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Imola (; rgn, Jômla or ) is a city and '' comune'' in the
Metropolitan City of Bologna The Metropolitan City of Bologna ( it, Città Metropolitana di Bologna) is a metropolitan city in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. Its capital is ''de facto'' the city of Bologna, though the body does not explicitly outline it. It was created b ...
, located on the river
Santerno The Santerno is a river in Romagna in northern Italy. It is a major tributary of the river Reno. In Roman times, it was known as the ''Vatrenus'' (small ''Renus''), although, in the Tabula Peutingeriana, it was already identified as the ''Sante ...
, in the
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 ...
region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical region Romagna. The city is best-known as the home of the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari which hosts the Formula One Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and formerly hosted the San Marino Grand Prix (the race was named after the independent nation of San Marino which is around 100 km to the south), and the deaths of Formula One drivers Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at the circuit during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. The death of Senna (three-times world champion) was an event that shocked the sporting world and led to heightened Formula One safety standards.


History

The city was anciently called ''Forum Cornelii'', after the
Roman dictator A Roman dictator was an extraordinary magistrate in the Roman Republic endowed with full authority to resolve some specific problem to which he had been assigned. He received the full powers of the state, subordinating the other magistrates, con ...
L. Cornelius Sulla, who founded it about 82 BC. The city was an agricultural and trading centre, famous for its ceramics. The name Imola was first used in the 7th century by the
Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...
, who applied it to the fortress (the present Castellaccio, the construction of which is attributed to the Lombard Clefi), whence the name passed to the city itself. According to Paul the Deacon, Imola was in 412 the scene of the marriage of
Ataulf Athaulf (also ''Athavulf'', ''Atawulf'', or ''Ataulf'' and ''Adolf'', Latinized as ''Ataulphus'') ( 37015 August 415) was king of the Visigoths from 411 to 415. During his reign, he transformed the Visigothic state from a tribal kingdom to a maj ...
, King of the Visigoths, to Galla Placidia, daughter of Emperor
Theodosius the Great Theodosius I ( grc-gre, Θεοδόσιος ; 11 January 347 – 17 January 395), also called Theodosius the Great, was Roman emperor from 379 to 395. During his reign, he succeeded in a crucial war against the Goths, as well as in two ...
. In the Gothic War (535–552), and after the Lombard invasion, it was held alternately by the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
s and barbarians. With the
exarchate of Ravenna The Exarchate of Ravenna ( la, Exarchatus Ravennatis; el, Εξαρχάτο της Ραβέννας) or of Italy was a lordship of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) in Italy, from 584 to 751, when the last exarch was put to death by the ...
, it passed under papal authority. In the ninth century, Fausto Alidosi defended the city against the Saracens and Hungarians. In the tenth century, Troilo Nordiglio acquired great power. This and the following centuries witnessed incessant wars against the Ravennatese, the Faentines and the Bolognese, as well as the internecine struggles of the Castrimolesi (from ''Castro Imolese'', "castle of Imola") and the ''Sancassianesi'' (from San Cassiano). Amid these conflicts, the republican constitution of the city was created. In the contest between pope and emperor, Imola was generally Ghibelline, though it often returned to the popes (e.g. in 1248). Several times, powerful lords attempted to obtain the mastery of the city (
Alidosi The Alidosi or Alodosi are a family of Romagna, Italy, who held the '' signoria'' of the city of Imola during the Late Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to ...
, 1292; Maghinardo Pagano, 1295). Pope Benedict XII turned the city and its territory over to
Lippo II Alidosi Lippo II Alidosi (also called Litto; died 1350) was a ruler of Imola, a member of the Alidosi family. He was elected "Captain of the People" of Imola in 1334, the same year in which he was '' podestà'' of Bologna. Two years later Benedict X ...
with the title of pontifical vicar, the power remaining in the family
Alidosi The Alidosi or Alodosi are a family of Romagna, Italy, who held the '' signoria'' of the city of Imola during the Late Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to ...
until 1424, when the condottiero Angelo della Pergola, "capitano" for Filippo Maria Visconti, gained the supremacy (see also Wars in Lombardy). In 1426 the city was restored to the Holy See, and the
legate Legate may refer to: * Legatus, a higher ranking general officer of the Roman army drawn from among the senatorial class :*Legatus Augusti pro praetore, a provincial governor in the Roman Imperial period *A member of a legation *A representative, ...
(later Cardinal) Capranica inaugurated a new regime in public affairs. Various
condottieri ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europ ...
later ruled in the city, such as 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 ...
; several landmark fortresses remain from this period. In 1434, 1438, and 1470, Imola was conferred on 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 m ...
, who had become dukes of
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
( Lombardy). It was again brought under papal authority when it was bestowed as dowry on
Caterina Sforza Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano. Caterina was a noblewoman who lived a l ...
, the bride of Girolamo Riario, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV. Riario was invested with the Principality of Forlì and Imola. This proved advantageous to Imola, which was embellished with beautiful palaces and works of art (e.g. in the cathedral, the tomb of Girolamo, murdered in 1488 by conspirators of Forli). The rule of the Riarii, however, was brief, as Pope
Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Chur ...
deprived the son of Girolamo, Ottaviano, of power, and on 25 November 1499, the city surrendered to Cesare Borgia. After his death, two factions, that of Galeazzo Riario and that of the Church, competed for control of the city. The ecclesiastical party was victorious, and in 1504 Imola submitted to Pope Julius II. The last trace of these contests was a bitter enmity between the Vaini and Sassatelli families. In 1797, the revolutionary French forces established a provisional government at Imola. In 1799, it was occupied by the Austrians, and in 1800, it was united to the Cisalpine Republic. After that, it shared the fortunes of the Romagna region.


Main sights

*''Imola Circuit ''( Imola Circuit) *''Rocca Sforzesca ''(
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 m ...
Castle), built under the reign of Girolamo Riario and
Caterina Sforza Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano. Caterina was a noblewoman who lived a l ...
. Now houses a Cinema d'Estate which shows films in July and August. It also is the location of the world-famou
International Piano Academy "Incontri col Maestro"
founded in 1989 by Franco Scala. *''Palazzo Tozzoni'' (Tozzoni's Mansion), built between 1726 and 1738 by the architect Domenico Trifogli, civic art museum since 1981. *''Duomo'' (cathedral), dedicated to San Cassiano. Erected from 1187 to 1271, it was repeatedly restored in the following centuries, until a large renovation was held in 1765–1781. The façade dates to 1850. *''Convento dell'Osservanza'', including the church of ''San Michele'' from 1472, to which later a convent with two cloisters was added. It houses a sarcophagus of Lucrezia Landriani (1496), mother of
Caterina Sforza Caterina Sforza (1463 – 28 May 1509) was an Italian noblewoman, the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola, firstly with her husband Girolamo Riario, and after his death as a regent of her son Ottaviano. Caterina was a noblewoman who lived a l ...
. The interior has a nave and an aisles, finished in 1942; it houses a fresco attributed to Guidaccio da Imola (1472). In the apse is a Byzantine-style crucifix from the 15th century. The first cloister, dating to 1590, had originally 35 frescoes of stories of St. Francis, 15 of which went lost. In the garden annexed to the church is a precious ''Pietà'' in
terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terra ...
of late-15th century Bolognese or Faenza school. *''Santuario della Beata Vergine del Piratello'' and ''Cimitero del Piratello''. On 27 March 1483 a pilgrim named Stefano Manganelli witnessed a miracle at Piratello in which a vision of the Madonna requested that the people of Imola build her a shrine, leading to the establishment of a monastery and the Santuario della Beata Vergine. The monastery was dissolved during the Napoleonic suppressions of the early 1800s The ''Cimitero del Piratello'' was authorized in 1817 and opened several years later, occupying the former convent cloisters adjacent to the Santuario (designated a Basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1954). The cemetery was further developed in 1916 with the addition of the Campo Monumentale. Other buildings include the Farsetti and the Communal palaces. In the latter is a fresco representing Clement VII and Charles V (1535) passing through the city. The public library was established in 1747 by the Conventual Padre Setti. In the 16th century, the Accademia degli Industriosi flourished.


Green areas

*The Acque Minerali Park, located next to Santerno river, on the hills of the city. The park was created in the beginning of the 20th century; the discovery of the mineral water occurred in 1830 *The Tozzoni Park, located on a big hilly area on the side of the city; it became a public area in 1978. The Tozzoni family bought the park in 1882 and used it as a hunting reserve, naming it "Parco del Monte" (Italian: "Park of the Mountain").


People

* Pope Honorius II (1124–1130), born Lamberto Scannabecchi * Antonio Maria Valsalva, anatomist who founded the anatomy and physiology of the ear *
Benvenuto Rambaldi da Imola Benvenuto Rambaldi da Imola, or simply and perhaps more accurately Benvenuto da Imola ( la, Benevenutus Imolensis; 1330 – 1388), was an Italian scholar and historian, a lecturer at Bologna. He is now best known for his commentary on Dante's ' ...
, a lecturer on
Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...
at the
University of Bologna The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in contin ...
in the 14th century *
Gedaliah ibn Yahya ben Joseph Gedaliah ibn Yahya ben Joseph (Hebrew: גדליה אבן יחיא בן יוסף; – 1587) was a 16th-century Italian Talmudist and Biblical chronologist chiefly known for his Biblical Chronology "Shalshelet HaḲabbalah". Biography Born in I ...
(c. 1515 – c. 1587) (Hebrew: גדליה בן יוסף אבן יחייא), a talmudist born at Imola * Luca Ghini, scientist of the 16th century who founded the first botanical garden (Orto botanico) at the University of Pisa and the Bologna. *
Giuseppe Scarabelli Giuseppe Scarabelli Gommi Flamini (5 September 1820 – 28 October 1905) was an Italian geologist, palaeontologist and politician; he is remembered as the founder of Italian prehistoric archaeology and was the first archaeologist to carry out a s ...
, 19th century geologist, palaeontologist and politician * Vincenzo Dal Prato, castrato singer, for whom the role of ''Idamante'' was written by Mozart *
Cosimo Morelli Cosimo Morelli (1732 – February 26, 1812) was an Italian architect, active throughout the Papal States in a Neoclassic style. Biography He was born at Imola. His father, also an architect, studied under Giovanni Domenico Trifogli, who was con ...
, the architect who designed the sacristy of St. Peter's, Rome * Innocenzo di Pietro Francucci da Imola, painter, a pupil of Francia and Gaspare Sacchi, distinguished painters, nicknamed after his birthplace * Saint Hippolytus of Rome, author * According to tradition, Saint Cassian of Imola was a teacher and martyr there during the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate in the 4th century. * Saint Peter Chrysologus, who was a deacon there * Andrea Costa, politician, considered to be among the founders of the Italian Socialist Party. * Fausto Gresini, who ran a successful MotoGP team *
Stefano Domenicali Stefano Domenicali (born 11 May 1965) is an Italian manager and the current CEO of Formula One Group, replacing Chase Carey. He was the CEO of Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini from 2016 to 2020. He was the team principal of the Scude ...
, former Team Principal of Ferrari Formula One Racing Team and current CEO of the
Formula One Group The Formula One Group is a group of companies responsible for the promotion of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and the exercising of the sport's commercial rights. The Group was previously owned by Delta Topco, a Jersey-based company ...
. *
Quinto Cenni Quinto Cenni (20 March 1845 – 13 August 1917) was an Italian People, Italian painter, engraver, lithographer and illustrator who specialized in depicting military personnel and their uniforms. Biography He was born in Imola in the Papal States ...
, painter and illustrator * Cincinnato Baruzzi, sculptor


Medals and awards

* On 12 June 1984, Imola was awarded the ''Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare'' (Gold Purple Heart) for the role of the city in the Italian resistance movement * On 2 June 1971, the city was awarded the ''Medaglia d'oro ai benemeriti della scuola della cultura e dell'arte'' (Gold Merit Badge of the Art and Culture School).


Twin towns – sister cities

Imola is twinned with: * Colchester, England, United Kingdom * Gennevilliers, France * Piła, Poland * Pula, Croatia * Weinheim, Germany * Zalău, Romania


See also

*
Bishopric of Imola The Roman Catholic Diocese of Imola ( la, Diocesis Imolensis) is a territory in Romagna, northern Italy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Bologna.


Notes


Sources

*


External links


Accademia Pianistica Internazionale


{{Authority control Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna 80s BC establishments Populated places established in the 1st century BC