Spinetta Marengo
Encyclopedia
Spinetta Marengo is a town in Piedmont
, Italy
located within the municipal boundaries of the comune
of Alessandria
. The population is 6,417.
On 14 June 1800 the village was the scene of an important battle between the French army commanded by Napoleon
and an Austrian army led by Melas
. Every second Sunday in June, there is traditionally a costumed commemoration of the battle, drawing many international visitors. According to local legend, Majno, a thief who was said to have robbed Pope Pius VII
whilst on his way to Paris in 1804 to crown Napoleon
emperor, laid up in hiding in the woods of Fraschetta, just by Spinetta Marengo.
The famous dish Chicken Marengo
is named after the town. According to legend, Napoleon's chef created the dish from the few ingredients he could find after the battle, using a sabre instead of a cooking knife.
and a silver vase decorated with acanthus
leaves. The objects today are conserved in the Museum of Antiquity of Turin
, awaiting restoration.
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...
, 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...
located within the municipal boundaries of the comune
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 Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
. The population is 6,417.
On 14 June 1800 the village was the scene of an important battle between the French army commanded by Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
and an Austrian army led by Melas
Michael von Melas
Michael Friedrich Benedikt Baron von Melas was a Transylvanian-born field marshal of Greek descent for the Austrian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars....
. Every second Sunday in June, there is traditionally a costumed commemoration of the battle, drawing many international visitors. According to local legend, Majno, a thief who was said to have robbed Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
whilst on his way to Paris in 1804 to crown Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
emperor, laid up in hiding in the woods of Fraschetta, just by Spinetta Marengo.
The famous dish Chicken Marengo
Chicken Marengo
Chicken Marengo is an Italian savoury dish, so named for being the dish that Napoléon Bonaparte ate after the Battle of Marengo.According to tradition Napoleon demanded a quick meal after the battle and his chef Dunand was forced to work with the meager results of a forage: a chicken , tomatoes,...
is named after the town. According to legend, Napoleon's chef created the dish from the few ingredients he could find after the battle, using a sabre instead of a cooking knife.
The Marengo treasure
In 1928 precious objects from the Roman period were uncovered by farmers in a field near the village of Marengo. Dating from the 2nd century, the objects, all in very bad condition, included a silver bust representing the emperor Lucius VerusLucius Verus
Lucius Verus , was Roman co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius, from 161 until his death.-Early life and career:Lucius Verus was the first born son to Avidia Plautia and Lucius Aelius Verus Caesar, the first adopted son and heir of Roman Emperor Hadrian . He was born and raised in Rome...
and a silver vase decorated with acanthus
Acanthus (ornament)
The acanthus is one of the most common plant forms to make foliage ornament and decoration.-Architecture:In architecture, an ornament is carved into stone or wood to resemble leaves from the Mediterranean species of the Acanthus genus of plants, which have deeply cut leaves with some similarity to...
leaves. The objects today are conserved in the Museum of Antiquity 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...
, awaiting restoration.