San Martino Carano
The story of San Martino Carano
San Martino Carano is a small village in the municipality of Mirandola, in the province of Modena. The settlement dates back to ancient Rome, as evidenced by the discovery of an Augustan milestone in 1850. The toponym Carano may refer to an ancient landowner of that time, Calus, owner of a fundus calanus or caranus. Over the centuries, the villa of San Martino Carano has been the encampment of many armies during the sieges of the fortress of Mirandola, including the Siege of Mirandola in 1742. During World War II, the Mirandola American Military Cemetery was established in San Martino Carano, where Allied and Nazi-Fascist soldiers who died in the area during the days of liberation were temporarily buried.
The earthquake and the reconstruction of the church
San Martino Carano was severely damaged by the Emilia earthquake of 2012. During his pastoral visit to the lower Modena area, Pope Francis donated the first stone for the reconstruction of the church damaged by the earthquake to the San Martino Carano parish. The Church of San Martino Vescovo, rebuilt in 1599, is part of the Benedictine Abbey of Marola and was elevated to parish in 1619. The building, which has a single nave with baroque decorations, was rendered unusable by the earthquake. Currently, the parish is in the hands of the Missionaries of the Servants of the Poor, who previously managed the church of San Francesco in Mirandola, destroyed by the earthquake.
Places and monuments of interest
The Church of San Martino Vescovo is the main monument of interest in San Martino Carano. The religious building, rebuilt in the sixteenth century and completed in 1619, was elevated to parish in the same year. It has a single nave decorated in a baroque style and a side bell tower. Due to the 2012 earthquake, the complex was rendered unusable and will be rebuilt.
Conclusions
San Martino Carano is a village just a few kilometers from Mirandola with an ancient and interesting history. The Church of San Martino Vescovo, built in the sixteenth century and belonging to the Benedictine Abbey of Marola, is one of the main monuments of interest in the village. Unfortunately, like many neighboring towns, San Martino Carano was severely damaged by the earthquake of 2012, but thanks to the efforts of the Missionaries of the Servants of the Poor and the donation of the first stone by the Pope, the church will be rebuilt to continue to serve as a spiritual center for the local community.
