Santa Maria Codifiume
Discovering Santa Maria Codifiume
Hello everyone! Today I would like to tell you about Santa Maria Codifiume, a small hamlet of the municipality of Argenta, located in the province of Ferrara. The village has about 2500 inhabitants and is situated on the left bank of the Reno river. Although part of the municipality of Argenta, it is only 5 km away from the town of Molinella in Bologna.
The ancient village is developed along the axis of Via Fascinata, which takes its name from its original coating composed of bundles of branches and canes. This coating was created to facilitate the passage of carts on the dirt surface of the road and was used from the 15th century until the end of the 18th century.
The History of Santa Maria Codifiume
During World War II, the hamlet suffered heavy bombing in the spring of 1945.
Monuments and Places of Interest
Santa Maria Codifiume is famous for its Church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Argenta, embellished on the wishes of Cardinal Luigi Giordani.
The Economy of Santa Maria Codifiume
The economy of the hamlet is mainly agricultural and is based on the cultivation of high quality fruit, particularly appreciated on the markets. In particular, apples and pears are very common in the area. There are some facilities where fruit is selected and stored (refrigerators).
In the past, the cultivation and processing of hemp was very widespread, a textile fiber widely used as an alternative to the much more expensive cotton, but this cultivation is no longer practiced. In the surrounding countryside, one can still find water basins (maceri) used for macerating bundles of canes, so as to eliminate the woody fraction through putrefaction and release the fiber that was then processed for the production of fabrics.
Today, the artisanal zone is experiencing a small increase with the opening of new businesses.
Bibliography
If you are interested in learning more about the history and memory of Santa Maria Codifiume, I recommend reading Dafne Donadello Ghetti's book entitled "Santa Maria Codifiume. La storia e la memoria", published in 2002.
In conclusion, I highly recommend visiting this beautiful hamlet in the province of Ferrara to discover its beauty and thousand-year history. Thank you for reading!
