It was always a rural district, but due to its closeness to Lombard and the Modenese states was also interested from smuggling. In various times it became a battlefield: a field is still called "Turkish cemetery" because in it were buried the corpses of Turkish mercenaries that fought for the Republic of Venice against the Duchy of Milan. In 1634 the Germans stationed in Castelnovo di Sotto raided and burned the church of Mezzano Inferiore and devastated the village. Some old memoirs talk about the battle of Colorno of 1734 for Mantua succession but in fact it took place in Mezzano Inferiore: some cannonballs still lie on the bell tower.