Copparo
Encyclopedia
Copparo is a town and comune
of Emilia Romagna, Italy
, in the Province of Ferrara
, located 50 kilometers northeast of the regional capital of Bologna
and 17 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Ferrara, Copparo sits in the fertile Po River
Delta (10 kilometers south of the river and 35 kilometers from the Adriatic coast).
The territory of the municipality lies between 0 and 7 metres above sea level.
and are confirmed both by a formation prior to the year 1000 and by its belonging to the Church of Ferrara and Ravenna (955) under the name "Massa in Copario".
From many historical documents it appears that Copparo was a rather large agricultural center within the territory of Ferrara. The 1431 census mentions it as the largest area sown with barley and wheat. Copparo was likewise mentioned in the Statuta Ferrariae dated 1287 under the name of "Coparius" (recalling the responsibility the citizens of Copparo had in digging the"de preta" channel). After the year 1251, the area fell under the title of the Dukes of Ferrara, the Estensi family. They used the area primarily for recreational purposes, developing one of their principle game preserves and hunting lodges, a turreted castle. It was destroyed during the war against Venice and rebuilt in 1540. It then became one of the most famous Estense Delights. Of the original structure and its five towers only a solitary one remains today, on the site of the current city hall.
It includes main courses such as "pasticcio di maccheroni" or the popular cappelletti and lasagne all made with fresh egg pasta. The ancient Ferrara bread, the renaissance “ciupèta", is widely available throughout the town, still prepared with the old recipe and protected as a European mark “IGP", with its unique and strange shape that recall in the same time the male and the female symbols.
The most important factory in the area is Berco Spa
, a manufacturer of considerable size specialised in the production of tracked vehicle components, equipment for overhauling the undercarriages of earth moving machinery and manufacture of machine tools for the reconditioning of internal combustion engines. The Copparo plant, the headquarters, stands on a site of about five hundred thousand square meters and has about 2200 employees.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Emilia Romagna, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in the Province of Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, located 50 kilometers northeast of the regional capital of Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and 17 kilometers east of the provincial capital of Ferrara, Copparo sits in the fertile Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
Delta (10 kilometers south of the river and 35 kilometers from the Adriatic coast).
The territory of the municipality lies between 0 and 7 metres above sea level.
Demographics
Copparo has a population of about 17,000 inhabitants (Copparesi) and a surface of 157 square kilometers thus showing a population density of 111.2 inhabitants per square kilometer.History
The origins of Copparo date back to the early Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and are confirmed both by a formation prior to the year 1000 and by its belonging to the Church of Ferrara and Ravenna (955) under the name "Massa in Copario".
From many historical documents it appears that Copparo was a rather large agricultural center within the territory of Ferrara. The 1431 census mentions it as the largest area sown with barley and wheat. Copparo was likewise mentioned in the Statuta Ferrariae dated 1287 under the name of "Coparius" (recalling the responsibility the citizens of Copparo had in digging the"de preta" channel). After the year 1251, the area fell under the title of the Dukes of Ferrara, the Estensi family. They used the area primarily for recreational purposes, developing one of their principle game preserves and hunting lodges, a turreted castle. It was destroyed during the war against Venice and rebuilt in 1540. It then became one of the most famous Estense Delights. Of the original structure and its five towers only a solitary one remains today, on the site of the current city hall.
Cuisine
Copparo's cuisine has both simple and sophisticated dishes, being a combination of the tastes of the Estense's noble cuisine and the farmers' traditional cuisine.It includes main courses such as "pasticcio di maccheroni" or the popular cappelletti and lasagne all made with fresh egg pasta. The ancient Ferrara bread, the renaissance “ciupèta", is widely available throughout the town, still prepared with the old recipe and protected as a European mark “IGP", with its unique and strange shape that recall in the same time the male and the female symbols.
Famous companies
There are 313 industrial firms employing 3.947 people that are the 55,19% of the total of the workers. There are 384 service firms employing 1.044 people that are the 14,60% of the total of the workers. There are also 385 firms employing 1.515 people that are the 21,18% of the total of the workers. There are also 104 administrative offices employing 646 workers that are the 9,03% of the total of the workers.The most important factory in the area is Berco Spa
Berco Spa
Berco SpA is a large manufacturer specializing in the production of undercarriage components for tracked vehicles, equipment for overhauling the undercarriages of earthmoving machinery and the manufacture of machine tools for the reconditioning of internal combustion engines.Headquartered in...
, a manufacturer of considerable size specialised in the production of tracked vehicle components, equipment for overhauling the undercarriages of earth moving machinery and manufacture of machine tools for the reconditioning of internal combustion engines. The Copparo plant, the headquarters, stands on a site of about five hundred thousand square meters and has about 2200 employees.