Albaredo Arnaboldi
Albaredo Arnaboldi: a historic municipality in Oltrepò Pavese
Hi everyone! Today we'll talk about Albaredo Arnaboldi, a municipality of 225 inhabitants located in the Oltrepò Pavese plain, in the province of Pavia, Lombardy. The small town is characterized by the presence of two nuclei, of which the main one (Casenuove) is included in the municipality of Campospinoso, while the smaller nucleus (Casebasse) is located in the municipality of Albaredo Arnaboldi. Between the two nuclei is the Arnaboldi Palace, which I recommend visiting if you're in the area.
History of Albaredo Arnaboldi
The history of Albaredo is very complex due to the variations in the course of the Po river. The place is known since 973, when the monastery of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro in Pavia had some properties there. Until the 16th century it was further north, but still in the Oltrepò Pavese, as the Po river itself flowed further north. At an unspecified date in the 17th century, the river shifted further south, dividing the lands of Albaredo into two parts: the old site, destined for rapid decline, was now north of the river, and in 1751 it was included in the Campagna Sottana pavese; a new town, located at the southern limit of the old municipal territory, was called ''Albaredo dell'Ardino'', and remained in the Oltrepò. The latter became the current town.
In the Middle Ages, Albaredo belonged to the Sannazzaro of the branch of the lords of Cigognola; it remained united to the feud of Cigognola in the subsequent passages to the Visconti Scaramuzza, D'Adda, and Barbiano di Belgioioso. In the Napoleonic era, the suppressed municipalities of Baselica and Lago de Porci were merged with the municipality of Albaredo.
Almost the entire territory of Albaredo belonged to its feudal lords, and after the abolition of feudalism, the immense estate was purchased by lawyer Pompeo Gazzaniga, financier of Napoleon's campaign in Italy, and passed down by inheritance to the Arnaboldi-Gazzaniga, because the daughter married Count Bernardo Arnaboldi, senator of the Kingdom, in 1863; in his honor, the surname was added to the name of the municipality.
The suppression and reconstitution of the municipality
In 1928, the municipality of Albaredo Arnaboldi was suppressed and, together with Campospinoso, formed the municipality of Campospinoso Albaredo; the single municipality was reconstituted in 1948. In 1961, the border with Belgioioso was rectified.
The Campospinoso Albaredo Union
Together with the neighboring municipality of Campospinoso, on August 9, 2000, the Campospinoso Albaredo Union was established, which became operational in September 2000. It is a fully-fledged local authority whose function is to manage the functions that the municipalities decide to transfer to it.
To conclude, Albaredo Arnaboldi is a municipality rich in history, which is worth visiting if you are in the area. Goodbye and see you next time!
