Paliano
Encyclopedia
Paliano is a town and comune
in the province of Frosinone
, in the Lazio region of central Italy
.
whose head was Lord, then Duke, then Prince of Paliano. Their fortress dominates the town. In 1556 papal forces captured the town, which was governed for a few years by Giovanni Carafa
, nephew of Pope Paul IV
, as Duke. His wife, , was the Duchess of Paliano celebrated in Stendhal’s
novella of the same name.
Upon the death of Paul IV in 1559, Marcantonio Colonna
regained the town. His participation in the naval battle of Lepanto
in 1571 is commemorated by the Via Lepanto leading to the family palazzo. The seventeenth century church of Sant’ Andrea contains the tombs of the Colonna, including a magnificent tomb for Prince Filippo II Colonna
by Bernardino Ludovisi
, completed in 1745. In the nineteenth century the Colonna fortress was sold to the Papal States
, which used it as a prison.
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:...
in the province of Frosinone
Province of Frosinone
The Province of Frosinone is a province in the Lazio region of Italy, with 91 comuni . Its capital is the city of Frosinone. It has an area of 3,244 km², and a total population of 489,042 .The Province was established by Royal Decree on 6 December 1926 with territories belonging to Lazio...
, in the Lazio region of central 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...
.
History
Paliano was the seat of a branch of the powerful Colonna familyColonna family
The Colonna family is an Italian noble family; it was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one Pope and many other Church and political leaders...
whose head was Lord, then Duke, then Prince of Paliano. Their fortress dominates the town. In 1556 papal forces captured the town, which was governed for a few years by Giovanni Carafa
Giovanni Carafa, Duke of Paliano
Giovanni Carafa , Duke of Paliano, was a papal nephew and minor Italian prince.The son of Giovanni Alfonso Carafa, Count of Montorio, and Caterina Cantelma, Giovanni came to prominence along with his brothers Carlo and Antonio when their uncle, Cardinal Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was elected Pope Paul...
, nephew of Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV
Pope Paul IV, C.R. , né Giovanni Pietro Carafa, was Pope from 23 May 1555 until his death.-Early life:Giovanni Pietro Carafa was born in Capriglia Irpina, near Avellino, into a prominent noble family of Naples...
, as Duke. His wife, , was the Duchess of Paliano celebrated in Stendhal’s
Stendhal
Marie-Henri Beyle , better known by his pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century French writer. Known for his acute analysis of his characters' psychology, he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism in his two novels Le Rouge et le Noir and La Chartreuse de Parme...
novella of the same name.
Upon the death of Paul IV in 1559, Marcantonio Colonna
Marcantonio Colonna
Marcantonio II Colonna , Duke and Prince of Paliano, was an Italian general and admiral.-Biography:...
regained the town. His participation in the naval battle of Lepanto
Battle of Lepanto (1571)
The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic maritime states, decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire in five hours of fighting on the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off western Greece...
in 1571 is commemorated by the Via Lepanto leading to the family palazzo. The seventeenth century church of Sant’ Andrea contains the tombs of the Colonna, including a magnificent tomb for Prince Filippo II Colonna
Filippo II Colonna
Filippo II Colonna , 9th Duke and Prince of Paliano, was an Italian nobleman of the prominent Colonna family....
by Bernardino Ludovisi
Bernardino Ludovisi
Bernardino Ludovisi , also called Bernardo, was an Italian sculptor.- Life and work :Little is known of his life. The Ludovisi were an ancient Italian family, originally from Bologna. Bernardino seems to have spent most, if not all, of his career in Rome...
, completed in 1745. In the nineteenth century the Colonna fortress was sold to the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
, which used it as a prison.