Castel del Rio
Encyclopedia
Castel del Rio is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Bologna
in the Italian
region Emilia-Romagna
, located about 35 km southwest of Bologna
.
Historically, the town's countryside is a large producer of chestnut
, which has received the European Protected Geographical Status
.
gave the fief to the Alidosi family, who held it for more than four centuries until it became part of the Papal States
.
During World War II
Castel del Rio was located across the Gothic Line
. Numerous of its citizens fought as partisans against the German occupation
.
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 Bologna
Province of Bologna
The Province of Bologna is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bologna.-Geography:It has an area of 3,702 km², and a total population of 991,647 . There are 60 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Bologna...
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 35 km southwest 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,...
.
Historically, the town's countryside is a large producer of chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
, which has received the European Protected Geographical Status
Protected Geographical Status
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
.
History
Traces of human presence in the area date to the 6th-5th centuries BC. The current town was however founded in the 5th-6th centuries AD as Massa di S. Ambrogio. Starting from the 10th century, there were fortifications and castles, whence the toponym Castrum Rivi from which the current name derives. In 1076 the castle was acquired by Matilde of Canossa; later Emperor Otto IVOtto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
gave the fief to the Alidosi family, who held it for more than four centuries until it became part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
.
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...
Castel del Rio was located across the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
. Numerous of its citizens fought as partisans 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:...
.
Main sights
- The Fortress Palace, commissioned in the early 16th century by Francesco Alidosi, cardinal and friend of Bramante, to whom some attribute the design. Notable is the Renaissance style court, with sandstone columns and shell-shaped fountains. The edifice now houses the Castel del Rio Town Hall, a library, the Museum of War and of the Gothic LineGothic LineThe Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
, and the Museum of the Chestnut Civilization. - Ponte Alidosi, built by Obizzo Alidosi from 1499.
- Ruins of the castles of Cantagallo, Valmaggiore and Castellaccio
- Medieval historical centers of Castel del Rio, Belvedere and Giugnola
See also
- GiugnolaGiugnolaGiugnola is a village in central Italy, administratively divided into two frazioni of the two municipalities of Castel del Rio and Firenzuola...
, a frazioneFrazioneA frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
administratively divided with FirenzuolaFirenzuolaFirenzuola is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 40 km northeast of Florence....
, in TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....