Castenaso
Castenaso: the municipality in the metropolitan city of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna
Castenaso is a municipality of about 16,052 inhabitants located in the metropolitan city of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. The name Castenaso derives from Latin "Castrum Nasicae" because a battle occurred in this place at the end of the 3rd century BC, in which the Roman consul Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica defeated the Gauls of Boi.
History of Castenaso: from the first traces of settlements to the Contemporary Age
The history of the municipality of Castenaso has distant roots, dating back to the first phase of the Villanovan civilization, which takes its name from the homonymous locality of Villanova di Castenaso. In Roman times, the countryside to the left of the Idice river was part of the ager Bononiensis and therefore depended on Bologna, while that to the east of the river belonged to the ager Claternatae, thus leading to the Municipality of Claterna, a Roman city near Ozzano dell'Emilia.
During the Late Middle Ages until the threshold of the 19th century, Castenaso remained a predominantly rural settlement, characterized by a scattered rural settlement and a small aggregation nucleus. However, starting from the end of the 19th century, the town began to acquire its own social identity thanks to the formation of representative symbols, such as the municipality, cultural associations, trade unions, political movements, and workers' cooperatives.
During World War II, Castenaso was involved in the Italian Resistance. In particular, the "VII GAP" operated in the area, but there were also serious episodes of violence such as the massacre of Vigorso and the bombing of 1945, which almost completely destroyed the town.
The coat of arms of Castenaso
The coat of arms of Castenaso is descriptive of the history of the city: the Idice river, which exits from a jug, divides the field into two parts, on the right with the insignia of the Romans and on the left with the insignia of the Gauls. The coat of arms was created in 1852 at the request of the authorities of Bologna, by distinguished members of the community of Castenaso. Although this history is not supported by archaeological findings, the coat of arms constitutes the pictorial transposition of the local historical tradition on the origins of the first settlement.
Conclusions
Castenaso is a municipality that can boast a history with ancient roots, spanning from the Contemporary Age, the Resistance, and to the present day. Although the historical tradition on the origins of the first settlement is not supported by archaeological findings, it has been passed down through the town's coat of arms. Today, Castenaso is an active and dynamic community that distinguishes itself for its cultural, social, and political vitality.
