Pontremoli - Italy
by Paolo Signorini
Title
Pontremoli - Italy
Artist
Paolo Signorini
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Pontremoli (Pontrémal in the local dialect) is a small city, comune and bishop's see in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany, Italy. Literally translated, "Pontremoli" derives from "Trembling Bridge" (Italian ponte - "bridge" and tremare - "to tremble"), with the commune having been named after a prominent bridge across the Magra.
Pontremoli is believed to have been first settled around a thousand years before Christ. It was known in Roman times as Apua. The commune later became an independent municipality in 1226 thanks to Federico II who charters the free municipality, partly because of its mountainous situation. This situation in the valley of the Magra also made Pontremoli a target for numerous conquests from rival Italian and foreign lords. Pontremoli was controlled by various aristocratic families, including the Malaspina (in 1319) and the Antelminelli (in 1322). The conflict between the rival Guelfi and 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 to Rome.
In 1331 Pontremoli was sold by John I of Bohemia to Mastino II della Scala (Lord of Verona). Pontremoli was later taken over by the Visconti of Milan in 1339. In 1404 the ownership of Pontremoli once again changed hands as it was seized by the Fieschi family of Genoa. However, by 1433 Pontremoli was again under the control of the Milanese. In 1495 Pontremoli was sacked by the troops of Charles VIII of France, during this time Pontremoli was a territory owned by the House of Sforza, who were the new 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 Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. Pontremoli was controlled by Spain until 1647, when it was bought by the Republic of Genoa. Three years later, Pontremoli was made part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It stayed as such (with the exception of a period of French control from 1805 to 1814) until Italian unification in the nineteenth century.
With the Leopoldine reforms, Pontremoli became an autonomous community (whilst still part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany) in 1777.[2] In 1778, it officially became a City. The area was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1834. In November 1847 Pontremoli was (along with Fivizzano) occupied by the Duke of Modena, due to a dispute over trade routes.
Uploaded
February 17th, 2022
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Comments (21)
Linda Buckman
This is a beautiful capture of a beautiful place. What a blessing to be able to visit such a gorgeous area.
Steve Rich
Paolo, your wonderful image has been FEATURED on the home page of "The Meandering Photographer” Please consider adding your photo to the "Feature History, The Meandering Photographer (Jan-June 2023)" active discussion thread.
Barbie Corbett-Newmin
Congratulations. Your lovely scenic photography has been featured on the home page of The 200 Club - Best Photos With Over 200 Views Up To 500. You are invited to archive it in the appropriate discussion threads.