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Bardi (Italy)
Encyclopedia
Bardi is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Parma
in the Italian
region Emilia-Romagna
, located about 130 km west of Bologna
and about 50 km southwest of Parma
, in the upper Ceno valley. It is dominated by the imposing Landi Castle built over a spur of red jasper
.
Bardi borders the following municipalities: Bedonia
, Bore, Borgo Val di Taro
, Compiano
, Farini, Ferriere
, Morfasso
, Valmozzola
, Varsi
.
. Historically, the name stems from the Lombard
nobility who established themselves in Bardi around 600 AD. In 1000 the bishop of Piacenza took up residence here.
In 1257 the Ghibelline Landi
of Piacenza acquired it, remaining lord of Bardi for the following four centuries. In 1269 the castle was stormed by the Guelphs, and the commune of Piacenza held it until 1307, when Emperor Henry VII
gave it back to Umbertino II Landi. Galeazzo I Visconti of Milan obtained a notable victory over the Guelphs in the nearby on November 29, 1321. In 1381 the Landi were declared formally independent by Gian Galeazzo Visconti
, and obtained a complete autonomy in 1415.
Federico and his daughter Polissena Bardi renewed the castle in the 16th-17th century, establishing a college which lasted until 1805. In 1682 Polissena's son Dario ceded Bardi to Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and the town followed the story of the latter until the unification of Italy.
From the late 19th to 20th century, much of the town's population emigrated to Great Britain, France, Switzerland and Belgium. During World War II
the area saw numerous clashes between the German occupants and the partisans, the city being bombed by 12 Stukas on July 17, 1944.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Parma
Province of Parma
The Province of Parma is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Parma.It has an area of 3,449 km², and a total population of 413,198...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, located about 130 km west of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and about 50 km southwest of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, in the upper Ceno valley. It is dominated by the imposing Landi Castle built over a spur of red jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
.
Bardi borders the following municipalities: Bedonia
Bedonia
Bedonia is a comune within the Province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna .- History :The communal territory was already settled during the Neolithic age, and later was a Roman colony, under the name of Bitunia....
, Bore, Borgo Val di Taro
Borgo Val di Taro
Borgo Val di Taro is a town and comune in Emilia, Italy, in the Province of Parma, 63 km from the city of Parma.Borgo Val di Taro is an important centre for cattle husbandry in Emilia and it's one of the zones where Parmigiano-Reggiano is produced....
, Compiano
Compiano
Compiano is a medieval walled town in the Taro Valley , a 50 minute-drive to the Ligurian Sea and to Parma.The top of Compiano's hill is home to the medieval Castello di Compiano.-History:...
, Farini, Ferriere
Ferriere
This article is about the Italian commune, for the Bordeaux Third growth see Château FerriereFerriere is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 150 km west of Bologna and about 45 km southwest of Piacenza, in the Val Nure of the Ligurian...
, Morfasso
Morfasso
Morfasso is a comune in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 130 km west of Bologna and about 35 km south of Piacenza...
, Valmozzola
Valmozzola
Valmozzola is a comune in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 120 km west of Bologna and about 45 km southwest of Parma....
, Varsi
Varsi
Varsi is a comune in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 120 km west of Bologna and about 40 km southwest of Parma....
.
History
According to a legend, the town's name would derive from "Bardus", or "Barrio", the last elephant of Hannibal's army, who supposedly died here during the march to RomeAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. Historically, the name stems from the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
nobility who established themselves in Bardi around 600 AD. In 1000 the bishop of Piacenza took up residence here.
In 1257 the Ghibelline Landi
Landi
Landi is the surname of:* Chico Landi* Elissa Landi, Italian actress* Stefano Landi, Italian Baroque composer* The Doria-Pamphili-Landi family line.-See also:* Landi Kotal, the highest point on the Khyber Pass, Pakistan...
of Piacenza acquired it, remaining lord of Bardi for the following four centuries. In 1269 the castle was stormed by the Guelphs, and the commune of Piacenza held it until 1307, when Emperor Henry VII
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg...
gave it back to Umbertino II Landi. Galeazzo I Visconti of Milan obtained a notable victory over the Guelphs in the nearby on November 29, 1321. In 1381 the Landi were declared formally independent by Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti
Gian Galeazzo Visconti , son of Galeazzo II Visconti and Bianca of Savoy, was the first Duke of Milan and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance...
, and obtained a complete autonomy in 1415.
Federico and his daughter Polissena Bardi renewed the castle in the 16th-17th century, establishing a college which lasted until 1805. In 1682 Polissena's son Dario ceded Bardi to Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and the town followed the story of the latter until the unification of Italy.
From the late 19th to 20th century, much of the town's population emigrated to Great Britain, France, Switzerland and Belgium. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the area saw numerous clashes between the German occupants and the partisans, the city being bombed by 12 Stukas on July 17, 1944.
Main sights
- Castello dei Landi
- Parish church of San Giovanni Battista (16th century)
- Oratory of Santa Maria delle Grazie (mid-13th century, restored in 1621). It houses an early work by Mannerist painter ParmigianinoParmigianinoGirolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola , also known as Francesco Mazzola or more commonly as Parmigianino or sometimes "Parmigiano", was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome, Bologna, and his native city of Parma...
, the Bardi AltarpieceBardi AltarpieceThe Bardi Altarpiece , is an Italian Mannerist painting by the Italian painter Parmigianino, dating from c. 1521 and housed in the church of Santa Maria at Bardi, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.- Description :...
(1521) - Country church of San Siro (12th-13th centuries)
- Memorial Chapel of the Arandora Star (20th century)
- River Ceno