Colorno (
Parmigiano
Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months.
It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' i ...
: ) is a ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' (municipality) in the
Province of Parma in the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
region
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 ...
, located about northwest of
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
and about north of
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 ...
.
Colorno borders the following municipalities:
Casalmaggiore,
Gussola
Gussola ( Casalasco-Viadanese: ; Cremunés: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about southeast of Cremona.
Gussola borders the following municipalitie ...
,
Martignana di Po
Martignana di Po (Emilian language#Dialects, Casalasco-Viadanese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about southeast of Cremona.
Martignana di P ...
,
Mezzani
Mezzani ( egl, label= Parmigiano, Amzan or , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northeast of Parma. The principal centres of the municipal ...
,
Sissa Trecasali,
Torrile
Torrile ( Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about north of Parma.
Torrile borders the following municipalities: Colorno, Mezzani, ...
.
Main sights
The main attraction of Colorno is the
Ducal Palace (Reggia), built in the 18th century for the
Farnese family.
Other sights include:
*The ''Aranciaia'', erected in 1710–12 by duke
Francesco Farnese
Francesco Farnese (19 May 1678 – 26 February 1727) reigned as the seventh Farnese Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1694 until his death. Married to Dorothea Sophia of the Palatinate, his brother Odoardo's widow, to avoid the return of her dowry ...
as a shelter for the orange and lemon trees that in summer decorated the Ducal Palace. It was designed by
Ferdinando Galli Bibiena. It is currently seat of the Museum of the Peasant Civilisation and Pre-Industrial Technology.
*The Water Tower (1718–19).
*
Santa Margherita, Colorno
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
- mainly 16th century church
History
The history of Colorno begins around the year 1004 A.D., when the town is mentioned in a document that established the ownership of some properties of the bishopric of
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 ...
.
After the sale of property in favour of the municipality of Parma, Colorno is remembered as one of the few towns that resisted the advance of the Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II in 1247, when he led a campaign in order to punish the city of Parma for its infidelity. During the 14th and the 15th century the castle of Colorno and its surroundings were ruled by the House of Terzi, a noble family from Parma. In 1458
Francesco I Sforza, Duke of Milan, awarded the feud of Colorno to
Roberto Sanseverino d'Aragona
Roberto Sanseverino d'Aragona (1418 – 10 August 1487) was an Italian condottiero, count of Colorno from 1458 to 1477 and count of Caiazzo from 1460 until his death in 1487. Highly esteemed man of arms, veteran of numerous battles, he was one of ...
and his descendants, whom ruled until 1612. In this period, many of the most important buildings of Colorno were constructed, as the Oratory of Saint Liborius and the
Torre delle Acque.
With the death of
Antonio Farnese, the
Duchy of Parma passed to
Charles III of Spain, and cause of the
War of the Polish Succession
The War of the Polish Succession ( pl, Wojna o sukcesję polską; 1733–35) was a major European conflict sparked by a Polish civil war over the succession to Augustus II of Poland, which the other European powers widened in pursuit of thei ...
, the 29th of June 1734 took place the
Battle of Colorno
The Battle of Colorno consisted of two battles, fought between 25 May and 5 June 1734, between Franco-Sardinian and Austrian (Habsburg) troops as part of the War of Polish Succession.
Begun on 25 May 1734, the Imperial Austro-German armies conqu ...
, between Franco-Sardinian and Austrian troops. During the
House of Bourbon period, Colorno reached its maximum splendor with some works by the famous artist
Ennemond Alexandre Petitot
Ennemond Alexandre Petitot (1727-1801) was a French-born architect, mainly active in the Duchy of Parma.
Biography
He was born in Lyon in 1727, and by 1741, he had joined the studio of the architect Jacques Soufflot. From there he moved to study a ...
and the laic politics of
Guillaume du Tillot
Léon Guillaume (du) Tillot (Bayonne, 22 May 1711 — Paris, 1774) was a French politician infused with liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, who from 1759 was the minister of the Duchy of Parma under Philip, Duke of Parma and his wife Princess Lou ...
. An important addition was the construction of
Cappella Ducale di San Liborio and the
Venaria Reale
Venaria Reale ( pms, La Venerìa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northwest of Turin.
Venaria Reale borders the municipalities of Robassomero, Caselle Torinese, Druent ...
one. After the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
, the
Duchy of Parma was given to Napoleon's wife,
Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine. Under her rule, the
Ducal Palace of Colorno was expanded and embellished, making it her summer estate. After the death of the Duchess in 1847, the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza returned to the
House of Bourbon-Parma
The House of Bourbon-Parma ( it, Casa di Borbone di Parma) is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, whose members once ruled as King of Etruria and as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Guastalla, and Lucca. The House descended from the Fren ...
, and so did Colorno.
Today Colorno is part of the
Unione Bassa Est Parmense, an institution that brings together some municipalities in the East part of the Province of Parma.
Cuisine
A typical dish from this town and area of the Province of Parma, is the
Tortél Dóls, a kind of
Ravioli
Ravioli (; singular: ''raviolo'', ) are a type of pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, tho ...
with a bittersweet stuffing, whose origin goes back to the times of the
Empress Marie-Louise of France, Duchess of Parma. Other typical dishes are the same as Parma, like
anolini and
tortelli d'erbetta, mostly eaten during the
Christmas season
The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...
.
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna