Carpaneto Piacentino
Carpaneto Piacentino: a town between the Po Valley and the Ligurian Apennines
Carpaneto Piacentino, affectionately called "Carpané" in the Piacenza dialect, is a town located in the province of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna. The town has 7,631 inhabitants and extends between the high Po Valley and the first foothills of the Ligurian Apennines.
The territory of the municipality is characterized by the parallel course of the Riglio, Vezzeno, Chero, and Chiavenna (stream) streams. The minimum altitude is located in the north and is 119 meters above sea level, while the hilly area to the south reaches 751 meters above sea level.
Carpaneto Piacentino was included in 1996 in the Geological Nature Reserve of Piacenziano for the discoveries of fossil finds dating back to the Pliocene. In 2011, this reserve merged into a new regional park of Stirone and Piacenziano.
The origin of the toponym Carpaneto
The name of the town may derive from the presence of Carpinus betulus, a tree very common in the area and similar to birch. The Piacentino adjective was added to the toponym Carpaneto in 1929, and in 1931, the new municipal coat of arms featuring a hornbeam tree was approved. The etymology of the name could also derive from the presence of a coal deposit, as Carpaneto was a trading square for cereals and coal extracted in the Monte Menegosa, Monte Lama and Monte Pelpi mountains. These goods were then transported to Carpaneto along the Chero valley road, also called "coal road." A third hypothesis descends from the name of the founder of the town, a certain M. Carbo, who lived before the birth of Christ.
The history of Carpaneto Piacentino
The first traces of the village of Carpaneto date back to Roman times, as evidenced by the various archaeological finds in various places in the territory, including tombs, ceramic objects, and paving. The most significant discovery is probably the dolium preserved at the Antiquarium of Velleia, in the geographic fraction of Badagnano. The centuriation has also been found in some traces.
The first mention of Carpaneto dates back to 758 when a forest mainly composed of hornbeams changed hands between nobles of Longobard origin. Later, the area was indicated in a holographic will dated July 7, 801, and preserved at the Cathedral Archive of Piacenza. This document indicates that the Church of the Saints Fermo and Rustico (Carpaneto) was located in "Ponziano," a toponym of Roman origin.
Conclusions
Carpaneto Piacentino is a pleasant and interesting town located in a peaceful area between the Po Valley and the Ligurian Apennines. The history of the town dates back to Roman times and presents several archaeological traces. There are three hypotheses regarding the origin of the toponym Carpaneto, related to the presence of hornbeam trees, coal deposits, and the supposed founder of the town. The municipality is part of the regional park of Stirone and Piacenziano, which has recently been created through the merger of the Geological Nature Reserve of Piacenziano. In any case, Carpaneto Piacentino is a place worth visiting to discover its natural and historical treasures.
