San Martino in Strada
San Martino in Strada: the history of a municipality
San Martino in Strada is a small municipality in Lombardy, located in the province of Lodi. The city has an ancient history dating back to 975, when it was first attested on the Roman road that led from Laus Pompeia to Cremona. The name of the city derives from the cult for Martin of Tours, bishop of Tours, brought to Italy by the Franks. In the twelfth century, there was a large castle owned by the Diocese of Lodi, destroyed in 1400, while in 1159, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted San Martino in Strada to the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro.
The city, located along an important road, was often plundered and dismantled over the centuries. In 1270, Napo della Torre plundered it in the war against the Visconti, while in the fourteenth century, Emperor Henry VII intimidated the inhabitants. In the sixteenth century, the city was devastated by foreign troops, to the point of leaving large properties uncultivated.
In Napoleon's era, from 1809 to 1816, Cà dei Bolli, Caviaga, Muzza Piacentina, Cascina Pompola, Sesto (San Martino in Strada), and Soltarico were aggregated to the municipality of San Martino in Strada, returning autonomous with the constitution of the Lombard-Venetian kingdom. Cà dei Bolli and Sesto were definitively aggregated in 1869.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the city experienced a significant decline in population due to agricultural exodus but later began to repopulate thanks to its proximity to Lodi and the possibility of building with typologies not possible in the capital. However, apart from the church and the Cascina Barattiera, there are no traces of the past splendor in the Municipality.
The Parish Church
The parish church of San Martino in Strada is very old: it is known since the twelfth century. The new church, on the other hand, dates back to 1576, and the bell tower was built around the end of the seventeenth century. The church is dedicated to Saint Martin, bishop, born in 316 AD and its architecture is very suggestive.
The symbols of the city
The coat of arms of the municipality of San Martino in Strada was granted, together with the banner, by the decree of the President of the Republic of September 29, 2011. The banner is a white drapery.
Conclusions
San Martino in Strada is a small municipality that, despite the difficulties of the past, is gaining strength in recent times thanks to its geographical location and new development opportunities. The city can boast a rich history, as evidenced by the presence of ancient buildings such as the parish church, the Cascina Barattiera, and the manor houses of the old farms. San Martino in Strada is an integral part of the Lodi territory, and its history is part of the history of Lombardy as a whole.
