Paderno Ponchielli (
Soresinese: ;
Cremunés: ) 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 ...
'' in the
province of Cremona
The Province of Cremona ( it, provincia di Cremona; Cremunés: ; Cremasco: ; Casalasco-Viadanese: ) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital city is Cremona.
The province occupies the central section of Padana Plain, so the ...
, in
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, northern
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 re ...
.
Before the
unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century Political movement, political and social movement that resulted in the Merger (politics), consolidation of List of historic stat ...
in 1861, the town was known just as Paderno. After unification, the new government called on various municipalities with the same name to adjust and differentiate them. “Fasolaro” got added to the name Paderno. However, this did not meet with universal public approval as the word alluded to the production of common
cowpeas
The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...
(black-eyed peas) widespread in the area, which was considered as a possible source of mockery in neighboring communities.
In 1878,
Umberto I, King of Italy, changed the name from Paderno Fasolaro to Paderno Cremonese. In 1928, when Paderno merged with the neighboring Ossolaro, the area took the name Paderno Ossolaro. Then, in 1934, with the celebration of 100th birthday of their native son, the composer
Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli (, ; 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera ''La Gioconda''. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla.
Life and work
Born in Paderno Fasolaro (now Paderno Ponchiell ...
, the citizens petitioned to change the name to Paderno Ponchielli to honor him. On November 25, 1950, by a decree of the President of the Republic, Luigi Einaudi, the municipality came to be officially called Paderno Ponchielli.
References
Cities and towns in Lombardy
{{Cremona-geo-stub