Castell'Arquato (;
Piacentino: or ) is an Italian town located on the first hills of Val D’Arda in the
province of Piacenza
The province of Piacenza ( it, provincia di Piacenza) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Piacenza. As of 2016, it has a total population of 286,572 inhabitants over an area of , giving it a popu ...
, in
Emilia-Romagna
egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title ...
, approximately from
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
and from
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
. Places nearby include
Bacedasco,
Vigolo Marchese,
Fiorenzuola d'Arda
Fiorenzuola d'Arda (; egl, label= Piacentino, Fiurinsöla, or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Italy in the province of Piacenza, part of the Emilia-Romagna region. Its name derives from ''Florentia'' ("prosperous" in Latin). The "d'Arda" portion ...
,
Lugagnano Val d'Arda
Lugagnano Val d'Arda ( Piacentino: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Piacenza in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna.
Geography
It's located about northwest of Bologna and about southeast of Piacenza, on the Arda stream.
...
, and
Vernasca.
A medieval town of traditional structure which has maintained its appearance as it was in the early 10th century, the Old Town of Castell'Arquato is a high rock which in other times was strategically important for dominating the valley, now surrounded by the village. Its picturesque medieval features have led to the burg's appearances in movies such as ''
Ladyhawke''.
Opera librettist
Luigi Illica
Luigi Illica (9 May 1857 – 16 December 1919) was an Italian librettist who wrote for Giacomo Puccini (usually with Giuseppe Giacosa), Pietro Mascagni, Alfredo Catalani, Umberto Giordano, Baron Alberto Franchetti and other important Italian co ...
, known for his long collaboration with composer
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...
, but also with
Alfredo Catalani and
Umberto Giordano
Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano (28 August 186712 November 1948) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.
He was born in Foggia in Apulia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples. His first opera, ''Mari ...
and author of the libretti of such operas as ''
Tosca
''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language drama ...
'', ''
La bohème
''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '' quadri'', '' tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giusep ...
'', ''
Madama Butterfly'', ''
La Wally'' and ''
Andrea Chénier'', was born in the borough in 1857 and is here buried.
Castell'Arquato is also in the area of the
Colli Piacentini
The Colli Piacentini ("Hills of Piacenza") are an Italian wine region located at the western end of Emilia-Romagna. In 1967, the region was given the ''denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) quality designation. Within its boundaries are seve ...
(Piacenza Hills), an important area for wine production. The most important wines produced in the Colli Piacentini are
Gutturnio
The Colli Piacentini ("Hills of Piacenza") are an Italian wine region located at the western end of Emilia-Romagna. In 1967, the region was given the '' denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) quality designation. Within its boundaries are sev ...
,
Bonarda,
Ortrugo
Ortrugo is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Piacenza hills of the Emilia-Romagna region of north central Italy. Here the grape is often blended with Malvasia in the DOC white wines of the area.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's ...
, Malvasia, and Monterosso Val d'Arda.
History
The origins of Castell'Arquato are uncertain. It is believed that it originated as a Roman military settlement (''castrum''). During the Roman Imperial Era it developed into a small rural town, thanks to its position commanding the routes from Piacenza and Parma toward the Ligurian Sea (Liguria is at the end of the Piacenza valley).
The first historical news concerning Castell’Arquato (known as ''la Pieve'') appear in the 8th century. Castell'Arquato seems to have been constructed by a "noble and powerful lord named Magnus". Magnus built the squared based castle and a church "In honor Mater Dei" (756–758). At that time Castell’Arquato had a military (''Castrum'') and an agricultural organisation (''Curtis''), the Justice Administration (''Curia'') and the Religious Administration (''Pieve'').
Before dying in 789 Magnus gave the town, the church of Santa Maria and its goods to the
bishop of Piacenza
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, and Castell’Arquato acquired an important freedom as a ''
Pieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.
The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin ''plebs'' which, after t ...
'' (pleban church).
The Bishop had the right of direct taxation (''fodro'') throughout the territory of Castell'Arquato on all the men, ''nobiles'', ''burgenses'', lords with houses and lands in the area and on the clerics of Santa Maria.
From 1204 to 1207 the Bishop of Piacenza Grimerio chose Castell’Arquato as his home. The hamlet became even more independent from Piacenza. The grant of an autonomous government became official in the summer of 1220.
![Palazzo del Podestà (Castell'Arquato)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Palazzo_del_Podest%C3%A0_%28Castell%27Arquato%29.jpg)
The first document in the historical archive of Castell'Arquato is from 10 August 1220 when the Bishop Vicedomio gave his land in the burg and the territory in
Emphyteusis
Emphyteusis (Greek: implanting) is a contract for land that allows the holder the right to the enjoyment of a property, often in perpetuity, on condition of proper care, payment of tax and rent. The right encompasses assignment and of descent.
His ...
(a form of fiefdom) to the "burg and to the homines" of Castell’Arquato for 700 piacentian lire. For 200 lire and a small annual fee he gives also "in perpetual investiture all jurisdictions, honors and tithes" of Castell’Arquato, Lusurasco, San Lorenzo and Vernasca.
Castell’Arquato was at the time ruled by a
podestà
Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
chosen by the commune of Piacenza from among the most renowned members of the Piacenza's families, serving for a term of three years. The podestà had civil, political and judicial functions.
The podestà's rule ended in 1290 when
Alberto Scotti, backed by the
Guelph faction, the merchant class and the artisanal corporations, became lord of Piacenza. Castell’Arquato also became a seigniory on its own right. Alberto Scotti allied himself to the
Visconti
Visconti is a surname which may refer to:
Italian noble families
* Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447
** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan
* Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...
family and extended his dominion to the territory of Piacenza, while entrusting Castell’Arquato to the ''podestà'' Tedesio de' Spectinis. The alliance with the Visconti ended in 1302 when the son of
Matteo Visconti
Matteo I Visconti (1250–1322) was the second of the Milanese Visconti family to govern Milan. Matteo was born to Teobaldo Visconti and Anastasia Pirovano.
In 1287, Matteo's uncle Ottone Visconti, archbishop and first lord of Milan, nomina ...
,
Galeazzo I Visconti
Galeazzo I Visconti (21 January 1277 – 6 August 1328) was lord of Milan from 1322 to 1327. After being chosen Captain of Milan, he defeated two papal armies and was excommunicated by Pope John XXII. Temporarily imprisoned for murder, Galeazzo ret ...
, married
Beatrice d'Este
Beatrice d'Este (29 June 1475 – 3 January 1497), was Duchess of Bari and Milan by marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "il Moro"). She was one of the most important personalities of the time and, despite her short life, she was a major playe ...
and shifted the weight of the alliances, starting a period of conflict that brought the Scotti to Milan.
Under the Scotti dominion, Castell’Arquato acquired political prestige and many of the buildings that can be still be seen today, like the ''Palazzo del Podestà'' (Podestà's Palace) and the ''Palazzo di Giustizia'' (Court of Justice), nucleus of what is today the ''Palazzo del Duca'' (Ducal Palace).
In 1304 Alberto Scotti was banished from Castell’Arquato by the city of Piacenza, but came back three years later. After the arrival of German emperor
Henry VII in 1310,
Alberto Scotti ruled the village until 1316 when
Galeazzo I Visconti
Galeazzo I Visconti (21 January 1277 – 6 August 1328) was lord of Milan from 1322 to 1327. After being chosen Captain of Milan, he defeated two papal armies and was excommunicated by Pope John XXII. Temporarily imprisoned for murder, Galeazzo ret ...
besieged Castell’Arquato, which yielded after one year. Galeazzo Visconti allowed the town "special rights": the ability to juridically emancipate itself from
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
and to write laws of its own, the basis of the 15th century statutes.
In 1324 Castell’Arquato was given to the municipality of Piacenza, itself under the dominion of the Church, which governed the burg for twelve years. Piacenza went back to the Visconti in 1336 with
Azzone Visconti
Azzone Visconti (7 December 1302 – 16 August 1339) was lord of Milan from 1329 until his death. After the death of his uncle, Marco Visconti, he was threatened with excommunication and had to submit to Pope John XXII. Azzone reconstituted his fa ...
, who favored the burg's autonomy from Piacenza, appointing a trusted ''podestà'', Galvagno de' Comini, and facilitating the fortification of this strategically and militarily important area. He died at the age of 37 years. His successor,
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...
was responsible for the construction of the
Rocca (starting in 1342), promoted by the municipality of Piacenza.
In 1403
Gian Galeazzo Visconti gave
Borromeo de’ Borromei and his descendants feudal powers over Castell’Arquato, with the related fiscal revenues. Threatened by the powerful family of the Arcilli from Firenzuola, they gave back their rights to the people of Arquato, who gave them to
Filippo Maria Visconti,
Duke of Milan. From 1416 to 1470 the town was called Castel Visconti.
In 1438 Filippo Maria Visconti offered the fief to the
condottiero Niccolò Piccinino
Niccolò Piccinino (1386 – 15 October 1444) was an Italian condottiero.
Biography
He was born in Perugia, the son of a butcher. Piccinino was introduced in the guild of Perugia's butchers. He was later scornfully called "son of a butcher" by ...
, under whose government the Municipal Statutes were promulgated, the ''Statuta et Decreta Terrae Castri Arquati''. After his death the village went to his sons
Francesco
Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name " Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include:
People with the given name Francesco
* Francesco I (disambiguation), sev ...
and Jacopo. After Filippo Maria Visconti's death, his son-in-law
Francesco I Sforza was in 1447 also declared lord of
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
and its area.
In 1541
Pope Paul III declared the independence of the village, having already initiated the process in 1538. He also visited the Castell'Arquato in the spring of 1543 when he was acclaimed by the population, grateful for the independence from Piacenza also meant economical relief.
The rule by the
Sforza
The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. They acquired the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti family in the mid-15th century, Sforza rule ending in Milan with the death of the last me ...
s went on until 1707, when the territory of Castell'Arquato became part of the
Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza ( it, Ducato di Parma e Piacenza, la, Ducatus Parmae et Placentiae), was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna.
Originally a realm of the Farnes ...
under the
Farnese and later the
House of Bourbon, until its
annexation to Italy in 1860.
The current coat of arms reflects these changes, featuring the castle alongside the symbols of Piacenza (red
castra of Sant'Antonino), the Farnese (golden fleur de lis); the Scotti (6-pointed gold stars) and the Sforza (golden lions).
Main sights
*
''Rocca Viscontea'' (Visconti castle). Founded over pre-existing edifice, it was the seat of the Visconti garrison and has a quadrangular plan with four square towers at the vertexes, a ''mastio'' (
keep) and a ditch with two entrances. The ''Rocca'' is today home to the Medieval Museum
*
''Collegiata '' church of St Mary, dating to the late 8th century, when it was a baptismal ''pieve''. It was however, completely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1117. Notable is the Romanesque "Paradise Portico" on the left side, dating to the late 14th century, the four apses and the late 13th century cloister. The interior has sculpted capitals and sculptures from the 12th century, and frescoes.
*''Palazzo del Podestà''
*''Torrione Farnese'' (Farnese Tower)
*''Porta di Sasso'' (Sasso Gate)
*Baptistery of ''San Giovanni'', at Vigolo Marchese
*S. Spirito Hospital (now housing a museum)
*''Palazzo del Duca'' (Ducal Palace), built in 1292 by Alberto Scoto. It is connected to the Torrione by a tunnel.
*Church of ''San Giacomo''
*''Vernasca Silver Flag'' (Annual vintage motorsport event). Scheduled for 16–18 June 2017 and organized by Club Piacentino Automotoveicoli d'Epoca.
Culture
The castle's archive houses a collection of ancient music (from c. 16th century). It was partly published by the
American Institute of Musicology. In those time it means for harpsichord or organ. The edition is called CEKM (Corpus of Early Keyboard music).
From this collection a keyboard dance of the renaissance called "Al Milanese" with regal sound:
References
External links
www.castellarquato.comwww.comune.castellarquato.pc.it
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castell'arquato
Hilltowns in Emilia-Romagna
Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna