Pontedera
Encyclopedia
Pontedera is an Italian
industrial town in Tuscany
, Italy
, in the administrative province of Pisa
. It is the headquarters of the Piaggio
company, which in the 1930s was a major aircraft manufacturer and which now manufactures motor vehicles such as the Vespa
and the Ape. It has also been the headquarters of the wine company Castellani Spa
since it was founded in 1903 and the chocolate factory Amedei
.
Pontedera is in the Arno valley at the confluence of the Era River
and the Arno River.
It is across by Scolmatore channel and by Roglio, Era's tributary. It has a small lake in Pietroconti called Braccini lake.
On 11 June 1554, Pontedera was the scene of a pyrrhic victory
in the last effort by the Republic of Siena
to retain its independence. Piero Strozzi
, commanding the Siense forces, won at Pontedera but this only led to his decisive defeat two months later at the Battle of Marciano
and the end of the Senese independence.
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...
industrial town in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, 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 administrative province of Pisa
Province of Pisa
The Province of Pisa is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa.It has an area of 2,448 km², and a total population of 394,101 . There are 39 comuni in the province ....
. It is the headquarters of the Piaggio
Piaggio
Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
company, which in the 1930s was a major aircraft manufacturer and which now manufactures motor vehicles such as the Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
and the Ape. It has also been the headquarters of the wine company Castellani Spa
Castellani (wine)
Founded in 1903, Castellani Spa is a family-run Italian wine company headquartered in Pontedera,Italy near Pisa. Castellani produces wine from five main Tuscan estates and is distributed in 42 countries.-Concept:...
since it was founded in 1903 and the chocolate factory Amedei
Amedei
Amedei is a chocolate manufacturing company located in Pontedera in Tuscany region of Italy. Their products range from chocolate bars to truffles and pralines. Their award winning chocolate bars use single origin and single varietal cocoa beans...
.
Pontedera is in the Arno valley at the confluence of the Era River
Era River
The Era is a river in Tuscany in Italy. It rises near Volterra and flows into the Arno river at Pontedera.The Era is 54 km long, and its main tributaries are: Cascina river, Ragone torrent, Sterza torrent, and Capriggine torrent and Roglio torrent.In 1966 the river flooded the town of Pontedera....
and the Arno River.
It is across by Scolmatore channel and by Roglio, Era's tributary. It has a small lake in Pietroconti called Braccini lake.
On 11 June 1554, Pontedera was the scene of a pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
in the last effort by the Republic of Siena
Republic of Siena
The Republic of Siena , was a state originating from the city of Siena in Tuscany, Central Italy.It existed for over four hundreds years, from the late 11th century until the year 1555, when was defeated by the rival Duchy of Florence in alliance with the Spanish crown...
to retain its independence. Piero Strozzi
Piero Strozzi
Piero Strozzi was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.-Biography:Piero Strozzi was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici....
, commanding the Siense forces, won at Pontedera but this only led to his decisive defeat two months later at the Battle of Marciano
Battle of Marciano
The Battle of Marciano occurred in the countryside of Marciano della Chiana, near Arezzo, Tuscany, on August 2, 1554, during the Italian War of 1551...
and the end of the Senese independence.