Nogara
Nogara: an ancient town with a strategic location
Nogara is an Italian municipality with a population of 8,331 residents located in the Verona province, in the Veneto region. The territory expands over a flat area crossed by the Tartaro-Canalbianco-Po di Levante river and is part of the Bassa Veronese. The town is about 33 km away from Verona and 23 km from Mantova.
The origins of the name Nogara date back to the local dialect "nosara," which comes from the abundant presence of walnut trees in the surrounding area. This region was inhabited long before ancient Rome and contained Etruscan elements. Moreover, Nogara is located on the road that connects Bologna to Verona and is a place of great importance for the history of Northern Italy.
Geographical and logistical position
Nogara is strategically positioned as a crossroad of national roads and railways. Today it is even more important for its geographical and logistical location. In the past, only the Roman road was available; now, there's also the state road 10 and the railway. Furthermore, Nogara is located next to the Tartaro River, which is important both from a historical and geological perspective. In the past centuries, the river was a border zone between two states, Mantovano and Veronese, and in modern times was a reason for conflicts between the House of Austria and Venice.
Town center
From the square, the most important town center, a road led to the hamlets of Brancon until Pradelle. Nogara was a place of fratricidal struggles and fierce disputes around the castle and the church. In the 900s, King Berengario authorized the construction of the castle, and now it's incorporated into the Marogna palace with the pilasters designed by Sanmicheli.
Documents dating from 920-936 explain how the monks exercised their power: they had an interest in defending the castle of Nogara to safeguard it from the incursions of the Hungarians. Therefore, they rented out several of their houses to the people of Nogara with the agreement of protecting the fortress and the nearby San Silvestro church, close to the Tartaro-Canalbianco-Po di Levante. On a papal brief from Innocent II, addressed to the people of Nogara, we read an invitation to pay the monks of Nonantola, who had seized all of the assets, the courts 'Due Roveri' and 'Rovescello', the castle, and the fruits of a forest that was given to them by Matilda of Canossa, which the nogaresi had cut down to satisfy their heating needs.
Tradition of struggles
Nogara boasts a tradition of struggles that, especially in the Middle Ages, had a lot of resonance. During Matilda's rule, it was a stronghold on the left of the Po and was attacked by Henry IV of Franconia while Verona remained loyal to the German emperor to gain advantages from its communal autonomy.
In conclusion, Nogara is an Italian municipality with an ancient history, strategically located, and a site of conflicts and struggles throughout the centuries. This region has often been subject to disputes between different powers that have sought to use its privileged geographic position to their advantage. Despite the passing of time, Nogara continues to be a place of great importance and historical-cultural interest.
