Euganei

The Euganei were an ancient group of people who lived in Northeast Italy, between the Eastern Alps and the Adriatic Sea. They were made up of many different groups, so they were a bit hard to describe clearly.

When another group called the Adriatic Veneti arrived, the Euganei moved to the valleys in the Alps. There, they mixed with the Rhaetians.

The writer Pliny the Elder said that the Euganei had three main families or lineages. These were the Triumpilini from Val Trompia, the Camunni from Val Camonica, and the Stoni. All of these groups later became part of the Roman world before the start of the Common Era.

History

The name "Euganei" might come from a Greek word meaning "of noble lineage." It could also be linked to a group of people called the Ingauni from Liguria. The term was used by the Adriatic Venetians to describe tribes living in Northeast Italy, from Istria to Garda and Oglio.

An old story says the Adriatic Venetians pushed the Euganeans away. The Euganeans moved to the Alpine valleys and mixed with the Rhaetians. Later, when Gauls arrived in the 5th century BC, the Euganean tribes stayed independent until the end of the 2nd century BC. Roman leaders brought some groups under Roman control. Emperor Augustus brought more groups under Rome's rule in 16 BC. The Euganeans accepted Roman rule and built monuments to honor the Augustan dynasty. Pliny mentioned that the Euganeans lived in 34 settlements, with a main place called Stoenos. Verona was a city with Rhaetian and Euganean roots.

Toponymy

Long ago, people called the land in Northeast Italy "Euganean." Sometimes they used it just for the area around Padua, called Patavinus.

The name "Euganean Hills" came much later, during the Renaissance. A newer name, "Venezia Euganea," was made by a linguist named Graziadio Isaia Ascoli.