This small town of poor farmers rose to world prominence when Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who was born there in 1881, was elected Pope (1958-1963).
John XXIII ‘s birth house and museum are preserved in the village, which has been completely transformed.
Not far away, on the slopes of Mount Canto, is the Romanesque abbey of Fontanella, dating from the 11th century.
From the abbey an ancient mule track climbs the hill connecting with the adjacent San Martino Valley and another famous abbey, that of Pontida.
A Benedictine monastery dating back to the 11th century, on April 7, 1167, representatives of the cities of the Lombard League met there and by solemn oath pledged to defend their freedom against Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.