Pontremoli

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Pontremoli
Pontrémal (
Emilian)
Comune
Comune di Pontremoli
Coat of arms of Pontremoli
Coat of arms
Location of Pontremoli
Map
Saint Geminianus
Saint dayJanuary 31
WebsiteOfficial website

Pontremoli (Italian:

province of Massa and Carrara, Tuscany region, central Italy.[3]

Literally translated, Pontremoli means "Trembling Bridge" (from ponte "bridge" and tremare "to tremble"), as the commune was named after a prominent bridge across the Magra.[citation needed]

Pontremoli is in the upper valley of the Magra,[3] 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of La Spezia by rail and 90 kilometres (56 mi) south-southwest of Parma.

History

Pontremoli is believed to have been first settled around 1000 BC.

Ghibellini factions in the early fourteenth century resulted in the construction of the Great Bell Tower (Il Campanone) to separate the rival camps. During these Medieval times Pontremoli was often visited by pilgrims travelling from Canterbury
(England) to Rome.

In 1331 Pontremoli was sold by

Dukes of Milan
.

Pontremoli was a French territory from 1508 until 1522 as several northern Italian areas were conquered. In 1526, Pontremoli was captured by

Italian unification in the 19th century. With the Leopoldine reforms, Pontremoli became an autonomous community (whilst still part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany) in 1777.[6]
In 1778, it officially became a City.

The area was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1834.[3] In November 1847 Pontremoli was occupied (along with Fivizzano) by the Duke of Modena, due to a dispute over trade routes[citation needed].

View of the city skyline showing Il Duomo (cathedral) and Il Campanone (bell tower).

Frazioni

There are 30 frazioni (English civil parishes: neighborhoods or outlying villages legally part of the commune government) in Pontremoli. They are, ordered alphabetically :

Arzelato, Arzengio, Baselica, Bassone, Braia, Bratto, Careola, Cargalla, Casa Corvi, Casalina, Cavezzana d'Antena, Cavezzana Gordana, Ceretoli, Cervara, Dozzano, Gravagna, Grondola, Groppodalosio, Guinadi, Mignegno, Montelungo, Navola, Oppilo, Pieve di Saliceto, Pracchiola San Cristoforo, Succisa, Teglia, Torrano, Traverde and Vignola.

Culture

More modern attractions of Pontremoli include the annual Premio Bancarella book festival, Medievalis (during August) which is a recollection of the arrival of Emperor Frederick II in Pontremoli in 1226, as well as Il Bar Moderno (a local café), which was in 1970 the winner of a "gold medal" in a Milanese "Ice Cream and Coffee" competition.[7]

There are also several mineral springs in the surrounding mountains and a local market takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Cuisine

A plate of testaroli with pesto served in a trattoria (restaurant) in Pontremoli.

Local foods unique to Pontremoli include "amor" (a type of small cake, consisting of a creamy filling between wafers), "spongata" (a Christmas cake containing

hazelnuts, among other ingredients), "torta d'erbe" a pie filled with a mixture which may include bietole (Swiss chard), eggs, ricotta cheese, potato, rice and parmigiano cheese wrapped in a very thin pastry; and testaroli, a flat baked pasta, often served with pesto.[a] Many have suggested that testaroli was actually the first type of pasta. According to an article published by The Wall Street Journal, testaroli is "the earliest recorded pasta."[9]

Main sights

Among the churches in Pontremoli are:

There are also several buildings concerned with the past noble families of Pontremoli. The major site is the Castello del Piagnaro, one of the largest castles of Lunigiana. Several palaces, such as those of the houses of Malaspina and Dosi, are located within the commune.

The "Museo delle Statue Stele" (situated within the castle) contains a number of Bronze Age stone sculptures representing human figures found in Lunigiana.

Notable people

In 1802,

Zucchero owns a house in the commune.[10] Ex-professional Queens Park Rangers player Mario Lusardi traces his roots from a small comune in the hills above Pontremoli, named Bratto, where he currently spends his holidays in the picturesque surroundings. American actress Meryl Streep attended her son's wedding at the Castello del Piagnaro in June 2019, and dined at Osteria Oca Bianca.[11][12]

Infrastructure and transport

To reach Pontremoli by car, one can exit at the toll booth of the same name on the A15 motorway Parma-La Spezia or take the Cisa State Road 62. Public road transport is available via the CAT company, which connects Pontremoli to other cities and towns in the Lunigiana area, Massa, Carrara, and La Spezia. Pontremoli has a railway station with regular services to Pisa, La Spezia and Parma.

Sister cities

Pontremoli is

twinned
with:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Yet in Pontremoli there is not a single restaurant that does not offer testaroli, morning and evening, daily brought fresh from the villages surrounding the town, at midday and the evening as well."[8]

References

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Pontremoli". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 70.
  4. About.com. Archived from the original
    on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  5. ^ Maty, Charles; Baudrand, Michel-Antoine (1701). Dictionnaire geographique universel. p. 779.
  6. ^ "Tuscany (from Italy)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2006. Archived from the original on 2 March 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2018.(subscription required)
  7. ^ "Primo Piano". Il Comune (in Italian). Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  8. ^ Swiss Review of World Affairs. 1986. p. 18. (subscription required)
  9. ^ Dunn, Elizabeth Gunnison (December 13, 2013). "Historical Recipes Are the Next Big Thing". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2016. (subscription required)
  10. ^ Weaver, Ros (7 September 2003). "A drop of cheaper Chiantishire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Da Hollywood alla Lunigiana: Meryl Streep a Pontremoli". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  12. ^ BENACCI, NATALINO (2019-06-16). "Meryl Streep conquistata dal verde della Lunigiana". La Nazione (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-05-22.

External links


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