| Villachiara | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Lombardy | |
| Territory | Lower Brescia | |
| Altitude | 75 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 16.87 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 1.432 (2011 census) | |
| Name inhabitants | Villaclarensi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 030 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 25030 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Santa Chiara (11 August) | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Villachiara is a center of the Lombardy.
To know
The town boasts a castle that was one of the many manors built by the Martinengo counts, who for centuries were lords of this area of the Lombard plain on the left bank of the Oglio, opposite the right bank, territory before the Municipality of Cremona, then of the Duchy of Milan.
Geographical notes
It is 5 km from Orzinuovi, 9 from Soncino, 31 from Cremona, 38 from Brescia.
Background
In the area there are many traces of human settlements prior to Roman colonization, testifying that the area was inhabited since ancient times. There is no precise information on the origin of Villachiara; it is possible that the town links its birth to the existence of the castle, built from 1370 on the remains of ancient military structures. Documents mentioning Villachiara as an already well established center, with a population of about 700 inhabitants, date back to the end of the fifteenth century.
How to orient yourself
Villachiara: full screen map.Neighborhoods
The towns of Bompensiero, Villabuona and Villagana are inhabited centers in the municipality of Villachiara.
How to get
By car
- It is adjacent to the provincial road Orzinuovi - Borgo San Giacomo
How to get around
What see
- 1 Martinengo Castle, piazza Santa chiara. On a long side of the square the bulk of the Martinengo castle, with its towers and moat that underline its military structure. In the architectural decoration the castle of Villachiara recalls the decoration with a curb braided existing in the Este castle of Ferrara, in stone, while in Villachiara it is brick and less elaborate. However, it is a rare example of this kind existing in Brescia, which testifies to the frequent contacts that were held between the Martinengo family of Villachiara and the Este of Ferrara, linked by a marriage between a Martinengo and an Este. It was built on ancient fortifications at the end of the fourteenth century by Bartolomeo III Martinengo, who was governor of Parma, Piacenza and Cremona. Remodeled between the mid-fifteenth and the first decades of the sixteenth century, its residential role was perfected. Marcantonio Martinengo lived there, who was a talented soldier in the pay of Venice, whose value was expressed above all in the battle of Lepanto. The living rooms have a marked Renaissance style, and retain some faces frescoed by Campi from Cremona. The manor was uninterruptedly in the possession of the Martinengos until the end of the eighteenth century; subsequently it passed ownership several times.
- 2 Parish Church of Santa Chiara. Commissioned by the Martinengo family, the church was built behind the castle and adorns with its bulk the side of the beautiful paved square opposite the castle.
In Villagana
- Martinengo Palace. The beautiful Martinengo palace was commissioned by Count Bartolomeo; it has undergone many renovations which, however, have left us in a good state of conservation a Renaissance portico, a 15th century tower, the entrance with a Baroque layout, a 16th century building showing a small loggia. All the annexes are now part of a farm.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Safety
How to keep in touch
- 1 Italian post, piazza Santa Chiara, ☎ 39 030 9947116, fax: 39 030 9947116.
Around
- Orzinuovi - Center on the Oglio, it was opposed as a stronghold to Soncino on the opposite shore. It has remains of fortifications, the castle, and a beautiful square with a Venetian flavor, a legacy of the domination of the Republic of Venice
- Padernello - Its castle still carries the name of the Martinengo family, which was the feudal lord of a large area of the lower Brescia area. The military character of the building was mitigated, adapting it to a stately home. It still has the drawbridge, which is still functioning today.
- Soncino - Fortified village with walls and a fortress in excellent condition, it was for a long time an outpost of the Cremonese against the Brescians. It is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
- Barco - It preserves the castle of the Martinengo, a family that owned a large fief in the area whose villages were largely equipped with fortified manors.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Villachiara
Commons contains images or other files on Villachiara
