. The facade now includes a marble-finished portal and a rose window with stained glass.

File:Casa torre 2 (Gottolengo).jpg

Facing the town’s main square stands the municipal theater, dedicated to Brescian politician Giuseppe Zanardelli, designed in Art Nouveau style and recently renovated. Adjacent to the square is the Casa Torre, remnants of a fort that once served as the primary entrance to the ancient village. This tower was part of a now-vanished defensive wall system, encircled by a stream and accessed via a drawbridge.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|loc=Attached maps}}.

File:Casa Garibaldi a Gottolengo.JPG

The tower now functions as a small local museum, housing archaeological finds from the Castellaro area. A Lombard-origin legend claims a golden hen with chicks is hidden within.{{Harvtxt|Superfluo|1978|p=35}}. Another noteworthy building is the house where Giuseppe Garibaldi stayed in 1866, now containing small apartments but retaining a commemorative plaque spared by recent renovations.

Since the early 20th century, Gottolengo’s territory has been a focus of scientific research and archaeological discoveries. The initial finds occurred in the “Castellaro” area,A castellaro was a small fortification, typically on a hill, used by inhabitants to defend an internal settlement. a low plateau at the southern edge of the town center. This site bears evidence of settlements by groups such as the Cenomani and Romans,{{Cite web | url = http://www.gottolengo.com/il-comune/la-storia | title = Comune of Gottolengo - Historical Overview | date = 10 June 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140531222732/http://www.gottolengo.com/il-comune/la-storia | archivedate = 31 May 2014 | url-status = dead }} preserved in Gottolengo’s small civic museum within the tower house.{{Cite web | url = http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/opencms/MiBAC/sito-MiBAC/Luogo/MibacUnif/Luoghi-della-Cultura/visualizza_asset.html?id=154652&pagename=57 | title = Civic Museum of Gottolengo | access-date = 31 August 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170831181214/http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/opencms/MiBAC/sito-MiBAC/Luogo/MibacUnif/Luoghi-della-Cultura/visualizza_asset.html?id=154652&pagename=57 | archivedate = 31 August 2017 | url-status = dead }} Over the years, everyday objects such as rudimentary looms, weapons, bronze remnants, and a rare terracotta horn—among the world’s oldest sound-producing instruments—have surfaced.{{Harvtxt|Lucini|1988|p=200}}. In 1925, the “Celtic Helmet from Gottolengo,” dating to the late 4th century BCE during the Cenomani settlement, was discovered,{{Cite web | url = http://www.turismobrescia.it/it/punto-d-interesse/elmo-celtico-da-gottolengo | title = Celtic Helmet from Gottolengo | date = 31 August 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170831181649/http://www.turismobrescia.it/it/punto-d-interesse/elmo-celtico-da-gottolengo | archivedate = 31 August 2017 | url-status = dead }} alongside numerous pins and metallic items,{{Harvtxt|Carancini|1975|p=100}}. as well as Roman tombstones, including the one in the parish apse and another marking a vow to Apollo.{{CIL|05|04127}}

Between the 19th and 20th centuries, some people from Gottolengo, like many Italians, emigrated seeking fortune in the Americas (notably the United States and Argentina) or Australia. In the immediate post-World War II years, the municipality’s population peaked at {{formatnum:5225}} residents. During this period, even the now-deserted frazione of Solaro housed around 1,500 people in vast cascine a corte typical of the Po Valley, as well as some public buildings. Subsequent decades saw another migratory wave toward northern Italian cities such as Milan, Turin, Genoa, and Brescia, driven by job opportunities in emerging factories.

{{Historical populations|1861|2466|1871|2726|1881|2750|1901|3343|1911|3965|1921|4494|1931|4886|1936|5023|1951|5225|1961|4239|1971|4152|1981|4347|1991|4630|2001|4777|2011|5238|2021|4957|footnote=Source: ISTAT|cols=2|align=none}}

Like many Italian towns, especially in the Po Valley, Gottolengo hosts a notable foreign population. As of 1 January 2018, 599 foreign residents—approximately 11.6% of the total population—live in the municipality. The most represented nationalities are:{{Cite web | url = https://www.tuttitalia.it/lombardia/49-gottolengo/statistiche/cittadini-stranieri-2018/ | title = Foreign Citizens. Resident Population and Demographic Balance as of 1 January 2018 - Comune: Gottolengo | access-date = 9 December 2019 }}

1. India, 273
2. Morocco, 122
3. Romania, 62
4. Albania, 31
5. Senegal, 29
6. China, 27

{{See also|Bresciano dialect|Eastern Lombard dialect}}

The sole official language across the municipality is Italian. Nonetheless, the Brescian dialect is widely spoken among both older and younger residents.{{Harvtxt|Beretta|2003}}.

The municipality contains a single parish, part of the Diocese of Brescia.{{Cite web | url = http://www.diocesi.brescia.it/diocesi/notizie/parrocchie/parrocchie.php | title = Diocese of Brescia - Parishes of the Diocese | date = 31 May 2014 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150821071211/http://www.diocesi.brescia.it/diocesi/notizie/parrocchie/parrocchie.php | archivedate = 21 August 2015 | url-status = dead }}

The Neocatechumenal Way took root in Gottolengo’s parish in 1970, introduced by a mixed group of clergy and laity from Rome, approved by the bishop, marking the beginning of a catechetical journey.{{Cite web | url = http://parrocchiagottolengo.it/cosa-facciamo/cammino-neocatecumenale | title = Neocatechumenal Way | date = 30 August 2017 }} This spread was bolstered by the presence of Gottolengo native Mario Pezzi, considered one of the movement’s three founders.{{Cite news |author=Sandro Magister |year=2005 |title=Liturgy. Benedict XVI Brings the Neocatechumenals Back to the Right Path |url=http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/44140 |access-date=21 June 2009 |newspaper=L'Espresso}} Since then, various communities have joined the Way; today, six distinct groups exist in the municipality.

The parish publishes a quarterly bulletin, “Il Redone,” styled as a newspaper due to its format, since 1964. It covers religious, cultural, and social topics and is based at Gottolengo’s pastoral center.{{Cite web | url = http://parrocchiagottolengo.it/cosa-facciamo/redone | title = Il Redone | date = 30 August 2017 }}

A festival honoring Our Lady of Carmel occurs around mid-July, beginning with the veneration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Lasting about a week, it starts with a procession through the town: the Marian statue is carried from the Church of Saint Jerome to the parish church, where it remains displayed throughout the event, accompanied by the town fair.{{Cite web | url = http://www.gottolengo.com/IniziativeManifestazioni/MadonnaDelCarmelo2008.htm | title = Celebrations of the Madonna of Carmel | date = 3 August 2009 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20081204120507/http://www.gottolengo.com/IniziativeManifestazioni/MadonnaDelCarmelo2008.htm | archivedate = 4 December 2008 }}

The municipality hosts a comprehensive institute,{{Cite web | url = http://www.icgottolengo.it/ | title = Comprehensive Institute of Gottolengo | date = 3 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170903164116/http://www.icgottolengo.it/ | archivedate = 3 September 2017 | url-status = dead }} housing a kindergarten and elementary school, alongside the Luigi Sturzo lower secondary school. Additionally, a parochial kindergarten, managed by the Fondazione P. Caprettini, operates in Gottolengo.{{Cite web | url = http://www.comuni-italiani.it/017/080/scuole/ | title = Schools in Gottolengo | date = 3 September 2017 }}

Since 1990, Teleradio Gottolengo (TRG), a small television station, has been broadcasting from Gottolengo. Managed by the town’s curates and currently led by the provost, its programming focuses almost exclusively on local and religious content.{{Cite web | url = http://www.gottolengo.com/LaCitta/EntiAssociazioni.htm | title = Entities and Associations | date = 2 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120311054347/http://www.gottolengo.com/LaCitta/EntiAssociazioni.htm | archivedate = 11 March 2012 | url-status = dead }}

On July 30, 2022, TRG ceased over-the-air broadcasts and moved its programming to YouTube.

File:Piazza di Gottolengo.JPG

A cultural hub for Gottolengo and the broader Bassa Bresciana, the Zanardelli Theater—a late 19th-century Liberty style structure with two elevated floors—accommodates up to 200 spectators.{{Cite web | url = http://www.ancebrescia.it/articoli/17-19-11-2003.pdf | title = Documents on Gottolengo | date = 2 September 2009 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20040122110749/http://www.ancebrescia.it/articoli/17-19-11-2003.pdf | archivedate = 22 January 2004 }}{{Cite web | url = http://www.gottolengo.com/il-comune/la-storia | title = Comune of Gottolengo - Historical Overview | date = 3 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170830200350/http://www.gottolengo.com/il-comune/la-storia | archivedate = 30 August 2017 | url-status = dead }} It hosts annual performances by various companies.{{Cite web | url = http://www.ilnodo.com/ | title = Theater Company Operating in the Gottolengo Theater | date = 18 November 2008 }} Dialect comedies are frequently staged by “QUO VADIS,” the sole local theater troupe, though its reach remains limited.

The potato, a symbol of Gottolengo’s agricultural tradition, is celebrated with a festival established in 2002, typically held in September,{{Cite web | url = http://www.provincia.brescia.it/cittadino/turismo-e-cultura/evento/sagra-della-patata-di-gottolengo-e-dei-sapori-della-provincia-di | title = Potato Festival of Gottolengo and Flavors of the Province of Brescia | date = 3 September 2017 }} earning a municipal designation of origin.{{Cite web | url = http://www.denominazionecomunale.it/index.php/News-dall-ASSO.DECO/DE.CO.-si-pu.html | title = The De.Co of Gottolengo | date = 3 September 2017 }} Another local specialty is jam. Also prevalent, though common across Lombardy, are pumpkin tortelli, traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve, and Brescian-style spit-roast.

File:Casa torre (Gottolengo).jpg

The current town center began to be settled around the mid-2nd century BCE by the Romans, though their settlements were scattered and lacked a fixed layout.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|p=240}}.

This changed with the arrival of the Lombards: King Desiderius gifted Gottolengo to the abbots of the Abbey of Leno, who fortified the town following 10th-century Hungarian invasions. They built a fortified village encircled by a moat and defended by earthworks, containing the monastic curtis with the lord’s house, church, and servants’ homes; outside the walls lay peasants’ huts, offering refuge during threats.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|p=241}}. As population grew, the village expanded, forming a true encastellation, but with the advent of firearms, its defenses fell into ruin.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|p=247}}. During the Napoleonic era, the center gained prominence, new districts emerged, decaying walls were demolished, and old moats were filled, leaving the tower house as the sole vestige of the former system.{{Harvtxt|Bonaglia|2003|pp=248–249}}.

Since then, Gottolengo’s urban layout has remained largely unchanged. Notable developments in the 1960s and 1970s included two small Marcolini villages. Today, the municipality features green spaces (parks) according to the General Regulatory Plan, while the landfill, outside the town center, has been rehabilitated to meet current standards; the municipal aqueduct located in the city is managed by A2A, as well as the entire sewerage system of Gottolengo and the purification services.{{Cite web | url = http://www.a2acicloidrico.eu/home/cms/idrico/societa/comuni_serviti | title = A2A Services in Brescia Comunes | date = 2 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160612235735/http://www.a2acicloidrico.eu/home/cms/idrico/societa/comuni_serviti | archivedate = 12 June 2016 | url-status = dead }} The territory faces no naturalistic or landscape restrictions.{{Cite web | url = http://www.gottolengo.com/LaCitta/DatiGenerali.htm | title = Urban Data on Gottolengo | date = 2 September 2012 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120311054343/http://www.gottolengo.com/LaCitta/DatiGenerali.htm | archivedate = 11 March 2012 | url-status = dead }}

Gottolengo encompasses seven frazioni, with Solaro historically the most significant. The others—modest in size with a few dozen residents each—are Solerino, Baldone, Remaglie, Segalana, Monticelle Sopra, and Osteria.{{Cite web | url = http://italia.indettaglio.it/ita/lombardia/gottolengo.html | title = Frazioni of Gottolengo and Municipal Data | date = 1 September 2017 }}

Historically, Solaro was Gottolengo’s sole notable outlying locality. Its name, of Roman origin, derives from the Latin Solarium, meaning “sunlit terrace.”

Solaro proved vital during World War II, serving as a refuge. Today, it consists of an abandoned traditional Brescian cascina a corte and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great, a protector of animals and a revered figure locally.{{Harvtxt|Superfluo|1978|p=59}}. The surrounding countryside features both old and new farmhouses amid cultivated fields. A municipal road links Solaro to the town, extending to the provincial road between Ghedi and Isorella.

File:Gottolengo roads in the autumn.JPG

The earliest large-scale reclamation efforts were undertaken by the monks of Leno Abbey, draining marshlands to enable agriculture and livestock rearing. Further reclamation and extensive canalization between the 18th and 20th centuries shaped the current Gottolengo countryside.

Today, the territory is almost entirely devoted to agriculture, with fields cultivated using intensive methods typical of the Po Valley and northern Italy. Major crops include corn and wheat, with smaller yields of soybeans and potatoes.{{Cite web | url = http://www.pianurabresciana.com/it/agricoltura.php | title = Agriculture in General in the Bassa Bresciana | date = 3 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304225425/http://www.pianurabresciana.com/it/agricoltura.php | archivedate = 4 March 2016 | url-status = dead }}

Cattle, poultry and pig farming are well developed, while sheep farming is absent. Beekeeping is also practiced.

During the Venetian domination, the first textile factories were established, but the real industrial boom came in the 1960s, when the Bassa Bresciana was declared an economically depressed area. This spurred significant funding and tax incentives, fostering modern industrial growth and diversification.{{Harvtxt|Paoletti|1987|pp=16–24}}.

Gottolengo is famous for its chestnut preserves (a sweet made with chestnuts from Val Camonica) and is the birthplace of Brescian quince jam. A family-run factory, operating since the early 20th century, produces mustards and assorted sauces.{{Cite web | url = https://www.soloprodottiitaliani.it/aziende/scheda-1062.html | title = DOP IGP - Andrini Jams | date = 1 September 2017 }} Other local plants manufacture staples, operate in the mechanical and electrical sectors, and process dairy and food products.{{Cite web | url = http://www.impresaitalia.info/cat/lombardia/gottolengo.aspx | title = List of Economic Activities in Gottolengo | date = 1 September 2017 }}

Key arteries serving the municipality are Provincial Road VIII, linking it north to Leno and south to Gambara, and Provincial Road 11, running from Pavone del Mella through Gottolengo to Isorella.{{Cite web | url = http://sit.provincia.bs.it/gfmaplet10/?_token=NULLNULLNULLNULL&htmlstyle=provinciabrescia&map=m_ret_strad_2013&initialExtent=1579000;5026000;1617000;5058000;3003 | title = Province of Brescia - Road Network 2013 | access-date = 1 September 2017 }}

From 1914 to 1932, Gottolengo’s station was served by a tramway on the Brescia-Ostiano line, branching toward Gambara from the Pavone del Mella junction.{{Cite journal |author=Claudio Mafrici |year=1997 |title=I binari promiscui - Nascita e sviluppo del sistema tramviario extraurbano in provincia di Brescia (1875-1930) |journal=Quaderni di sintesi |volume=51}}

The municipality lies within the local public transport subnetwork of the Province of Brescia, encompassing the Lower Brescia Plain, the Sebino area, and Franciacorta. Intercity transportation is provided by buses operated by the Trasporti Brescia Sud consortium, composed of SIA, SAIA Trasporti and APAM.{{Cite web | url = http://www.bresciaonline.it/or4/or?oid=12571 | title = Getting to Know Brescia - Buses and Bus Lines | access-date = 1 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170902012931/http://www.bresciaonline.it/or4/or?oid=12571 | archivedate = 2 September 2017 | url-status = dead }}

Below is the list of mayors of Gottolengo since the end of the Second World War:Data sourced from the Gottolengo municipal archive{{ComuniAmminPrecTitolo}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1945|1951|Battista Antonini||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1951|1958|Oreste Benvenuti||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1959|1960|Amedeo Andrini||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1960|1962|Mario Frigerio||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1962|1964|Amedeo Andrini||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1965|1975|Cesare Gibellini||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1975|1979|Giorgio Mattarozzi||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|1979|1993|Giuliana Pezzi||Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrecFine}}Below is the list of mayors directly elected by citizens (since 1993):{{ComuniAmminPrecTitolo}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|November 22, 1993|November 17, 1997|Sergio Antonini|PDS|Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|November 17, 1997|May 28, 2002|Romano Manfredi|Center-right civic list|Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|May 28, 2002|May 7, 2012|Giuliana Pezzi|Center-right civic list|Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|May 7, 2012|June 12, 2022|Giacomo Massa|Center-right civic list|Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrec|June 12, 2022|In office|Daniele Dancelli|Center-right civic list|Mayor|}}

{{ComuniAmminPrecFine}}

File:Palazzettoo dello sport (Gottolengo).JPG

A prominent sport in Gottolengo is volleyball, with the women’s volleyball team Juvolley competing in Serie D,{{Cite web | url = http://www.juvolley.com/ | title = Gottolengo Volleyball Society | date = 3 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904010745/http://www.juvolley.com/ | archivedate = 4 September 2017 | url-status = dead }} having reached Serie A in the 1970s.{{Harvtxt|Messineo|2003|p=105}}. Other sports, such as football, karate, and basketball, are practiced recreationally.

The primary sports facility is the sports hall,{{Cite web | url = http://www.juvolley.com/palasport.html | title = Sports Hall | date = 3 September 2017 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20170331211007/http://www.juvolley.com/palasport.html | archivedate = 31 March 2017 | url-status = dead }} built in the 1990s, featuring a grass football pitch, two tennis courts, and a gymnasium.

• {{Cite book |last=Albertini |first=Mario |title=Trasporti nella Provincia di Cremona - 100 anni di storia |trans-title=Transport in the Province of Cremona - 100 Years of History |language=Italian |year=1994 |publisher=Editrice Turris |location=Cremona |last2=Cerioli |first2=Claudio |edition=2 |pages=116 |isbn=88-85635-89-X}}
• {{Cite book |last=Barocelli |first=Piero |title=Il Castellaro di Gottolengo |trans-title=The Castellaro of Gottolengo |language=Italian |year=1971 |location=Brescia}}
• {{Cite book |first=Claudio|last= Beretta |title=Parlate e dialetti della Lombardia. Lessico comparato |trans-title=Speech and Dialects of Lombardy. Comparative Lexicon |language=Italian |publisher=Mondadori |location=Milan |year=2003 |isbn=88-04-51475-2}}
• {{Cite book |last=Bonaglia |first=Angelo |title=Gottolengo dalle origini neolitiche all'età dei comuni: Sec. XXIII a.C. - Sec. XIII d.C. |trans-title=Gottolengo from Neolithic Origins to the Age of the Communes: 23rd Century BCE - 13th Century CE |language=Italian |year=1985 |location=Brescia |publisher=Apollonio |OCLC=878105766}}
• {{Cite book |last=Bonaglia |first=Angelo |title=Gottolengo: 1250-1500 Storia e documenti |trans-title=Gottolengo: 1250-1500 History and Documents |language=Italian |year=2003 |location=Cigole}}
• {{Cite book |last=Bonaglia |first=Angelo |last2=Celsa |first2=Maria Teresa |title=Gottolengo: il Cinquecento Storia e documenti |trans-title=Gottolengo: The 16th Century History and Documents |language=Italian |year=2007 |location=Cigole |OCLC=213409267}}
• {{Cite book |last=Bonaglia |first=Angelo |last2=Superfluo |first2=Alberto |title=Gottolengo: il Seicento Storia e documenti |trans-title=Gottolengo: The 17th Century History and Documents |language=Italian |year=2007 |location=Cigole |OCLC=213260064}}
• {{Cite book |last=Carancini |first=Gian Luigi |title=Die Nadeln in Italien |trans-title=The Needles in Italy |language=German |publisher=C.H. Beck |year=1975 |isbn=3-406-00760-0}}
• {{Cite book |first=Antonio|last= Fappani |first2=Gian Mario|last2= Andrico |title=Agro bresciano "La Bassa fra Chiese e Mella |trans-title=Brescian Countryside "The Lower Area between Chiese and Mella |language=Italian |year=1998 |location=Roccafranca |isbn=88-8486-120-9}}
• {{Cite book |last=Paoletti |first=Dezio |title=Bassa Bresciana: un patrimonio ambientale e culturale da conoscere e valorizzare |trans-title=Bassa Bresciana: an environmental and cultural heritage to be discovered and appreciated |language=Italian |year=1987 |location=Bagnolo Mella}} {{NoISBN}}
• {{Cite book |last=Lucini |first=Pierino |title=Gottolengo dalla preistoria alla romanità |trans-title=Gottolengo from Prehistory to Roman Times |language=Italian |year=1988 |location=Brescia |chapter=Reperti preistorici |trans-chapter=Prehistoric Finds |OCLC=749787179}}
• {{Cite book |last=Messineo |first=Salvatore |title=La storia della pallavolo bresciana |trans-title=The History of Brescian Volleyball |language=Italian |year=2003 |location=Roccafranca |publisher=La compagnia della stampa |isbn=88-8486-050-4}}
• {{Cite book |last=Romano |first=Tommaso |title=...'na quàt paròlå dèlå Bàså Bresànå |trans-title=...A Few Words of the Lower Brescia area |language=Italian |year=1998 |location=San Zeno Naviglio}}
• {{Cite book |last=Schiapparelli |first=Luigi |title=I diplomi dei re d'Italia del secolo X |trans-title=The Diplomas of the Kings of Italy in the 10th Century |language=Italian |year=1924 |location=Rome}} {{NoISBN}}
• {{Cite book |last=Superfluo |first=Alberto |title=L'oratorio della Madonna d'Incidella in Gottolengo |trans-title=The Oratory of the Madonna of Incidella in Gottolengo |language=Italian |year=1978 |location=Brescia}} {{NoISBN}}
• {{Cite book |last=Zamboni |first=Baldassarre |title=A sua Eccellenza il N.H. Gianfranco Sagredo, senatore chiarissimo, eletto protettore della Comunità di Gottolengo |trans-title=To His Excellency the Noble Gianfranco Sagredo, Most Illustrious Senator, Elected Protector of the Gottolengo Community |language=Italian |year=1784 |location=Brescia}} {{NoISBN}}

{{Province of Brescia}}

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Category:Cities and towns in Lombardy