Meldola ( rgn, Mèdla) is a town and ''

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 ...

'' near

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Via ...

, 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 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

History

The area of Meldola was inhabited since very ancient times. The

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

built here a large aqueduct (still existing under the ground) which served the military port of Classis. To the 5th-6th century belongs a large patrician villa which is now under the historical centre. In the Middle Ages a castle was present, the name Meldola first attested around the year 1000. The castle was a possession of the

Montefeltro Montefeltro is a historical and geographical region in Marche, which was historically part of Romagna. It gave its name to the Montefeltro family, who ruled in the area during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Regions of Italy Overview Montef ...

Ordelaffi The House of Ordelaffi was a noble family that ruled the lower Romagna and Napoli from the 13th century to 1504, with some interregnums. History The Ordelaffi origins are unclear, but themselves claimed a lineage with "Lor de Laffia", a Germanic ...

Malatesta Malatesta may refer to: People Given name * Malatesta (I) da Verucchio (1212–1312), founder of the powerful Italian Malatesta family and a famous condottiero * Malatesta IV Baglioni (1491–1531), Italian condottiero and lord of Perugia, Bettona, ...

, the

Borghese The House of Borghese is a princely family of Italian noble and papal background, originating as the Borghese or Borghesi in Siena, where they came to prominence in the 13th century and held offices under the ''commune''. During the 16th century, ...

Aldobrandini and the Doria Pamphilj. It gained the status of city in 1862, soon after the

unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...

Main sights

*''Rocca'' (castle) *Castle of Teodorano, outside the city. Of the originary fortified burgh, destroyed by Cesare Borgia, a tower and part of the walls remain. *Church of the ''Madonna del Sasso'' (1523). It is now home to the Ecology Museum. *Churches of ''San Cosimo'' and ''San Nicolò''. *''Ponte dei Veneziani'' (Venetians' Bridge), a 5-arch bridge dating from the early 16th-century. *Scardavilla Wood preserved area *''Rocca delle Caminate'' fortress, which was a summer residence of Benito Mussolini

Government

List of mayors

Economy

In the late 19th century and in the first years of 20th century, Meldola was well known for its production of

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

. The main activities include agriculture and the manufacture of furniture. A recently built oncology hospital provides research into cancer and care for cancer patients.

Notable people

The following notable persons were born in Meldola: the philosopher and theologian Bartolomeo Mastri; the patriot

Felice Orsini Felice Orsini (; ; 10 December 1819 – 13 March 1858) was an Italian revolutionary and leader of the '' Carbonari'' who tried to assassinate Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. Early life Felice Orsini was born at Meldola in Romagna, the ...

; the painter Maria Giuditta Versari. Japan football coach

Alberto Zaccheroni Alberto Zaccheroni (; born 1 April 1953) is an Italian football manager, formerly in charge of the United Arab Emirates and Japan national football teams. He has managed a number of top clubs in Serie A, the high point of his career being his s ...

was also born in Meldola.

References

* {{EmiliaRomagna-geo-stub