Cortemaggiore
Welcome to Cortemaggiore, a municipality in the province of Piacenza
Cortemaggiore is a beautiful municipality in Emilia-Romagna situated in the area of the Po Valley, called bassa piacentina. The city has a population of 4,648 inhabitants and is located at approximately the same distance from Piacenza and Cremona. Today, I will talk to you about the geography and history of the town, in order to introduce you better to this wonderful city.
Physical Geography of Cortemaggiore
The territory of Cortemaggiore is completely flat, with no significant elevation. The city is located at an average altitude of 45 meters and is bordered to the north by the 45th parallel - the equidistant line between the North Pole and the equator. To the west of the city is the hamlet of Chiavenna Landi, situated on the left bank of the Chiavenna (stream). To the east of the inhabited center, the Arda River (Italian river) flows, beyond which, about 10 kilometers from the capital, lies the hamlet of San Martino in Olza. Cortemaggiore, like all the Piacenza plain, is characterized by a temperate continental climate with high daily and annual temperature variations. The annual precipitation is about 700 millimeters distributed over 80-85 rainy days. In winter one can observe the formation of fog mainly due to the phenomenon of thermal inversion.
The History of Cortemaggiore
The name of Cortemaggiore was first mentioned in a diploma of King Louis of France in 845, who granted the territory in fief to his niece Ermengarda. In 890, the territory was then donated by Empress Engelberga d'Alsazia to the nuns of the Church of San Sisto (Piacenza). Involved in the communal struggles, the city was invaded by the people of Cremona in 1214 and then by the troops of Frederick II of Swabia in 1243. In 1290, it passed under the control of the Pallavicino family.
The center of Cortemaggiore was founded in 1479 by the Marquis Gian Lodovico I Pallavicino, on the site of settlements already present in Roman times, as evidenced by the tombs dating back to that period found near the town. The original name given by the founder to the settlement was "Castrum Laurum," but this designation had a very short life; in fact, the ancient name of "Curtis Major" remained in use among the population, due to its being the capital of the County of Aucia, from which the name Cortemaggiore was later derived. The town was erected by the Pallavicino family with the function of being the capital of their small Pallavicino State, which extended over an area comprising many municipalities. The town plan was designed by the architect Maffeo Vegio from Como, following the schema of the ideal city of Leon Battista Alberti.
Conclusion
Cortemaggiore is a wonderful city, full of history, whose town center was designed with a very particular and useful plan for its beauty and elegance. The territory is flat, the climate temperate, and the annual precipitation is distributed over 80-85 rainy days. The history of the town is very interesting, dating back to 845. If you are looking for a city where you can spend a pleasant day, I recommend you visit Cortemaggiore.
