Medesano
Hello friends!
Today I will talk to you about Medesano, an Italian municipality in the province of Parma in Emilia-Romagna.
Physical geography
Medesano is located on the left bank of the Taro River, in a hilly position, at the foot of the first ridges of the Parmesan Apennines. One of the most beautiful scenic points is Poggio, where in the 12th century the Castle of Medesano was built, probably on the remains of the Castrum Medexani from Roman times.
Origin of the name
The origin of the name of the municipality is uncertain, although it is certainly of Latin origin. According to some hypotheses, it could derive from Medianum, if the original location could be identified in the homonymous urban center indicated in the Trajan's Table of Alimentaria, or Medicianum, due to the presence of the healing waters of Sant'Andrea Bagni already known at that time, or even from Medisianus or Matisianus, from the nomen Medisius or Matisius.
History
The first human settlement in the Medesano area dates back to the Bronze Age, in the 2nd millennium BC, when the Terramaricoli built a small village near the Taro River. Subsequently, during the Roman era, the primitive urban center of Medesano was created along the Via Aemilia Scauri. In the late imperial era, the Castrum Medexani, perhaps located on the top of the current Poggio, was probably fortified due to its strategic position guarding the access to the Taro Valley, which, along with the Roman road, allowed the crossing of the Apennine chain. Following the invasion of the Lombards, which occurred in 586, both the road and the locality greatly increased their importance. Between 805 and 813, the bishops of Lucca, Jacopo and Pietro, respectively, purchased some land in the Medesano area, known at that time as Medexano, Metexano, Medasiano or Metasiano. In 835, Queen Cunegonda, widow of King Bernardo d'Italia, bequeathed the Medesano territory to the monastery of Sant'Alessandro di Parma, which she founded in the same year.
Medieval era
The road, later known as the Via Francigena, was traveled in 990 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sigeric of Canterbury, who indicated Metane as the XXXV stage of his Itinerary of Sigeric. In 1014, Emperor Henry II the Saint confirmed the possession of Medesano to the Abbey of Leno. Between 1140 and 1145, Marquess Oberto I Pallavicino built the first castle of Medesano on the top of the current Poggio, guarding the valley, and settled his son Delfino, who in 1150 suffered the assault of his brother Guglielmo's soldiers; the castle was destroyed and soon rebuilt, but in 1162 it was again devastated by the Piacenza aided by Fidenza.
Hello, I like to think that you have got a general idea of this small municipality in Emilia-Romagna, but there are so many things to talk about when it comes to Medesano! It has been a fortress since ancient Roman times, whose strategic natural properties have been exploited by the Lombards and a series of medieval monarchies for more than a millennium. Good to know: along the western side of Medesano rises the village of Sant'Andrea Bagni and the homonymous hydrothermal spring, among the largest in Europe. Have you ever heard of the "hand threshing" in Medesano? It means that wheat can still be threshed as it was done in the times of our ancestors. Thank you for reading me, I hope to see you again soon!
