Goito
Encyclopedia
Goito is a comune
of Lombardy
, Italy, in the Province of Mantua
, from which it is some 20 km, on the road to Brescia
. It is situated on the right bank of the Mincio River near the bridge.
colony in the early 2nd century BC as a defensive outpost on the Mincio crossing along he Via Postumia
from Cremona
to Verona
. In the late 5th century AD, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire
, it become a fortress of the Ostrogoths, from whom the current name perhaps derives. Later it was conquered by the Lombards
and the Franks
.
In the later Middle Ages it was held by the Canossa family and then it established itself as a free commune
. In the 15th century Goito was contended between the Visconti
and Gonzaga
families, until, after a battle fought on 14 June 1453, it became a possession of marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga. He built here a residence (in which the painter Andrea Mantegna
worked in 1463-1464), restored the fortifications and built the Naviglio del Golfo canal, and died here by plague in 1478. Goito maintained its prosperity under dukes Guglielmo and Vincenzo I Gonzaga.
After the decline of the Gonzaga lordship, and struck by an earthquake in 1693, in 1708 it was annexed to the Austrian-held Duchy of Milan
. In the late 18th century it was captured by the French and later retaken by the Austrians. During the First Italian War of Independence
, the Piedmontese forces won two actions (8 April and 30 May 1848, called the battle of Goito
) over the Austrians here.
It became part of Italy after the Second Italian War of Independence
.
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 Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, Italy, in the Province of Mantua
Province of Mantua
The Province of Mantua is a province in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Mantua.-Communes:It includes 70 comuni , ranging in area from Viadana, with 102.19 km², to Mariana Mantovana, with 8.81 km²....
, from which it is some 20 km, on the road to Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
. It is situated on the right bank of the Mincio River near the bridge.
History
It was founded as a RomanAncient 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....
colony in the early 2nd century BC as a defensive outpost on the Mincio crossing along he Via Postumia
Via Postumia
The Via Postumia was an ancient Roman road of northern Italy constructed in 148 BC by the consul Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus.It ran from the coast at Genua through the mountains to Dertona, Placentia and Cremona, just east of the point where it crossed the Po River...
from Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
to Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. In the late 5th century AD, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, it become a fortress of the Ostrogoths, from whom the current name perhaps derives. Later it was conquered by the Lombards
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...
and the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
.
In the later Middle Ages it was held by the Canossa family and then it established itself as a free 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...
. In the 15th century Goito was contended between 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...
and Gonzaga
House of Gonzaga
The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage...
families, until, after a battle fought on 14 June 1453, it became a possession of marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga. He built here a residence (in which the painter Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
worked in 1463-1464), restored the fortifications and built the Naviglio del Golfo canal, and died here by plague in 1478. Goito maintained its prosperity under dukes Guglielmo and Vincenzo I Gonzaga.
After the decline of the Gonzaga lordship, and struck by an earthquake in 1693, in 1708 it was annexed to the Austrian-held Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
. In the late 18th century it was captured by the French and later retaken by the Austrians. During the First Italian War of Independence
First Italian War of Independence
The First Italian War of Independence was fought in 1848 between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Empire. The war saw main battles at Custoza and Novara in which the Austrians under Radetzky managed to defeat the Piedmontese....
, the Piedmontese forces won two actions (8 April and 30 May 1848, called the battle of Goito
Battle of Goito
The Battle of Goito was fought between the Piedmontese and the Austrian army on 30 May 1848, in the course of the First Italian War of Independence...
) over the Austrians here.
It became part of Italy after the Second Italian War of Independence
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
.