Fidenza
Encyclopedia
Fidenza is a town and comune
in the province of Parma
, Emilia-Romagna
region, Italy
. It has around 24,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman
name of Fidentia; before, it was called Borgo San Donnino.
.
In the 5th century AD it was destroyed by Constantine I
. From 1092 to 1100 Borgo San Donnino was the seat of King Conrad II of Italy. In the same year, it became a commune
, confirmed in 1162 by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who entrusted it to the Pallavicino family of Piacenza
. In 1199 it was conquered by Parma
, but was freed in 1221 by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
. In 1268 the city was however destroyed by the troops of Parma. It was rebuilt around 1300; from 1346 to 1447 it was under a discontinuous lordship of the Visconti of Milan. In 1449 it was conquered by the new Milanese lords, the Sforza, who held it until 1499.
After the date it continued to change move to an autonomous state to the subjection to Parma until 1556, when it became part of the Farnese duchy of Parma and Piacenza. After a period under France during the Napoleonic Wars
, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia
-Piedmont in 1859, during the unification of Italy.
The city underwent a large program of expansion during the Fascist government
of Italy. It changed its name from Borgo Donnino to Fidenza in 1927. In May 1944 the city was bombed by Allied planes and nearly destroyed. In the Spring 1945 the German
occupation troops perpetrated several massacres, such as that of the Carzole and of Via Baracca. It was conquered by the Allies on 26 April 1945.
, who was martyred by order of Maximian
in AD 304.
The cathedral is an example of Lombard-Romanesque churches of the 11th to 13th centuries in northern Italy. The upper part of the façade is incomplete, but the lower, with its three portals and sculptures, is a fine example of Romanesque architecture
, including two statues by Benedetto Antelami
and bas-reliefs depicting the Histories of St. Domninus. The interior is simple and well-proportioned, and has not been spoilt by restoration. The statue at the front of the cathedral of the apostle Simon Peter is famous for its pointing in the direction of Rome
, held in the left hand is an inscription reading "I show you the way to Rome", making it one of the world's first road signs.
Enrichetta d'Este
, Duchess of Parma is buried here.
The Palazzo Comunale is also medieval, being first mentioned in 1191. The current structure dates from the 14th century but has a new façade which was added in the 19th century. After being destroyed by Spanish and French troops during the Italian Wars
, it was rebuilt and enlarged.
Remains of the medieval town are visible near the cathedral, include the only surviving gate, the Porta San Donnino. It was built by the Visconti
family in 1364.
, United Kingdom
Herrenberg
, Germany
Kremnica
, Slovakia
Sisteron
, France
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:...
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...
, 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....
region, Italy
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...
. It has around 24,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its Roman
Ancient 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....
name of Fidentia; before, it was called Borgo San Donnino.
History
The town originates from a Roman camp (Fidentia) founded on the place where the Gauls Anani had their settlement of Vicumvia. In 41 BC it received the Roman citizenship and became a municipiumMunicipium
Municipium , the prototype of English municipality, was the Latin term for a town or city. Etymologically the municipium was a social contract between municipes, the "duty holders," or citizens of the town. The duties, or munera, were a communal obligation assumed by the municipes in exchange for...
.
In the 5th century AD it was destroyed by Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
. From 1092 to 1100 Borgo San Donnino was the seat of King Conrad II of Italy. In the same year, it became a commune
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
, confirmed in 1162 by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who entrusted it to the Pallavicino family of Piacenza
Piacenza
Piacenza is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
. In 1199 it was conquered by 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....
, but was freed in 1221 by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. In 1268 the city was however destroyed by the troops of Parma. It was rebuilt around 1300; from 1346 to 1447 it was under a discontinuous lordship of the Visconti of Milan. In 1449 it was conquered by the new Milanese lords, the Sforza, who held it until 1499.
After the date it continued to change move to an autonomous state to the subjection to Parma until 1556, when it became part of the Farnese duchy of Parma and Piacenza. After a period under France during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, it was annexed 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...
-Piedmont in 1859, during the unification of Italy.
The city underwent a large program of expansion during the Fascist government
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
of Italy. It changed its name from Borgo Donnino to Fidenza in 1927. In May 1944 the city was bombed by Allied planes and nearly destroyed. In the Spring 1945 the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupation troops perpetrated several massacres, such as that of the Carzole and of Via Baracca. It was conquered by the Allies on 26 April 1945.
Main sights
Fidenza's most famous building is the Cathedral, which dates from the 12th century and is dedicated to Domninus of FidenzaDomninus of Fidenza
Saint Domninus of Fidenza is an Italian Catholic saint. According to tradition, he died in 304 AD and was a native of Parma. The cathedral at Fidenza is dedicated to him. The Hieronymian Martyrology commemorates Domninus, but does not include any further information about him, and his feast...
, who was martyred by order of Maximian
Maximian
Maximian was Roman Emperor from 286 to 305. He was Caesar from 285 to 286, then Augustus from 286 to 305. He shared the latter title with his co-emperor and superior, Diocletian, whose political brain complemented Maximian's military brawn. Maximian established his residence at Trier but spent...
in AD 304.
The cathedral is an example of Lombard-Romanesque churches of the 11th to 13th centuries in northern Italy. The upper part of the façade is incomplete, but the lower, with its three portals and sculptures, is a fine example of Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, including two statues by Benedetto Antelami
Benedetto Antelami
Benedetto Antelami was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Romanesque school, whose "sculptural style sprang from local north Italian traditions that can be traced back to late antiquity" Little is known about his life. He was probably originally from Lombardy, perhaps born in Val d'Intelvi...
and bas-reliefs depicting the Histories of St. Domninus. The interior is simple and well-proportioned, and has not been spoilt by restoration. The statue at the front of the cathedral of the apostle Simon Peter is famous for its pointing in the direction of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, held in the left hand is an inscription reading "I show you the way to Rome", making it one of the world's first road signs.
Enrichetta d'Este
Enrichetta d'Este
Enrichetta d'Este was an Italian noblewoman. She was the Duchess of Parma by marriage to Antonio Farnese, Duke of Parma, who was her first cousin as well as an uncle of Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain....
, Duchess of Parma is buried here.
The Palazzo Comunale is also medieval, being first mentioned in 1191. The current structure dates from the 14th century but has a new façade which was added in the 19th century. After being destroyed by Spanish and French troops during the Italian Wars
Italian Wars
The Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
, it was rebuilt and enlarged.
Remains of the medieval town are visible near the cathedral, include the only surviving gate, the Porta San Donnino. It was built by the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
family in 1364.
Twin towns
CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Herrenberg
Herrenberg
Herrenberg is a town in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, about 30 kmsouth of Stuttgart and 20 km from Tübingen. After Sindelfingen, Böblingen, and Leonberg, it is the fourth largest town in the district of Böblingen...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Kremnica
Kremnica
Kremnica is a town in central Slovakia. It has some 5,700 inhabitants. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mint in the world.-History:...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
Sisteron
Sisteron
Sisteron is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Sisteron is situated on the banks of the River Durance just after the confluence of the rivers Buëch and Sasse...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...