Diano Castello
Encyclopedia
Diano Castello is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Imperia
in the Italian
region Liguria
, located about 90 km southwest of Genoa
and about 5 km northeast of Imperia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,061 and an area of 6.0 km².
Diano Castello borders the following municipalities: Diano Arentino
, Diano Marina
, Diano San Pietro
, Imperia, and San Bartolomeo al Mare
. The hills surrounding the village are covered with olive groves and with vineyards that produce Vermentino
, a white wine.
pirates. As with many villages around Savona
, it later became a fief of the Clavesana marquisate, who built a fortress and ruled till the second half of the 12th century. In the 14th century, Diano Castello became a free municipality (Communitas Diani), that controlled the surrounding villages. It later became part of the Republic of Genoa
. The people of this village fought along with Genoa
against Pisa
in the Battle of Meloria (1284)
. In 1747 it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
. In 1797 it came under French rule when it was conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Sardinia
. Finally, in 1860 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy
. The earthquake of 1887 inflicted serious damage to the churches and the historical monuments
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 Imperia
Province of Imperia
The Province of Imperia is a mountainous and hilly province, in the Liguria region of Italy, situated between the Maritime Alps to the north and the Ligurian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea to the south...
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 Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, located about 90 km southwest of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and about 5 km northeast of Imperia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,061 and an area of 6.0 km².
Diano Castello borders the following municipalities: Diano Arentino
Diano Arentino
Diano Arentino is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 90 km southwest of Genoa and about 7 km north of Imperia...
, Diano Marina
Diano Marina
Diano Marina is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 90 km southwest of Genoa and about 5 km northeast of Imperia...
, Diano San Pietro
Diano San Pietro
Diano San Pietro is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 90 km southwest of Genoa and about 6 km northeast of Imperia...
, Imperia, and San Bartolomeo al Mare
San Bartolomeo al Mare
San Bartolomeo al Mare is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 90 km southwest of Genoa and about 7 km northeast of Imperia...
. The hills surrounding the village are covered with olive groves and with vineyards that produce Vermentino
Vermentino
Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in Sardinia, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon. The leaves are dark...
, a white wine.
History
As the name of the municipality suggests, it was originally built in the 10th century as a fortification (Castrum Diani) against incursions by the SaracenSaracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
pirates. As with many villages around Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
, it later became a fief of the Clavesana marquisate, who built a fortress and ruled till the second half of the 12th century. In the 14th century, Diano Castello became a free municipality (Communitas Diani), that controlled the surrounding villages. It later became part of the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
. The people of this village fought along with Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
against Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
in the Battle of Meloria (1284)
Battle of Meloria (1284)
The Battle of Meloria was fought between 5 and 6 August 1284 near the Meloria islet, in the Tyrrhenian Sea between the Genoese and the Pisan fleet, as part of the Genoese-Pisan War...
. In 1747 it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. In 1797 it came under French rule when it was conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
. Finally, in 1860 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
. The earthquake of 1887 inflicted serious damage to the churches and the historical monuments
Churches and monuments
- Church of San Nicola di Bari : The original medieval church dates from before the 12th century. It became the parish church in 1223. The present building is the work of Giobatta and Giacomo Filippo Marvaldi, who rebuilt it in Baroque style between 1699 and 1725. The interior is decorated with polychrome marble ornamentation. The main altar is embellished with marble intarsiaIntarsiaIntarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The term is also used for a similar technique used with small, highly polished stones set in a marble matrix .- History :...
. The wooden choir in the apse dates from the 18th century. The wooden crucifix above the altar is ascribed to Anton Maria MaraglianoAnton Maria MaraglianoAnton Maria Maragliano was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, known primarily for his wooden statues...
. - Church of St. John the Baptist (Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista) is situated at the northern side of the village. It was built in Romanesque style around 1,000 A.D. It was modified in the 12th century when the three-naved structure was replaced by a single nave. The finely painted wooden roofing truss dates from the 15th century, but was heavily restored in the 19th century. The paintings depict saints, the cycle of the months and people labouring in the fields.
- Church of Santa Maria Assunta : this Romanesque church retains the apse that was built in the 13th century. Its arches rest on anthrorpomorphicAnthropomorphismAnthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
corbelCorbelIn architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. There are several frescoes in Baroque and Renaissance style. Recent restorations revealed 14th century frescoes by Antonio Monregalese. - Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli
- Oratory of San Bernardino and the Holy Cross : dating from the late Middle Ages and was largely restored in the 17th century.
- Franciscan convent : dates from the 16th century. The altarpiece is an oil on canvas depicting St. Peter of AlcantaraPeter of AlcantaraSaint Peter of Alcántara, O.F.M. was a Spanish Franciscan friar.- Biography :He was born at Alcántara, Province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. His father, Peter Garavito, was the governor of Alcántara, and his mother was of the noble family of Sanabia...
, by Giovanni Battista CarloneGiovanni Battista CarloneGiovanni Battista Carlone was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Genoa.Carlone was born and died in Genoa. He came from a family of artists: his father Taddeo was a sculptor and his older brother Giovanni Bernardo Carlone, a well-trained painter. He may have had some...
. - The city hall (Palazzo comunale) was built in the 15th century as the residence of the Counts Quaglia. It contains a large fresco on the façade of the building representing the Genoese victory at the Battle of Meloria.