Vertamocorii (Cisalpina)

The Vertamocorii were a Celtic people who lived long ago in a place called Cisalpine Gaul. Their home was near a town named Novara, in a region of Italy known as Eastern Piedmont. They were part of the many groups that made up the Celtic peoples in that area.

Their name, which might have been pronounced "Uertamocorī" in the ancient Gaulish language, gives us clues about who they were. Like other Celtic groups, they had their own traditions and ways of life.

Understanding groups like the Vertamocorii helps us learn about the history of Europe before modern countries existed. They were one of many communities that lived in the lands we now call Italy, contributing to the rich mix of cultures in the region.

Name

The Gaulish name Vertamo-corii usually means 'those with the superior host' or 'the excellent troops'. This comes from the words uertamos, meaning 'superior' or 'summit', and corios, meaning 'army'. Another possible meaning is 'troops from the summit'.

History

The Vertamocorii were a group of people who lived long ago in a place called Cisalpine Gaul, near modern-day Novara in Italy. Some writers, like Cato, thought they were from the Ligurians, but others, like Pliny from the 1st century AD, believed they were actually Gauls. Pliny said they came from a group called the Vocontii, not the Ligurians as some others believed.