Rezzato

Rezzato
Comune
Comune di Rezzato
The Town Hall in Piazza Vantini
Rezzato Location of Rezzato in Italy
Coordinates: 45°32′N 10°14′E / 45.533°N 10.233°E / 45.533; 10.233Coordinates: 45°32′N 10°14′E / 45.533°N 10.233°E / 45.533; 10.233
Country	Italy
Region	Lombardy
Province / Metropolitan city	Brescia (BS)
Founded	1299, March 12
Frazioni	Virle Treponti
Government
• Mayor	Davide Giacomini (PD)
Area
• Total	18 km2 (7 sq mi)
Elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Population (2015)
• Total	13,517
• Density	750/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Rezzatesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	25086
Dialing code	030
Patron saint	St. Anne
Saint day	July 26
Website	Official website

Rezzato is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is bounded by the comunes of Brescia, Botticino, Castenedolo, Mazzano and Nuvolera.

Thanks to its nearness to the small town of Botticino, Rezzato is commonly considered the town of the marble working. The stonecutters from Rezzato have been famous since the 15th century for their creativity and their artistic way of working with Botticino marble.

Rezzato was chosen by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as the place in which produce some of the headstones for its military cemeteries.

The most important place of Prehistory in Rezzato was Ca' dei Grii, a cave on the south side of Regogna Mountain. During some researches done from 1954 to 1968, were discovered some objects of the Neolithic period, the oldest of the area. Probably the cave was a refuge for some prehistoric men or for some families during the Second World War. It was destroyed in 1969 by an adjacent marble's pit.

The origin of this town name is thought to be the medieval "Regadium", which meant "royal court", a term used to designate the area surrounding the city of Brescia. Benedictine monks contributed to the founding of Rezzato by draining the land and digging irrigation canals on the Valverde plain.

Rezzato became a free comune on 12 March 1299, when the inhabitants obtained by the bishop of Brescia Berardo Maggi the permission to autonomize the village from the Benedictine monastery of St. Eufemia.

In the 14th century, battles between Guelph and Ghibelline city-states led to domination over Milan and the nearby territory by the powerful Visconti family, backed by the emperor Henry VII. While the western part of Lombardy was taken over by the Sforza family in the 15th century, Brescia became part of Venetian Republic in 1429. Under Venice, local commerce and crafts prospered, and Rezzato became known for its marble. Stone cutting was the predominant business in Rezzato from the 15th to the early 20th centuries.