The Castle (Il Castello) seems to be what ancientsources call “Parra OromobiorumOppidum” (which means Parra fortified center of the Oromobi orOrobi);indeed, itstood on a riverterrace in a naturally defended and strategic position for the control of transit routes and access to resources, especially mining ones particularly abundant in this area of the Seriana Valley. The relevance of the site is confirmed by the toponymCastello (castle) The relevance of the site is confirmed by the toponymCastello (castle) ;indeed, the term often applies to upland protohistoric settlements without necessarily referring to the presence of a medieval castle. The importance of the site was already clear in the 19th century; actually, during agricultural works, several bronze artifacts (mostly fragmentary) of the 5th century BC were found in a well, considered by archeologists as a foundry worker’s storeroom. However, just between 1983 and 1994 , the area was excavated by the SuperintendenceforLombardy ArcheologicalHeritage, in orderto examine the archeological site. What you can see today in the museum and the archeological site is only a portion of the ancient town, even though deemed as the most relevant one to ascertain Parre’s long history.

Traces of the Bronze Age - The metallurgy

Consistent traces of a settlement dating back to the end of the Bronze Age (8th-10th century BC) have been found in Botti (Parre). Artifacts and structures discovered here show that metallurgical activity was carried out, particularly copper extraction from minerals,smelting, and casting in stone matrices. This artisanal activity was subsequently carried out at the Castle site, where copper was combined with tin to produce bronze. Since the second Iron Age, lead was worked probably exploiting the metalliferous deposits on the nearby Mount Trevasco.

The Iron Age - The village

Archaeological data tell us that the village of the Castle of Parre was founded between the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age. The most ancientstructures discovered there were connected to a natural ponor that had a cultural function at that time: in fact, some vessels interpreted as votive depositions have been found in it. Several constructive phases demonstrate that the village remained alive during the entire Iron Age; all the examined houses adhere to the “alpine house” model, quadrangular in shape, lower than the externalfloor, with perimeterwalls consistingof a stone base.The floors were made of rammed earth and could be covered or not by wooden planks, burnt clay or stone slabs. We do not know how the roof looked like. However, on the basis of excavation data, it is assumed that it was made of wooden or straw shingles; constant changes undergone by the site allowed to preserve only stone floors and walls. From some constructive details and the stratigraphic pattern of the deposit, it is assumed that houses had a raised floor. An infant’s grave together with a votive dimple from the end of the Iron Age shows some aspects of ancient rituality. The grave was inside a dwelling, thus following a well-established custom on the Central Eastern Alps; the child was buried with ceramic vessels including a small vase with an inscription on it, perhaps the name of the deceased. The votive dimple , containing traditional alpine tankards of metal and glass paste, is perhaps related to a foundation orrenovationceremony of an adjacent house. Probably thanksto itsmineralresources, in that period, Parre was engaged in trade with neighboring populations, particularly central Alpine and Celtic ones. The tangible existence of these contacts is visible from some objects - including pottery and ornaments with particularshapes - referring to cultures of other places. Parre’s role as an important trading center is also demonstrated by coins - particularly Gallic drachmas and Roman republican coins issued by different mints - that came here from distant places. During excavation work,stone, ceramic and bone items were found carryinginscriptionsin the North Etruscan alphabet. This demonstrates that, during the Iron Age, the writing was widespread in Parre.

The revival of the village - The Roman era

The site of Parre was abandoned at the end of the 1st century BC when the Romans conquered the Alps: probably due to their arrival, the human settlement underwent deep changes, making the Castle site notso efficient. From the end of the 2nd century to the 5th century AD the upland was inhabited again, perhaps for military reasons as the presence of particular coins used for soldiers’ wages could indicate. The dwellings of the Roman period, very similar to the protohistoric ones, differ from the latter for the building technique that foresaw the use of smaller stones, especially river pebbles, and for innovations brought by conquerors, namely bricks and mortar.