Massa Lombarda
Massa Lombarda: A city with a rich history
Massa Lombarda, also known as ''La Màsa'' in Romagnol language, is an Italian municipality with a population of 10546 residents. Located in the province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region, this city has a rich history of facts and historical events.
Foundation
The territory where Massa Lombarda stands today was covered with forests in the Middle Ages, and to the north, the swamps of the Valle Padusa began. The area was not inhabited, and was known as "massa" in medieval documents, a collection of lands with a parish church dedicated to Saint Paul. In 767, the "massa Sancti Pauli" belonged to the Byzantine rite monastery of Santa Maria "in Cosmedin" of Ravenna.
The monks created a land grid (in the centurial model) consisting of 15 lots with dimensions of approximately 320 x 440 meters. The parish church was located in one of the southern lots. In the twelfth century, the "limes" (borders) of the S. Pauli mass were: to the south the border with Guercinoro (which corresponds to the current border with Mordano); to the west the "limes Mundus," beyond which was the "possession of Bolognano"; to the north the ideal continuation line of the San Vitale State Road 253 on the axis of S. Agata sul Santerno, beyond which was the "Silva Bagnarola"; to the east the border with S. Anastasio, beyond which were the Meletolo and Roncadello lots and the Santerno river.
In 1164, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa took the "massa" from the Ravenna monks and gave it to his vassals, the Counts of Cunio. They built a fortress to defend the borders of the territory where the village of Zeppa stands today (the castle was destroyed in 1358).
Restitution to the Monks
After the death of heir to the throne Henry VI of Swabia in 1197, Pope Innocent III reoccupied Romagna and restored the "massa" to the monks. On November 12, 1235, S. Maria in Cosmedin granted the entire territory of the "massa S. Pauli" to the Imola municipality in emphyteusis, with a renewable hundred-year contract. "With an instrument of Pier Margarito da Manfredo, abbot of the Monastery of Santa Maria in Cosmedin of Ravenna," as Massa Lombarda historian Luigi Quadri reported, "the investiture of the San Paolo mass was granted to the Imola municipality, which obtained it."
Ezzelino III da Romano's Invasion
The pivotal event for Massa Lombarda's history occurred in the mid-thirteenth century. In the spring of 1251, just six months after the death of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, the tyrant of the Treviso region, Ezzelino III da Romano (who had been his vicar), invaded the district of Mantua, desiring to extend his domain. Then, 150 families, mostly from Marmirolo (and, to a lesser extent, from Mantua itself and from Cremona), to escape the danger, crossed the Po and took refuge in Bologna, requesting hospitality.
Offer of the S. Pauli Mass as a Refuge
Bologna could only accommodate 63 families, while 87 remained to be settled. The issue was resolved thanks to the intervention of the municipality of Imola, which offered the "massa Sancti Pauli" to the settlers: the area was still largely uninhabited but rich in resources.
Conclusions
The history of Massa Lombarda has been marked by the historical events that took place in the territory. The city has seen the passage of Byzantine monks, the construction of a fortress to protect the vassals' territory of Frederick Barbarossa, and the offering of the S. Pauli mass to the settlers fleeing from Ezzelino III da Romano. The city has become an important cultural center, with many tourist attractions and a lively local community. If you visit this city, keep in mind that every corner has a story to tell.
