| Tortona | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Piedmont | |
| Territory | Tortonese | |
| Altitude | 122 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 98.87 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 27.611 (year 2014) | |
| Name inhabitants | Tortonesi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0131 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 15057 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | San Marziano (March 6) | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Tortona is a city of Piedmont.
To know
Bulwark of a border territory since its Ligurian origins, for the Romans it became, in the imperial age, the crossroads of great consular roads: via Fulvia, via Postumia, via Æmilia Scauri, via Vercellina, which gave the Roman Derthona Julia the role of military and civil strategic node which it then retained in subsequent eras.
Despite the succession of different masters, the Tortonese people retained an extraordinary municipal identity. This is borne out by the city statutes which, definitively validated in 1354 by Galeazzo Visconti, guided the institutional evolution of the Tortona community until the end of the 18th century. The motto of the city, from which the name Tortona derives, and its precedents Dertona and Terdona is: Pro tribus donis similis Terdona leonis: Tortona is similar to a lion by virtue of three gifts; this motto would allude to the prestige that has accompanied the city since ancient times.
Geographical notes
Tortona, the main center of the area Tortonese which takes its name from the city, is located on the right bank of the Scrivia river, in the Piedmontese Po plain at the foot of the first Apennine reliefs; it develops near the border with the Lombardy, more precisely with theOltrepò Pavese whose main center is Voghera, which is 13 km away; Alexandria is 20 km away, Milan 65, Genoa and the sea 70.
Background
The findings that took place in the current urban area testify to the frequentation of the territory already during the Neolithic. It was an oppidum (fortified village) of the Liguri Statielli between the 8th and 5th centuries BC, with the name of Dertona which was located in the "Castle" area. After the Roman conquest of the territory, the city became a Roman colony around 120 BC, transforming itself into a thriving agricultural and commercial center, at the crossroads of important communication routes: the via Postumia (which connected Genoa to Aquileia), via Fulvia (coming from Pollentia, today Pollenzo) and via Æmilia Scauri (coming from Vada Sabatia, today I'm going to Liguria, through Aquae Statiellae, today Acqui Terme). Erected a second time in a colony by Augustus (between 40 and 30 BC) it took the name of Julia Dertona and was part of the IX region. It prospered until the fall of the empire as evidenced by the numerous finds. Tortona has been a bishopric since the early Christian era. The deposition and killing of the western Roman emperor Majorian took place in Tortona, deposed by his barbarian general Ricimer in 461.
Tortona in the early Middle Ages, also due to the decline of the nearby towns (Libarna, Iria and Forum Fulvii), remained the main center of the area. In 877 the Emperor Charles the Bald took refuge in Tortona with Pope John VIII to escape the adversary Carloman of Bavaria. In 951 it became a fief of the Malaspina together with much of the surrounding territory, but the noble family was unable to maintain control over the area permanently. In 1122 it escaped the power of the bishop by becoming a free municipality, with the name of Terdona. Thanks to the enrichment of the city bourgeoisie there was a demographic increase and a significant economic development, which determined an expansion of the city and increased its power over the neighboring territories, thus entering into conflict with the neighboring Pavia.
In 1155, when the emperor Frederick Barbarossa came to Italy, the city remained faithful to the alliance with Milan and clashed with the Pavesi, allied with the emperor. In the battle the city was defeated, sacked and destroyed by the Pavesi. Quickly rebuilt later with the help of the Milanese, Tortona joined the Lombard League and participated in the municipal struggles, often changing sides, due to the internal conflicts between Guelphs and Ghibellines. Between 1248 and the mid-fourteenth century the city had the right to mint coins and the "big Tortonese" was coined. It was conquered by Luchino Visconti in 1347 and followed the fate of the Duchy of Milan, first under the dominion of the Visconti and then of the Sforza, until the sixteenth century. In these years the "Statuta Civitatis Derthonae" were reworked.
The city of Tortona in 1535 was given as a dowry to Christina of Denmark, wife of the last Duke of Milan Francesco II Sforza; the princess, on her husband's death, remarried and became Duchess of Lorraine. In 1535 Tortona passed into the hands of the Spaniards together with the Duchy of Milan, in this period it was fortified and elevated to a defensive bulwark on the southern borders of the Duchy of Milan. At the beginning of the seventeenth century the most beautiful part of the city, namely the one on the Castle, was destroyed by the explosion of gunpowder that the Spaniards had deposited in the bell tower, thus destroying the cathedral.
After having been the scene of clashes during the War of the Spanish Succession, in 1706 it passed under Austrian rule with Milan, albeit for a short period. In 1738 it was annexed to the Savoy dominions by Carlo Emanuele III following the war of the Polish succession. His successor, Vittorio Amedeo III of Savoy had the fort of Tortona rebuilt between 1773 and 1778. In 1796, with the descent of Napoleon in Italy, the castle was ceded to the French by the armistice of Cherasco. Arrested by the Austro-Russians of Suvorov after the battle of Novi (1799), it passed back to the French who established their headquarters in its territory on the occasion of the battle of Marengo (14 June 1800). Following the agreements made with the Tsar of Russia, Napoleon ordered the dismantling of the fortifications (1801) and the destruction of the castle and Tortona was annexed to the French Empire in 1802. Following the fall of Napoleon, with the Restoration it returned under the Savoy in 1814 and experienced a period of great splendor, in which the civic theater (1838), the Carabinieri barracks and the arcades of Via Emilia were built.
The second half of the nineteenth century represented a period of prosperity for the city, testified by the profound urban renewal of the period and several citizens of Tortona participated in the initiatives of the Risorgimento. During the twentieth century the period of economic development continued, thanks to the birth of many industries and substantial parts of the city center were modernized. In 1931 the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia was built on the initiative of Luigi Orione. During the Second World War it was bombed and partially destroyed and in March 1944 on the Castle 10 partisans were shot in retaliation. After the war, at the same time as the economic boom of the sixties, several industries developed in Tortona which brought wealth and well-being to the city; as a consequence there was a demographic increase due also to the immigration of workers from the South and Tortona expanded by building the suburbs to the north, west and south of the city.
The legend of the Holy Grail in Tortona
The Templars were present in Tortona from 1249 until 1310 and, according to legend, in that period they kept the Holy Grail in the same city. The Templars also owned a vast territory in Tortona and its surroundings (an example is the place called Calventia, between Tortona and Casei Gerola, which was their property): proof of this is found in a document dated August 1249 and in one of 7 October 1252. According to popular tradition, the Mausoleum of Maiorano (a concrete cube dating back to the Roman domination) would be located inside the church of San Matteo. The death of the emperor is closely linked (by tradition) to the sacred cup. In the history of Tortona it is handed down that the church of San Giacomo belonged to the Templars and was their seat, but today nothing remains of the ancient church, since in 1770 it was razed to the ground to make way for the new baroque church.
According to tradition, the part of the true cross of Christ that is kept in the Cathedral was brought there by the Knights Templar, since they were the keepers of the true cross. According to the legend, the Grail would give to the city that guards it, three gifts: the body, the blood and the spirit. From this legend derives the famous motto: "pro tribus donis similis Terdona leonis" (by virtue of the three gifts Terdona is similar to the lion, where Terdona is the old name of the city), which would indicate the presence of the Grail in the city. According to some theories, the Grail would be kept inside the Mausoleum of the emperor Maiorano, who died in Tortona in 476 AD.
How to orient yourself
Tortona: full screen map.Neighborhoods
In addition to the city, the municipal territory of Tortona also includes the villages of Bettole di Tortona, Castellar Ponzano, Mombisaggio, Rivalta Scrivia, Torre Calderai, Torre Garofoli, Vho and Passalacqua.
How to get
Tortona is an important road and railway junction, at the center of communications between the Ligurian Sea and Genoa with the Piedmontese hinterland, Lombard is Western Emilia.
By car
- It has a motorway exit which gives it access to the A7 motorways
Milan - Genoa and A21 
Turin - Brescia. - It is crossed by state roads 35
of the Giovi and 10 
Lower Padana
of the Giovi and 10 
Lower PadanaOn the train
1 Railway station, River Square. located on the railway lines Alexandria - Piacenza and Tortona - Genoa
How to get around
What see
- 1 Duomo. The Cathedral of Tortona, dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Assumption and to San Lorenzo martyr, is the cathedral of the diocese of Tortona; it was built between 1574 and 1592 on the pre-existing church of San Quirino. The neoclassical-inspired façade is the work of the architect Nicolò Bruno and dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century (1880-85). Inside it preserves works by artists such as Gian Mauro della Rovere said the Fiammenghino, Aurelio Luini, Guglielmo Caccia said the Moncalvo, Camillo Procaccini and Giuseppe Vermiglio. The vaults were frescoed from 1853 to 1856. On 1 October 1891 the cleric Luigi Orione was appointed custodian of the cathedral, with this position he was able to continue his studies in the seminary.
- In the left aisle are the tombs of Lorenzo Perosi and his brother, Cardinal Carlo Perosi. Also preserved in an urn under the main altar are the relics of St. Martian, a saint who, according to local tradition, was responsible for the conversion of the city to Christianity. In a side altar there is also a fragment of the True Cross: it gives rise to one of the most heartfelt city festivals, which takes place on the second Sunday of May (Santa Croce feast).
- 2 Diocesan Museum of Tortona, ☎ 39 0131816609, @[email protected]. It tells the story of the diocese and its 133 parishes. Among the most important pieces, the triptych of the Madonna and Child, San Giovanni Battista and San Bernardo di Macrino d'Alba (1499, coming from the abbey of Lucedio near Trino), a canvas with the Madonna and Child, Sant'Anna and Santa Margherita di William Caccia, called Moncalvo (1610, from the church of San Simone in Tortona) and the Codex Purpureus Sarzanensis of the V-VI century, a parchment book completely dyed in purple and written in gold and silver, coming from the church of Saints Rufino and Venanzio in Sarezzano.
- Episcopal Palace. Built at the behest of Bishop Cesare Gambara in 1584, it has a beautiful marble portal.
- Church of San Matteo. Formerly of the Dominican Fathers, there is a Madonna with Child by Barnaba da Modena (14th century) and a medieval wooden crucifix.
- 3 Church of Santa Maria Canale. It is the oldest in the city (11th-12th century). Restored in 1853 with the addition of the gabled façade, it retains traces of Renaissance frescoes, although the interior was again decorated by Rodolfo Gambini (1918). The paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are interesting.
- 4 Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia, via don Sparaglione. It is located on the outskirts of the city, in the San Bernardino district. Commissioned by DonLuigi Orione and built in 1931, it preserves the mortal remains of the recently proclaimed saint. The building has an elevated tower on which rests a gigantic (14 m) bronze statue of the Madonna and Child placed in 1959.
- 5 Convent of the Capuchin friars, via Convento Cappuccini. Rebuilt between the fifties and sixties, it preserves interesting paintings from the sixteenth-nineteenth centuries and a polyptych by an unknown artist of rare beauty.
- Cloister of the Annunziata. It is the only remaining side of the convent of the Annunziata, built in the 15th century and partially destroyed in 1802. It is located next to the Civic Theater.
- 6 Civic Theater, Via Ammiraglio Mirabello, 3, ☎ 39 0131 820195. It dates back to 1838 and was built to a design by Pietro Pernigotti: the works began in 1836. The interior, decorated with friezes and stuccos, has three tiers of boxes plus the gallery. Completely restored in the eighties, since 1990 after the reopening on 2 May it hosts a great season of shows every year.
- Church of San Giacomo, Via Lorenzo Perosi. It was built during the 12th century and belonged to the order of the Templars, it was then restored in the years 1770 - 1773 by Cardinal Carlo Alberto Guidobono - Cavalchini - Garofoli. It has a late Baroque facade.
- Oratory of San Rocco, Mazzini square. It was built between 1626 and 1631 and became the seat of the Confraternity of Mercy. The façade with the portico was built in 1725 while the high altar in 1756. Inside you can see two paintings of the seventeenth century: a Beheading of San Giovanni, attributed to Melchiorre Gherardini and a San Francesco da Paola (1631) attributed to Giuseppe Badaracco.
- Church of the Sacred Heart. Built in the late eighties on a design by the famous architect, Franciscan father Costantino Ruggeri.
- 7 Guidobono Palace, piazza Arzano. Dating back to the 15th century, but remodeled and partially rebuilt in 1939, it has a Gothic style facade and is now home to the civic collections. The building is located along the Via Emilia, in a small square dominated by the Guidobono Tower of medieval origin which was also rebuilt in 1939.
- 8 Bears Museum, Via Emilia, 446, ☎ 39 0131 864297. It was built in some premises of the homonymous agricultural machinery factory which was based in Tortona and supplied operators throughout Italy and around the world. Used for various types of exhibitions, it also contains examples of machinery produced in the past.
Events and parties
- Feast of San Marziano.
on March 6. Feast of the patron saint of the city and the diocese. His remains, preserved in an urn under the main altar of the Cathedral, are exhibited for veneration. - Santa Croce Fair. Second Sunday in May. Celebration linked to the relic of the Cross venerated in the Cathedral (first altar of the right aisle) and to the seventeenth-century reliquary of the Holy Band of the Virgin. For three days the historic center hosts numerous stalls with local products as well. In Piazza Allende there is an amusement park with various rides and games.
- Feast of the Madonna della Guardia. on August 29. Solemn procession, commissioned by Don Orione, during which the statue of the Madonna is carried on the shoulder up to the Cathedral. The previous night, after the Holy Mass, the so-called coffee of don Orione, a tradition he introduced in 1931 when the sanctuary was inaugurated. A fireworks display closes the celebrations in honor of the Madonna della Guardia.
- Cantarà and Catanaj. the last Sundays of April-September-November. Antiques market held three times a year in the streets and squares of the historic center. In the Tortonese dialect "cantarà" is the cupboard and "catanaj" is a collection of old things of little value.
- July barracks. A series of puppet shows that are linked to the tradition of local puppeteers.
on March 6. Feast of the patron saint of the city and the diocese. His remains, preserved in an urn under the main altar of the Cathedral, are exhibited for veneration.What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Average prices
- 1 Tam Tam pizza restaurant, Via Franciolino dei Franciolini, 8, ☎ 39 0131 863094.
- 2 La Casereccia - restaurant, Via Emilia, 209, ☎ 39 0131 862323.
- 3 Riviera Pizzeria, Lugano square 6, ☎ 39 0131 820086.
- 4 Acqua e Farina - restaurant, Via Emilia, 132, ☎ 39 0131 867061.
- 5 Sottosopra Restaurant, Via Fracchia, 16, ☎ 39 0131 822944.
- 6 Osteria Della Corte Restaurant, Via Zenone, 7, ☎ 39 0131 814911.
Where stay
Average prices
- 1 Villa Viola Hotel Restaurant, Private road Sergio Devani, ☎ 39 0131 811462. Three stars
- 2 B&B Casa Cuniolo Guest House, Viale Giovanni Amendola 6, ☎ 39 0131 861035.
- 3 Pension Albergo Ada, Piazzetta Santa Maria Canale, 5, ☎ 39 0131 862677.
- 4 Residence Perosi, Via Lorenzo Perosi, 42, ☎ 39 0131 861035.
- 5 Hotel Il Cavallino, Corso Giuseppe Romita, 83, ☎ 39 0131 862308.
- 6 Oasis hotel, State Road to Voghera, 10, ☎ 39 0131 861356. Three stars
High prices
- 7 Hotel Villa Giulia, Course for Alexandria, 7, ☎ 39 0131 862396. Four stars
Safety
Pharmacy
- 2 Pharmacy 1, Corso Don Orione, 51 / E, ☎ 39 0131 862630.
- 3 Pharmacy 2 Meardi, Sarra, Frau, Provincial Road To Viguzzolo, 2, ☎ 39 0131 861264.
- 4 Ancient Pharmacy Bidone, Via Emilia, 130, ☎ 39 0131 815731.
- 5 Central Pharmacy, Via Emilia, 163, ☎ 39 0131 861403.
- 6 De Stefanis Pharmacy, Via Emilia, 39, ☎ 39 0131 862008.
- 7 Maggi Pharmacy, Strada Pozzolo Formigaro, 53 (in the locality of Rivalta Scrivia), ☎ 39 0131 817146.
- 8 Zerba Pharmacy, Via Emilia, 228, ☎ 39 0131 861971.
How to keep in touch
Post office
- 9 Italian post, via Ugone Visconti 1 / a, ☎ 39 0131 866351, fax: 39 0131 821718.
Around
- Alexandria - It is named after Pope Alexander III and was a cornerstone of the struggle against the Empire. Free Municipality, it was for centuries a military stronghold. It has a vast historic center with an unequivocal Savoy imprint.
- Voghera - Main center not only of the Val Staffora, but the capital of allOltrepò Pavese, the city remembers with its elegant urban layout, from the sober Piedmontese architecture, its long Savoy belonging
- Salice Terme - A large Art Nouveau-style Hotel delle Terme, surrounded by a large planted park, celebrated the success that the spa had in the twenties-thirties-forties of the twentieth century. The Hotel is now closed; the thermal baths, on the other hand, continue their activity profitably, which has been the driving force behind the building development of Salice which has equipped itself with hotels, restaurants, swimming pools for the use of curative tourism of which it has become a destination.
- Rivanazzano Terme - It almost forms a conurbation with the nearby Willow; its spa was born in 1913 with the discovery of the springs in the area of San Francesco. It has recently been enhancing its facilities in an attempt to achieve the notoriety of its neighbor.
- Volpedo - It preserves a valuable Romanesque church, as well as many memories of the painter Pellizza da Volpedo.
- Novi Ligure - City of ancient origin, with a past belonging to the Republic of Genoa, it has an elegant and considerable urban heritage, left to it by the Genoese nobility who spent their holidays here.
