Carpi (; ) is an Italian town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' of about 71,000 inhabitants in the

province of Modena The province of Modena () is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Modena. It has an area of and a total population of about 701,000 (2015). There are 48 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'') in th ...

Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...

. It is a busy centre for industrial and craft activities and for cultural and commercial exchanges.

History

The name ''Carpi'' is derived from ''

carpinus Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives from the hard ...

'' '

hornbeam Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperateness, temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives ...

', a tree particularly widespread in medieval times in the Po Valley region. In prehistoric times it was a settlement of the

Villanovan Culture The Villanovan culture (–700 BCE), regarded as the earliest phase of the Etruscan civilization, was the earliest Iron Age culture of Italy. It directly followed the Bronze Age Proto-Villanovan culture which branched off from the Urnfield cult ...

. The foundation by the Lombard king

Aistulf Aistulf (also Ahistulf, Haistulfus, Astolf etc.; , ; died December 756) was the Duke of Friuli from 744, King of the Lombards from 749, and Duke of Spoleto from 751. His reign was characterized by ruthless and ambitious efforts to conquer Roman ...

St. Mary's Church St. Mary's Church, St. Mary the Virgin's Church, St. Mary Church, Saint Mary Church, or other variations on the name, is a commonly used name for specific churches of various Christian denominations. Notable uses of the term may refer to: Albania ...

in the castle (''Castrum Carpi'') in 752 was the first step in the current settlement of the city. From 1319 to 1525, it was ruled by the Pio family, after whom it was acquired by the Este, as part of the

Duchy of Modena A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between "sovereign ...

. The city received a Silver Medal for Military Valour in recognition of its participation in the resistance against the

German occupation German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The town has one of the largest squares in all Italy (3rd place), the heart of the city, Piazza dei Martiri. It is surrounded by the castle, the cathedral, the town hall, and a portico with 52 arches. Usually every Thursday and Saturday the square hosts the local market. Carpi used to be the finishing point of the annual Italian Marathon, which begins in nearby

Maranello Maranello ( Modenese: ) is a city of Italy in the province of Modena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, 18 km from Modena, with a population of 17,504 as of 2017. It is known worldwide as the home of Ferrari and the Formula One racing team, ...

. Almost 1000 athletes enter the senior men's and women's race which has been held every year since 1988 in honor of

Dorando Pietri Dorando Pietri (; often wrongly spelt Petri; 16 October 1885 – 7 February 1942) was an Italian long-distance runner. He finished first in the marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London but was subsequently disqualified. Biography Early ...

, a long distance runner born in Carpi that lost his Olympic Gold Medal for being helped to stand up after a fall near the finish line. The area was crippled in the earthquakes of May 2012.

Title

As a titular

Duke of Modena This is a list of rulers of the estates owned by the Este family, which main line of Marquesses (''Marchesi d'Este'') rose in 1039 with Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan. The name "Este" is related to the city where the family came from, Este. ...

, the current holder of the title of "Prince of Carpi" would be

Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este (born 16 December 1955) is a member of the Belgian royal family as the husband of Princess Astrid of Belgium. He is the head of the House of Austria-Este, a cadet branch of the House of Habsbu ...

Geography

Located in the northern area of its province, at the borders with

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...

, Carpi borders with the municipalities of

Campogalliano Campogalliano ( Carpigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 8.804 inhabitants in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northwest of Modena. Campogalliano borders the follow ...

, Cavezzo,

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for som ...

( RE),

Fabbrico Fabbrico ( Reggiano: or ; locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northeast of Reggio Emilia. Fabbrico borders the following mu ...

(RE),

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

Novi di Modena Novi di Modena ( Novese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about north of Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipal ...

, Rio Saliceto (RE),

Rolo Rolo ( ), referring to the roll-styled chocolates, is a brand of truncated cone-shaped or conical frustum-shaped chocolates with a caramel inside. First manufactured in Norwich, Norfolk in the United Kingdom by Mackintosh's in 1937 (followed by ...

(RE), San Prospero and

Soliera Soliera (Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Modena in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about north of Modena. Soliera borders the following ...

. It counts the hamlets (''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

'') of Budrione, Cantone di Gargallo, Cibeno Pile, Cortile, Fossoli, Gargallo, Lama di Quartirolo, Migliarina, Osteriola, San Marino, San Martino Secchia and Santa Croce.Municipal statute of Carpi
/ref>

Demographics

Main sights

Carpi is distinguished by its great Renaissance square (

piazza A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rela ...

), called Piazza Martiri https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g670816-d4380076-Reviews-Piazza_dei_Martiri-Carpi_Province_of_Modena_Emilia_Romagna.html the

largest Large means of great size. Large may also refer to: Mathematics * Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics * Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers * Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (or ...

in the region. It is flanked by a

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

with 52 columns. Other notable landmarks include: *Town hall (''Palazzo dei Pio'') - formerly the castle of the Pio family. It includes parts from different ages, such as the merloned-tower of Passerino Bonaccolsi, the Renaissance façade and the tower of Galasso Pio, and the 17th century watch tower. It includes a chapel frescoed by Bernardino Loschi and

Vincenzo Catena Vincenzo Catena (c. 1480–1531) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance Venetian school. He is also known as Vincenzo de Biagio. Life Nothing is known of the date and place of Catena's birth. The earliest known record of him is in an inscr ...

. *

Carpi Cathedral Carpi Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Carpi. It stands on the site of a mediaeval pieve ...

- Originally designed by

Baldassarre Peruzzi Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena (in Ancaiano, ''frazione'' of Sovicille) and died in Rome. He worked for many years with Bramante, Raphael, and lat ...

, drawings for it are located in the Gabinetto dei Disegni e Stampe in the Uffizi, Florence, and document Peruzzi's contact with

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

.Parsons, "Between Typology and Geometry, Designs by Baldassarre Peruzzi for Carpi Cathedral," ''Romisches Jahrbuch der Biblioteca Hertziana'' (Hirmer Verlag, Munich, 2005), band 35, pp. 287-326. Construction begun 1514, Baroque façade added in 1701 and cupola completed 1774). *Church of Santa Maria in Castello or ''La Sagra'' - façade (1514) designed by Peruzzi . *Church of Santa Chiara *Church of Santissimo Crocifisso *Church of San Bernardino Realino *Church of San Bernardino da Siena *Church of San Nicolò, Carpi *Church of

Sant'Ignazio The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius (, ) is a Latin Catholic titular church, of deaconry rank, dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, located in Rome, Italy. Built in Baroque style between 1626 and ...

- home of the Museum of the Diocese of Carpi *Church of San Francesco d'Assisi

Sports

The biggest football team in Carpi is

Carpi FC 1909 A.C. Carpi is an Italian professional football club based in Carpi, a city in the province of Modena. The club was founded in 1909, re-founded in 2000 and 2022. Carpi's colours are white and red, hence the nickname "Biancorossi". At the end o ...

who play in the 5510 capacity

Stadio Sandro Cabassi Stadio Sandro Cabassi, is a multi-purpose stadium in Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, Carpi, Italy. It is mainly used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and hosts the home matches of Carpi F.C. 1909. The stadium has a capacity of 5,510 spectator ...

. Carpi FC 1909 played in

Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...

during the 2013–14 season, achieving a 12th-place finish ensuring second tier football remained in the town for another season. On April 28, 2015, the club clinched promotion to

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

for the first time in its history. On 2016 the Carpi-born world champion swimmer

Gregorio Paltrinieri Gregorio Paltrinieri (; born 5 September 1994) is an Italian competitive swimmer. He is a former world record holder in the short course 1500-meter freestyle. He holds the European record in the long course 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle ...

won Gold Medal on 1 500 free style at Brazil Olympics.

Notable people

Jacopo Berengario da Carpi Jacopo Berengario da Carpi (also known as Jacobus Berengarius Carpensis, Jacopo Barigazzi, Giacomo Berengario da Carpi or simply Carpus; c. 1460 – c. 1530) was an Italian physician. His book "''Isagoge breves''" published in 1522 made him the mo ...

(1460–1530), physician * Ermes Effron Borgnino, known as Ernest Borgnine (1917–2012), U.S. actor, was the son of Anna Boselli (1894–1949) who was born in Carpi *

Camilla Pio di Savoia Camilla Pio di Savoia (c. 1440 – 1504) was born an Italian noblewoman and later founded the first female monastery in Carpi, Italy, Santa Chiara, of which she was elected abbess. Her ''Cause for Canonization'' has been opened. Life Camilla ...

, (1440–1504) founder of Santa Chiara at Carpi *

Liliana Cavani Liliana Cavani (born 12 January 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. Cavani became internationally known after the success of her 1974 feature film ''Il portiere di notte'' ('' The Night Porter''). Her films have historical concerns ...

(born 1933), film director and screenwriter * Alida Chelli (1943–2012), actress * Roberto Corradi (born 1975), former footballer *

Ciro Menotti Ciro Menotti (22 January 1798 – 23 May 1831) was an Italian nationalist and liberal revolutionary who is known for his participation in the Revolution of 1830 in Italy, for which he was executed in 1831. Biography Menotti was born in Migl ...

(1798–1831), patriot *

(born 1994), swimmer * Galasso I Pio (died 1367), Prince of Carpi * Alberto III Pio (1475–1531), prince and humanist *

Rodolfo Pio da Carpi Rodolfo Pio da Carpi (22 February 1500 – 2 May 1564) was an Italian cardinal, humanist and patron of the arts. The nephew of a diplomat, he himself became a diplomat by the age of thirty, and came to know both Emperor Charles V and King F ...

(1500–1564), cardinal and humanist *

Bernardino Ramazzini Bernardino Ramazzini (; 4 October 1633 – 5 November 1714) was an Italian physician. Ramazzini, along with Francesco Torti, was an early proponent of the use of cinchona bark (from which quinine is derived) in the treatment of malaria. His most ...

(1633–1714), physician *

Carlo Rustichelli Carlo Rustichelli (24 December 1916 – 13 November 2004) was an Italian film composer whose career spanned the 1940s to about 1990. His prolific output included about 250 film compositions, as well as arrangements for other films, and music f ...

(1916–2004), composer * (1950–2007), fashion photographer

References

External links

Carpi official websiteCarpi
at Emilia Romagna Turismo (in English) {{Authority control Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna Castles in Italy Villanovan culture