Chignolo Po
Welcome to Chignolo Po
Hello friends, today I'm going to tell you about Chignolo Po, an Italian municipality located in the province of Pavia in Lombardy. The city has about 3,912 inhabitants and is located at the mouth of the Lambro River into the Po, about thirty kilometers away from the cities of Pavia, Lodi and Piacenza.
The history of Chignolo Po
The name Chignolo derives from the Latin ''Cuncolus ad Padum'' and the Lombard ''Chignoeu'' which indicate the particular conformation of this village. In the 10th century, Chignolo belonged to the monastery of Santa Cristina. The village developed on a strip of land raised between the Lambro and Po rivers. In 1466, the Duke of Milan, Galeazzo Maria Sforza, rectified the course of the river, transforming the ancient bed of the Po into "Mortizza".
According to tradition, the territory was already inhabited during the Stone Age and became a fortified center along the route of the Roman road, and then in the Middle Ages, the Strada Regina. It was a place of passage and stop for pilgrims of the Via Francigena. In the 9th century, Chignolo was granted to the Benedictine monks of Santa Cristina and Bissone.
In 1936, the municipality of Cantonale, already in the province of Milan, was merged with Chignolo. Lambrinia, a hamlet of the municipality, was previously called Camatta.
The symbols of Chignolo Po
The coat of arms and banner of Chignolo Po were granted by royal decree on February 8, 1939. The banner is a blue drape.
The society of Chignolo Po
The population of Chignolo Po has about 3,912 inhabitants as of December 31, 2018. The foreigners residing in the city are 628, among which the most represented nationalities are Romania, Morocco, India, Albania, Egypt, and Ukraine.
The Guignol
Now let's talk about Guignol, a legendary character of Chignolo Po. History takes us back to the mid-16th century when Francis I of France invited and recruited Piedmontese and Lombard weavers, many of whom came from the area of Pavia, to establish and develop silk processing factories in France.
It is said that Guignol was one of these weavers, a skillful and determined man who, thanks to his intelligence and manual skills, succeeded in achieving great success in the manufacture of fabrics in France. Legend has it that Guignol returned to Chignolo Po with a great fortune but died in poverty, a victim of his generosity towards his fellow citizens.
The figure of Guignol has been represented in different forms over time, but his image has become a symbol of resistance and struggle for workers' rights. In the '60s, the municipality of Chignolo Po established the Guignol award in honor of this character, to reward people who have distinguished themselves in protecting workers' rights and fighting for social justice.
In conclusion, Chignolo Po is a place with a great history and a welcoming community. If you happen to pass by here, pay a visit and discover for yourself all the treasures and beauties that this small city has to offer. We are sure you won't be disappointed!
