Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato | |
---|---|
Comune di Casale Monferrato | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 15033 |
Dialing code | 0142 |
Patron saint | St. Evasius |
Saint day | 12 November |
Website | Official website |
Casale Monferrato (Italian pronunciation:
An ancient Roman
In the 1900s Casale, in the middle of the Turin-Milan-Genoa industrial triangle, developed as an important industrial centre, especially known for the production of asbestos cement. A local Eternit factory has been at the centre of a massive environmental scandal, with subsequent high-profile litigation that often made international headlines.[4]
History
Antiquity and Middle Ages
The origins of the town are fairly obscure. It is known that the Gaulish settlement of Vardacate (from var = "water"; ate = "populated place") existed on the Po in this area, and that it became a Roman municipium. By the beginning of the 8th century, there was a small town under Lombard rule, probably called Sedula or Sedulia. It was here (according to late and unreliable accounts) that one Saint Evasius, along with 146 followers, was decapitated on the orders of the Arian Duke Attabulo. Liutprand, King of the Lombards is said to have supported the construction of a church in honour of Evasius. Certainly, the martyr's cult flourished, and by 988 AD, the town had become known as Casale di Sant’Evasio.
At the time of
The
In 1536 it passed to the
Late modern and contemporary
In 1745, following the defeat of the Piedmontese army at the
During the
Newspaper
Lo Spettatore del Monferrato (‘The
Eternit asbestos disaster
From 1907 to 1986, Casale was the site of a large Eternit factory, that produced the homonymous asbestos cement, whose operations resulted in a massive environmental disaster, linked to the death of some 1,800 people from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in the area: in spite of former Eternit owner Stephan Schmidheiny and his associate, Jean-Louis de Cartie, being convicted and ordered to pay tens of millions of euros in compensation by the Turin Appeal Court in 2012, the Italian Supreme Court in 2014 declared that the statute of limitations had expired in the case.[9]
Main sights
Piazza Mazzini and its environs
The historic centre of the town is itself centred on Piazza Mazzini, the site of the Roman
Duomo
A little to the east of the square is the
San Domenico
In 1471, after
Via Lanza
Via Lanza, which runs northwards from the north-west corner of Piazza Mazzini, is known for the Krumiri Rossi
Via Saffi
Running west from Piazza Mazzini to Piazza Castello is Via Saffi, which contains one of the town's most recognizable landmarks: the Torre Civica. This brick tower, square in plan and 60 metres high, dates from the 11th century but suffered severe fire damage in April 1504 when a festival to celebrate the peace between Holy Roman Emperor
Adjoining the tower is the church of
The south side of Piazza Santo Stefano, facing back towards Via Saffi, is formed by the neo-classical Palazzo Ricci di Cereseto. The imposing façade, marked by four massive brick columns, was built in 1806 to an earlier design by the local architect Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli.
Also in the square, there is a marble statue of the archaeologist and architect Luigi Canina by Benedetto Cacciatore.
Piazza Castello
Piazza Castello is a large irregularly shaped open space used as a car park and as a market square; it is dominated by the
The castle
The castle itself is an imposing 15th-century military construction, with a hexagonal plan, four round towers and an encircling moat.
Santa Caterina
At the southeast corner of the piazza is the elegant Baroque church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, better known by its earlier designation of Santa Caterina. A masterwork of Giovanni Battista Scapitta, completed after his death by Giacomo Zanetti, it is marked by an elliptical cupola, and a façade curvilinear both in plan and elevation.
Teatro Municipale
The theatre, which stands at the north-eastern corner of the piazza at the end of Via Saffi, opened in 1791 with a performance of the La moglie capricciosa, an
The horseshoe-shaped auditorium with stalls, four tiers of boxes and a gallery (or loggione, i.e. the gods) is richly decorated with frescoes, stucco, gilding and velvet. The curtains of the royal box hang from a structure supported on stucco caryatids by Abbondio Sangiorgio who also designed the equestrian statue in Piazza Mazzini.[12]
The stage curtain, showing Apollo in His Sun Chariot, was designed by the scenographer Bernardino Galliari (1707–1794). A sketch for the curtain is preserved at the Galleria Sabauda in Turin.[13]
Via Garibaldi and Sant’Ilario
From the side of the theatre, Via Garibaldi leads northwards to the 16th-century church of Sant'Ilario, founded in 380 in honour of Hilary of Poitiers. It was completely rebuilt in 1566 and was largely restructured towards the end of the 19th century. The church's polychrome façade is of interest and it contains two important works by Niccolò Musso: the Madonna del Carmine (‘Our Lady of Mount Carmel’) and San Francesco ai piedi del Crocefisso (‘Saint Francis at the foot of the Crucifix’) originally from the church of San Francesco.
Via Roma, ghetto and synagogue
Behind the shops on the west side of Via Roma, which runs southwards from Piazza Mazzini, lay the
The Giardini pubblici and public sculpture
The public gardens which front the railway station extend westwards, dissected by various streets, almost to the southern end of Via Roma. They contain a range of monuments to figures of local and national renown including Giovanni Lanza (sculpted by Odoardo Tabacchi, 1887), Giuseppe Antonio Ottavi (Leonardo Bistolfi, 1890), Filippo Mellana (Giacomo Ginotti, 1887), and Giuseppe Garibaldi (Primo Giudici, 1884).
The most important, however, is Bistolfi's war memorial of 1928 (pictured left). A marble exedra with four caryatids in the form of winged victories is raised on a dias fronted with steps. The bronze sculpture Il Fante Crociato, a foot soldier in crusader-period costume, takes centre stage; a second bronze a lightly robed Primavera Italica (Italic Spring) steps down from the platform and out of the ensemble.
Other public sculptures of note in Casale include the monument to King Charles Albert in Piazza Mazzini mentioned above, Bistolfi's 1887 monument to Urbano Rattazzi in Piazza Rattazzi, Benedetto Cacciatori's Luigi Canina in Piazza Santo Stefano. The Monumento alla difesa di Casale (Francesco Porzio, 1897; pictured right), situated to the north of the castle, commemorates the vigorous action which took place during the First Italian War of Independence in 1849 to defend the city against Austrian troops who had just taken part in the defeat of the Piedmontese army. In the Priocco district, to the south of the historic centre, in Viale Ottavio Marchino, there is a monument by Virgilio Audagna to the cement industrialist Ottavio Marchino, son of the founder of Cementi Marchino, which is now part of Buzzi Unicem.
Palazzi
The historic centre is marked by many
- The 15th-century palazzo of the Marchesa Anna d'Alençon in Via Alessandria.
- The 15th-century Palazzo Treviso, in Via Trevigi, was restructured on behalf of Anne d'Alençon before being given to the Dominican convent. During the Napoleonic period, it was used as a lyceum and has subsequently remained in scholastic use.
- Palazzo Del Carretto, also known as the Casa Tornielli, in Via Canina, again dating from the 15th century, now housing a language school.
- The medieval Casa Biandrate, at the junction of Via Guazzo and Via Morini, has preserved its late Gothic character.
- Palazzo Sannazzaro, a gothic building in Via Mameli, remodelled in the baroque style by Giacomo Zanetti (1698–1735).
- Palazzo Gozani di Treville, regarded as the most beautiful in the town and as one of the two most important works of Giovanni Battista Scapitta, the other being the church of Santa Catarina, mentioned above. The rococò atrium and courtyard are particularly praised, as is the long and gently curved façade which follows the path of Via Mameli.
- Palazzo Gozani di orders with its windows surrounded by decorations in stucco. Via Mameli.
- Palazzo Magnocavalli has a façade commissioned from Giacomo Zanetti by the architect Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli. Inside, the monumental twisted staircase, supported by two columns, fits gracefully into a very restricted space. Via Mameli.
- Palazzo Fornara, built in 1840 in the VercellesePietro Bosso, forms the east side of Piazza Mazzini. The site was previously occupied by the church of Santa Maria di Piazza which was deconsecrated during the Napoleonic period. Since 1925 it has been a bank.
- Palazzo Langosco, in Via Corte d’Appello, encloses part of the main cloister of the former Augustinian convent complex of Santa Croce. Once the seat of the Senate of Montferrat, it now houses the public library.
- The neo-classical Palazzo Sacchi-Nemours, beside the Teatro Civico in Via Saffi, was built in 1750–2 by the local architect Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli.
- Palazzo Ricci di Cereseto, in Piazzetta di S. Stefano, has an imposing neo-classical façade fronted by four massive brickwork columns, constructed in 1806 by G. Battista Formiglia, probably following a design by Magnocavalli.
- Palazzo Gaspardone-Ottavi, in Via Cavour, came into the possession of the Ottavi family during the 19th century and is noted for Bistolfi's plaque commemorating Ottavio Ottavi (an oenologist known also, in his home town, for writing the Inno ai krumiri, or ‘hymn to the krumiri biscuits’) and a memorial tablet to Saint Luigi Gonzaga.
Museums and galleries
The civic museum is located in the ancient
Music
Casale was an important centre for Italian music from the 13th through the 17th centuries. During the Albigensian Crusade, Casale was a refuge for troubadours fleeing regions to the west; the music of such troubadours may have been decisive in the formation of secular Italian musical styles in the 14th century (see Music of the Trecento). In the 16th century, the town was incorporated into the holdings of the Gonzaga family, who were patrons of music throughout the Renaissance.[14]
The cathedral there has in its archives polyphonic music by
Economy
Agriculture
Casale is situated in a plain where rice cultivation is predominant and in an area of cement-bearing hills and wineries. Casale is also well known for being the district of refrigeration, one of the main of Italy.
Manufacturing
Since the early 1900s Casale has been known for cement production; Buzzi Unicem, one of the largest cement producers in the world, is headquartered in the town.
After WW2 Casale become also an important manufacturing centre for the production of
Twin towns — Sister cities
Casale Monferrato is
- Trnava, Slovakia, since 1967[16]
- Weinstadt, Germany, since 2007
- Pescara, Italy, since 2009
- Gjirokastër, Albania, since 2010
Sport
The town's
During the 1970s, an annual under-21 football tournament took place in Casale Monferrato. It was named the "Caligaris" International Tournament, after Umberto Caligaris.[17]
The local basketball team, A.S. Junior Libertas Pallacanestro Casale Monferrato, was founded in 1956 and today competes in Lega Basket Serie A, the first tier of the sport in Italy.
Events
- Annual
- Saint Joseph's Fair (Mostra mercato di San Giuseppe). A fair of industry, commerce, handicraft, and agriculture held since 1946. Mid-March; Cittadella.
- Rice and Roses (Riso&Rose). A festival of concerts, pageants, markets and other events held in and around Casale since 2001. May.
- Folkermesse (from Folk + Kermesse). The world folk music and dance festival, first staged in Casale in 1983, includes the town on its summer itinerary. July–September.
- Magiche Figure. Exhibition of puppet theatre from Italy and abroad. September.
- Festival of Wine and the Monferrato. A celebration of local wine and food together with related events. Mid-September.
- Monthly
- Antiques market. Founded in 1973, this popular market is held on the second weekend of the month (except August) in the Mercato Pavia.
- The Artemista craft market and Il Paniere market of organic produce market are held on the third Saturday of each month in Piazza Mazzini.
- Casale Open City (Casale Città Aperta, a play on the title of the classic Roma, città aperta). Many of the town's monuments are open, with free guided tours on Sunday afternoon. The second weekend of the month.
- Twice weekly
- Market days. Tuesday and Friday; Piazza Castello.
People
Notable people born in Casale, or with close connections to the town, include:
- Evasius (died 3rd, 4th, or 8th century, perhaps), martyr and patron saint of the town
- Ubertino of Casale (1259–1329), Franciscan preacher and theologian
- Byzantine emperor
- Facino Cane (1360–1412), condottiere
- William VIII, Marquess of Montferrat(1420–1483), who established Casale as its definitive capital
- Boniface III(1424–1494), Marquess of Montferrat
- Giovanni Martino Spanzotti (born circa 1455), painter
- William IX, Marquess of Montferrat(1486–1518)
- Anne d'Alençon(1492–1562), Marchioness of Montferrat
- Bianca Maria Gaspardone (died 1526), the rich heiress who became wife to Ermes Visconti and to the Count of Cellant, (and mistress to many more) before her public execution in Milan.[18]
- John George, Marquess of Montferrat(1488–1533)
- Boniface IV, Marquess of Montferrat(1512–1530)
- Stefano Guazzo (1530–1593), founder of the Casale literary academy the Illustrati
- Niccolò Musso (c.1590 – c.1623), painter of the Baroque period
- Camilla Faà di Bruno (c.1599–1662), the ‘Bella Ardizzina’ who secretly married Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua
- Ferdinando del Cairo (1666–1748), a painter of the Italian Baroque school, was born in Casale
- Giacomo Zanetti (1698–1735), master-builder and architect who completed the baroque reconstruction of Santa Caterina, and built several palazzi in the town
- Pietro Francesco Guala(1698–1757), painter of the Piedmontese Baroque school
- Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli (1707–89), architect
- Carlo Cozio, Count of Montiglio and Salabue (1715–1780), chess player
- Carlo Vidua, Count of Conzano (1785–1830), traveller and archaeologist
- Carlo Evasio Soliva (1791–1853), musician
- Luigi Canina (1795–1856), archaeologist and architect
- Joseph Rocchietti, the earliest known Italian-American novelist, was an immigrant from Casale
- Giovanni Lanza (1810–1882), politician
- Ascanio Sobrero (1812–1888), chemist
- Eleuterio Pagliano (1826–1903), painter
- Luigi Hugues (1836–1913), engineer, geographer and musician
- Francesco Negri (1841–1924), photographer
- Giovanni Celoria (1842–1920), astronomer
- Giulio Viotte (1845–78), artist
- Giovanni Camerana (1845–1905), magistrate, poet, art critic: one of the prime members of the scapigliatura movement
- Leonardo Bistolfi (1859–1933), sculptor
- Leandro Bisiach (1864–1946), a violin maker
- Ugo Cavallero (1880–1943), military commander
- Cesare Maria De Vecchi (1884–1959), politician
- Umberto Caligaris (1901–1940), footballer
- Egidio Ortona (1911–1996), diplomat
- Augusto Segre (1915–1986), writer and antifascist
- Giampaolo Pansa (born 1935), journalist and writer
- Sergio Castelletti (born 1937), footballer
- Giovanni Piana (born 5 April 1940), philosopher
- Trent Miller (DOB unknown), rockstar, philosopher, was born in Casale, although he grew up in London
- Trino Vercellese
- Stefano Macaluso (born 1975), businessman and rally driver
-
Portrait of Anna d'Alençon by Macrino d'Alba
-
Niccolò Musso, self-portrait
Fictional Casale
A siege of the town plays a significant off-stage role in Alessandro Manzoni's novel The Betrothed, and is the centre of Chapter 2 of the novel The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco, who was born in neighbouring Alessandria. Casale also appears in a best-selling historical yarn Bellarion the Fortunate by the Anglo-Italian writer Rafael Sabatini. A real 13th-century personality, Ubertino of Casale, is a character in Eco's historical novel The Name of the Rose (1980). The town features in the popular French 1960s TV serial The Flashing Blade.
Gallery
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Piazza Santo Stefano
-
Church of Santo Stefano
-
Carlo Alberto
-
The Castle
-
The Torre Civica
-
San Domenico
-
The cathedral of Sant’Evasio
References and footnotes
- General
- Some of the content of this article comes from the equivalent Italian-language Wikipedia article (retrieved September 10, 2005).
- Grignolio, Idro (1983). Casale Monferrato. Casale Monferrato: Media editrice.
- History
- Grignolio (see above)
- The historic centre
- Grignolio (see above)
- Casale città aperta (2002 pamphlet produced by the Museo Civico)
- Music
- Crawford, David: 'Casale Monferrato', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed December 18, 2005), <http://www.grovemusic.com Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine>.
- Events
- Ente Manifestazioni – Casale Monferrato – AL – Italy (in Italian)
- Profilo della città di Casale Monferrato (in Italian)
- Riso & Rose in Monferrato, a flourishing festival!
- Ethnosuoni – Folkermesse (in Italian)
- Footnotes
- ^ "Casale Monferrato (AL)".
- ^ "Piemonte in cifre: Annuario statistico regionale". Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
- ^ a b c "Profilo della Città". Comune di Casale Monferrato. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
- ^ "Eternit lawsuit (re asbestos exposure in Italy)". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ Romanoni, Fabio. ""Intrare vel exire non poterant nisi aves". l'Assedio di Casale del 1370- in "Monferrato Arte e Storia", XXVI (2014)".
- ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 440.
- ^ Grignolio, p.15
- Fratelli Bocca. p. 120. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- France24. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ISBN 0-691-03542-3.
- ^ For the dates of birth and death see "Lucrina Fetti".
- ^ "Teatro municipale". Comune di Casale Monferrato. Archived from the original on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Viale Ferrero, Mercedes (1963). La scenografia del '700 e i fratelli Galliari. Torino: Fratelli Pozzo. p. 205.
- ^ Crawford, Grove online
- ^ "Centro Studi Galileo". Centro Studi Galileo.
- ^ "Amministratori casalesi a Trnava. Si rinforza il gemellaggio". 8 September 2011.
- ^ "The Forgotten Italian Job of 1974" Archived 2011-02-09 at the Wayback Machine - Blackpool-mad.co.uk
- ^ John Marston The Insatiate Countess, ed. by Giorgio Melchiori (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984), p. 20.
External links
Media related to Casale Monferrato at Wikimedia Commons
- Official town website (in Italian)
- The article on Casale Monferrato in the 1913 Diocese of Casale Monferrato.
- Duomo di Casale Monferrato (in Italian), official site of the city's cathedral.
- Il Monferrato on line (in Italian), site of the local newspaper.
- MonferratoArte (in Italian) A historical and bibliographical directory of artists active in the extra-urban Churches of the Diocese of Casale Monferrato.