Carpi (Modena)
Encyclopedia
Carpi is an Italian
town and comune
of about 67,000 people in the province of Modena
, Emilia-Romagna
.
It is a busy centre for industrial and craft activities and for cultural and commercial exchanges.
tree particularly widespread in medieval times in the Po
valley region. In Prehistoric times it was a settlement of the Villanovan Culture
.
The foundation by the Lombard
king Aistulf
of St. Mary's church in the castle (Castrum Carpi) in 752 was the first step in the current settlement of the city. From 1319 to 1525 it was ruled by the Pio family
, after whom it was acquired by the Este, as part of the Duchy of Modena.
The city received a Silver Medal for Military Valour in recognition of its participation in the resistance against the German occupation
during World War II
.
Carpi is the finishing point of the annual Italian Marathon, which begins in nearby Maranello
. Almost 1000 athletes enter the senior men's and women's race which has been held every year since 1988.
), the largest in the region. It is flanked by a portico
with 52 columns.
Other notable landmarks include:
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...
town and comune
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:...
of about 67,000 people in the province of Modena
Province of Modena
The Province of Modena is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena.It has an area of 2,689 km², and a total population of 659,925 . There are 48 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Modena.At May 31, 2005, the main comuni by population...
, 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....
.
It is a busy centre for industrial and craft activities and for cultural and commercial exchanges.
History
The name "Carpi" is derived from carpinus betulus, a hornbeamHornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
tree particularly widespread in medieval times in the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
valley region. In Prehistoric times it was a settlement of the Villanovan Culture
Villanovan culture
The Villanovan culture was the earliest Iron Age culture of central and northern Italy, abruptly following the Bronze Age Terramare culture and giving way in the 7th century BC to an increasingly orientalizing culture influenced by Greek traders, which was followed without a severe break by the...
.
The foundation by 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...
king Aistulf
Aistulf
Aistulf was the Duke of Friuli from 744, King of Lombards from 749, and Duke of Spoleto from 751. His father was the Duke Pemmo.After his brother Ratchis became king, Aistulf succeeded him in Friuli. He succeeded him later as king when Ratchis abdicated to a monastery...
of St. Mary's church in the castle (Castrum Carpi) in 752 was the first step in the current settlement of the city. From 1319 to 1525 it was ruled by the Pio family
Pio di Savoia
Pio di Savoia, an ancient noble Italian family, first mentioned by good authorities in the 14th century. From the house of Este they received the lordship of Carpi, and later they acquired the fiefs of Meldola, Sassuolo, etc...
, after whom it was acquired by the Este, as part of the Duchy of Modena.
The city received a Silver Medal for Military Valour in recognition of its participation in the resistance against the German occupation
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
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...
.
Carpi is the finishing point of the annual Italian Marathon, which begins in nearby Maranello
Maranello
Maranello is a town and comune in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy, 18 km from Modena, with a population of 16,841 as of 2009. It is best known as the home of Ferrari S.p.A. and the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One racing team...
. Almost 1000 athletes enter the senior men's and women's race which has been held every year since 1988.
Main sights
Carpi is distinguished by its great Renaissance square (piazzaPiazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
), the largest in the region. It is flanked by a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
with 52 columns.
Other notable landmarks include:
- Town hall (Palazzo dei Pio)- formerly the castle of the Pio family. It includes parts from different ages, such as the merloned-tower of Passerino Bonaccolsi, the Renaissance façade and the tower of Galasso Pio, and the 17th century watch tower. It includes a chapel frescoed by Bernardino Loschi and Vincenzo CatenaVincenzo CatenaVincenzo Catena was an Italian painter of the Renaissance Venetian school.He is also known as Vincenzo de Biagio. His name is known from an inscription on the back of Giorgione's painting of Laura. Little else is known about the life of the painter.-Sources:**...
. - Cathedral - Originally designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi, drawings for it are located in the Gabinetto dei Disegni e Stampe in the Uffizi, Florence, and document Peruzzi's contact with Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. Construction begun 1514, design changed with the Baroque façade (completed 1701) and the cupola (completed 1774). - Church of Santa Maria in Castello or La Sagra - New façade designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi (1514).