Volpedo
Encyclopedia
Volpedo is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Alessandria
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, located about 100 km east of Turin
and about 30 km east of Alessandria
.
Volpedo borders the following municipalities: Casalnoceto
, Godiasco
, Monleale
, Montemarzino
, Pozzol Groppo
, and Volpeglino
.
Painter Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo
was born in this village.
.
In the 10th century it is documented as Vico Picolo ("Small village") and received a Romanesque pieve
and a castrum, a fortified village whose walls, rebuilt in the 16th century, are still visible today. In the 12th century it was known as Vicus pecudis, and was connected to the commune of Tortona
, sending relief troops to that city during the siege laid by Frederick Barbarossa in 1155.
In 1347 Tortona was annexed by the Visconti of Milan
who, in 1412, gave Volpedo as a fief to the condottiero Piero Cameri. The latter ceded the town to the Cathedral of Milan. In 1513 the troops of Volpedo, of Guelph
allegiance, was destroyed by the historical Ghibelline rival town of Monleale
; the walls were rebuilt in 1589, when Milan was under Spanish domination.
In 1738 Volpedo, together with all the area of Turin
, was acquired by the Kingdom of Sardinia
(Piedmont
), and was given as a fief to marquis Filippo Guidobono Cavalchini. In 1849 it became a possession of the Malaspina.
Between 1928 and 1947, the communes of Berzano, Monleale and Volpeglino were merged into that of Volpedo.
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 Alessandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
in the Italian
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...
region 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...
, located about 100 km east 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...
and about 30 km east 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...
.
Volpedo borders the following municipalities: Casalnoceto
Casalnoceto
Casalnoceto is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km east of Turin and about 30 km east of Alessandria...
, Godiasco
Godiasco
Godiasco is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km south of Milan and about 30 km south of Pavia...
, Monleale
Monleale
Monleale is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km east of Turin and about 30 km east of Alessandria....
, Montemarzino
Montemarzino
Montemarzino is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 110 km east of Turin and about 30 km east of Alessandria...
, Pozzol Groppo
Pozzol Groppo
Pozzol Groppo is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 110 km east of Turin and about 35 km east of Alessandria...
, and Volpeglino
Volpeglino
Volpeglino is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km east of Turin and about 25 km east of Alessandria...
.
Painter Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo
Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo
Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo was an Italian painter. He was born and died in Volpedo, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy....
was born in this village.
History
A burial slab, now enclosed in the parish church's walls, shows the Roman presence in the area in the 1st century BC, although the area was perhaps already inhabited by the LiguresLigures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
.
In the 10th century it is documented as Vico Picolo ("Small village") and received a Romanesque pieve
Pieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
and a castrum, a fortified village whose walls, rebuilt in the 16th century, are still visible today. In the 12th century it was known as Vicus pecudis, and was connected to the commune of Tortona
Tortona
Tortona is a comune of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.-History:...
, sending relief troops to that city during the siege laid by Frederick Barbarossa in 1155.
In 1347 Tortona was annexed by the Visconti of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
who, in 1412, gave Volpedo as a fief to the condottiero Piero Cameri. The latter ceded the town to the Cathedral of Milan. In 1513 the troops of Volpedo, of Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
allegiance, was destroyed by the historical Ghibelline rival town of Monleale
Monleale
Monleale is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km east of Turin and about 30 km east of Alessandria....
; the walls were rebuilt in 1589, when Milan was under Spanish domination.
In 1738 Volpedo, together with all the area 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...
, was acquired by 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...
(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...
), and was given as a fief to marquis Filippo Guidobono Cavalchini. In 1849 it became a possession of the Malaspina.
Between 1928 and 1947, the communes of Berzano, Monleale and Volpeglino were merged into that of Volpedo.
Main sights
- RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
pievePieveIn the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
(pleban church), known since the 10th century and restored in the late 15th century. It houses frescoes from the 15th century from the brothers Manfredino and Franceschino Basilio, also active in the Milan's Duomo. - 16th century bastions which once enclosed the medieval castrum, and now mark the historical center of Volpedo.
- House-studio of the painter Pellizza da Volpedo