Chapter 1 - Before the Romans

The territory of Ozzano stretches partly on a plain and partly on the Apennine hills, in a territory that is commonly referred to as “Eastern Bolognese” . From east to west runs the Via Emilia, a road founded by the Romans that still bears the traits of an ancient prehistoric path that dates as far as the Bronze Age. The road is a sort of pedemontan route that reached the sea in Rimini and joined the plain ends of a series of transappenninc passages.

In earlier times beginning from the Paleolitic age, this territory as well as all the Bolognese pedeapennine and the Romagna  areas, saw the presence of groups of people that have left signs of their passage in the form of lithic tools made of ftanite or flintstone. These tools were found on hill terracements brought by the river Quaderna.

It was only during the Bronze Age (from 18^th to 10^th century b.C), with some early signs during the Neolithic, that the eastern territory of Bologna began a lasting and well organized settling phase in the form of large villages that through many evolutions developed until the end the second millenium b.C.

The first millennium BC. marks not only the beginning of the Iron Age in Italy, but also the awakening of the new and important Villanovian civilisation (9^th to middle 6^th century B.C) that takes its name from a location not far from Ozzano. It was in Villanova di Castenaso that during the 19^th century the first archaeological findings were discovered. The Villanovian period was the early stage of the Etruscan age that played a relevant role in this area of Emilia Romagna. Actually the Etruscan Felsina, modern Bologna, was a great city, whose developing stages and traits of ancient capital of Padanian Etruria have been brought to light in recent times through several archaeological excavations that have been carried out in the historical centre of the town. Probably the typical colonisation of that age stretched also toward the eastern part of the territory of Bologna where small settlements, such as farms or little villages could be found.

The territory of Ozzano was no exception and the very site of Claterna, whose name conceals the Etruscan origin, shows findings and housing levels that date back to at least the Villanovian age, when the settlement was encouraged by its position at the feet of the hills, at the crossing between the Pedemontan routes and a road that leads through the Apennines on the left of the homonymous torrent.

A new cultural phase took place during the 4^th century BC. with the arrival of the Celts, a northern population that came from the transalpine regions and was divided in large clans.The Boi, presumably from present Bohemia, settled on our territory as well as on the greatest part of the region. The impact with the Etruscan towns was quite violent at first with the loss of political autonomy on the side of the Etruscans,  but eventually  the two ethnic and cultural groups mixed together creating a new civilisation called Etruscan-Celtic Civilisation. Near Monterenzio, a small moutain village about 30 kms from Ozzano, a small village was discovered (Monte Bibele) where a population with mixed cultural traits had lived. Also the site of Claterna has returned some ornaments of Celtic origin, as a testimony of a settlement continuity that characterised the greatest part of the territory.

2. Bronze fibula of Villanovian Age from the low valley of the river Idice, near Ozzano (from Uomini, ambienti, animali prima della preistoria, S. Lazzaro 2003).

4. Bronze etruscan jug from Settefonti di Ozzano, found in the XIX century. Dates back to the V-VI century b. C. (from Monterenzio e la valle dell’Idice, Bologna 1983).