Lanzo Torinese
Encyclopedia
Lanzo Torinese is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Turin
, region of Piedmont
, northwestern Italy
. It is located about 30 km northwest of Turin
at the mouth of the Valli di Lanzo.
and of the Marquisate of Montferrat.
In the mid-17th century the Castle of Lanzo, considered amongst the most important in Piedmont
, was besieged, stormed (1551) and destroyed by French troops under Charles de Brissac (1556-1557). Of the former fortifications, only the gate entrance of the town has remained to this day. After the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559), the town was returned to Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy. After his death, Lanzo was assigned to his daughter Maria (1577), wife of Philip of Este. The Este government brought decline to Lanzo and its valleys, as it lost most the previous privileges. In 1725 the fief went to Count Giuseppe Ottavio Cacherano Osasco della Rocca. In 1792, his family remained without an heir and Lanzo went to the Kingdom of Sardinia
.
In 1798, during the French Revolutionary Wars
, Lanzo was first captured by the Austrians. After the battle of Marengo, it became the capital of a French arrondissement
and, later, the district capital. After the 1815 Restoration, it followed the history of Piedmont and, from 1861, that of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy
.
In the 19th century, Lanzo changed from a mainly agricultural centre into a vacation seat for people from Turin, a trend spurred by the railway connection inaugurated in 1876. Also in this period, the first mechanical, textile and paper industries were established.
(breadstick) was invented here by Teobaldo Pecchio and Antonio Brunero in 1679.
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Turin
Province of Turin
The Province of Turin is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Turin.It has an area of 6,830 km², and a total population of 2,277,686 . There are 315 comuni in the province – the most of any province in Italy...
, region of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, northwestern 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...
. It is located about 30 km northwest of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
at the mouth of the Valli di Lanzo.
History
Lanzo is mentioned in the early 11th century as Curtis Lanceii. Later, under several names, was a fief (together with its namesake valleys) to the bishop of Turin, of the house of SavoyHouse of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
and of the Marquisate of Montferrat.
In the mid-17th century the Castle of Lanzo, considered amongst the most important in Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, was besieged, stormed (1551) and destroyed by French troops under Charles de Brissac (1556-1557). Of the former fortifications, only the gate entrance of the town has remained to this day. After the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559), the town was returned to Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy. After his death, Lanzo was assigned to his daughter Maria (1577), wife of Philip of Este. The Este government brought decline to Lanzo and its valleys, as it lost most the previous privileges. In 1725 the fief went to Count Giuseppe Ottavio Cacherano Osasco della Rocca. In 1792, his family remained without an heir and Lanzo went to the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
.
In 1798, during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, Lanzo was first captured by the Austrians. After the battle of Marengo, it became the capital of a French arrondissement
Arrondissement
Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...
and, later, the district capital. After the 1815 Restoration, it followed the history of Piedmont and, from 1861, that of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
.
In the 19th century, Lanzo changed from a mainly agricultural centre into a vacation seat for people from Turin, a trend spurred by the railway connection inaugurated in 1876. Also in this period, the first mechanical, textile and paper industries were established.
Cuisine
According to tradition, the grissinoBreadstick
Breadsticks are generally pencil-sized sticks of crisp, dry bread originating in Turin and the surrounding area in Italy. They are originally thought to have been created in the 14th century; according to a local tradition, they would be instead invented by a baker in Lanzo Torinese in 1679...
(breadstick) was invented here by Teobaldo Pecchio and Antonio Brunero in 1679.