Arbogna Valley
Italy
The Arbogna Valley is a small valley formed by the stream of the same name and located on the Novara-Vespolate fluvial-glacial terrace. The area is a popular birdwatching destination (see Fauna section) and is entirely within the Parco della Battaglia della Bicocca (Battle of Bicocca Park). The valley begins near Piazza d'Armi, in the Bicocca district; from the Novara ring road, you can see the first hills sloping down towards the stream, which is still a small stream. A few kilometers south, precisely in the municipality of Garbagna Novarese, the valley begins to "dissolve", leaving only the aforementioned fluvial-glacial terrace. In addition to Arbogna, the valley is crossed by many small streams.
The valley was created by the erosive action of the Arbogna stream on the sediments of the Novara-Vespolate Terrace, which in turn dates back to the first glaciation.
In the Middle Ages, the valley was part of an area known as baraggia (or barazia), a term that referred to the compact, clayey terrain that extended south of Novara's walls. Its northern section was bordered to the west by the village of San Gaudenzio, and to the east by the relief of San Nazzaro (site of the Abbey of San Nazzaro della Costa), continuing southward at least to Bicocca and the village of Olengo. Among the places of historical interest in the valley are the farmsteads, many of which date back to the 15th century, with the current structures dating from the 18th to the 20th century. The Battle of Bicocca was fought in the valley in 1849. Until the late 1970s, the main valley floor was a swamp of considerable size. Subsequent valley floor leveling and agricultural reclamation projects have transformed it into rice paddies, nestled within them, some uncultivable ponds. Both in the marshes and in the rice fields, the phenomenon of funghìn (a popular term for quicksand) could be observed: in shallow, clear water, when the surface water was absorbed by the ground and came into contact with the groundwater, the clay was diluted to the point of being neither liquid nor solid. The danger was mainly linked to working animals (horses and oxen) an
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