Argenta, Italy
Encyclopedia
Argenta is a town and comune
in the province of Ferrara
, Emilia–Romagna, north east Italy
. It is located about 30 km southeast of Ferrara
, and midway between Ferrara and Ravenna
.
lagoon wetlands. Much of the latter is today a wildlife sanctuary and Argenta is home of the Marsh Museum which offers many facilities for ornithology.
. In 1295 it was the seat of a convention of the main Ghibelline leaders of Romagna
to decide the course of the war against the Papal forces
.
In 1923 a Fascist squad
murdered a Catholic priest, don Giovanni Minzoni
, an anti-fascist and the voice of the poor farmers in Romagna, and a friend of several socialist politicians like Natale Galba.
During World War II the area was part of the German
Gothic Line
: in April 1945, in the Allied advance of Operation Roast's
, it was the location of the Battle of the Argenta Gap
.
railroad.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the province of Ferrara
Province of Ferrara
The Province of Ferrara is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Ferrara.It has an area of 2,632 km², about two thirds of the area of the U.S. State of Rhode Island, and a total population of about 350,000 . There are 26 comuni in the province , see...
, Emilia–Romagna, north east Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is located about 30 km southeast of Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, and midway between Ferrara and Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
.
Geography
Argenta is situated in a flat and agricultural region near the ComacchioComacchio
Comacchio is a town and comune of Emilia Romagna, Italy, in the province of Ferrara, 48 km from the provincial capital Ferrara.-Geography:...
lagoon wetlands. Much of the latter is today a wildlife sanctuary and Argenta is home of the Marsh Museum which offers many facilities for ornithology.
History
The town was founded by the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. In 1295 it was the seat of a convention of the main Ghibelline leaders of Romagna
Romagna
Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...
to decide the course of the war against the Papal forces
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
.
In 1923 a Fascist squad
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
murdered a Catholic priest, don Giovanni Minzoni
Giovanni Minzoni
Giovanni Minzoni was born to a middle-class family. He studied in seminary and in 1909 was ordained priest. The following year he was appointed Deputy Pastor in the town of Argenta , which he left in 1912 to go to study in the Scuola Sociale in Bergamo, where he was awarded his degree...
, an anti-fascist and the voice of the poor farmers in Romagna, and a friend of several socialist politicians like Natale Galba.
During World War II the area was part of the German
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
: in April 1945, in the Allied advance of Operation Roast's
Operation Roast
Operation Roast was a military operation by British Commandos at Comacchio lagoon in north east Italy during the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy in World War II.- Strategy :...
, it was the location of the Battle of the Argenta Gap
Battle of the Argenta Gap
The Battle of the Argenta Gap was an engagement which formed part of the Allied spring 1945 offensive during the Italian Campaign of the Second World War...
.
Main sights
- Pieve di San GiorgioPieve di San Giorgiothumb|250px|The Pieve di San Giorgio.The Pieve di San Giorgio is a church in the comune of Argenta, northern Italy. It is the most ancient church in the province of Ferrara and one of the most ancient ones in Emilia-Romagna region....
, a Palaeo-Christian church on the Reno River. - Museum of the Valleys of Argenta
- Museo della Bonifica ("Museum of Land Reclamation")
Transportation
Argenta is located on the SS16 Adriatica state highway, which connects it to Ferrara and Ravenna. It has a station on the Ferrara-Ravenna-RiminiRimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
railroad.