Pinerolo
Encyclopedia
Pinerolo is a town
and comune
in north-western Italy
, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin
on the river Chisone
.
is nearby.
The earliest mention of Pinerolo is in the tenth century, when it belonged to the March of Turin
and was governed by the abbot nullius of Pinerolo who ran the abbey of Abbadia Alpina, even after the city had established itself as a municipality (1247) under the government of Thomas Savoy
.
From 1235, Amadeus IV of Savoy
exercised over the town a kind of protectorate which became absolute in 1243, and was continued thereafter either by the house of Savoy, or of Savoy-Acaia.
When French troops invaded Piedmont (1536), Pinerolo was conquered and it remained under their control until 1574.
With the treaty of Cherasco it again fell to France (1631).
France agreed to hand back Pinerolo to the house of Savoy under the Treaty of Turin (1696) with the conditions that its stronghold's fortifications were demolished and that Savoy withdrew from the League of Augsburg against Louis XIV.
The 2011 Tour de France
featured a stage in the area.
People who died here include:
, since 1963 Traunstein
, Germany
, since 1986 San Francisco
, Argentina
, since 1996 Derventa
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, since 2005
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and comune
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 north-western 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...
, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
on the river Chisone
Chisone
The Chisone is a 50 km Italian torrent, which runs through Pragelato, Fenestrelle, Perosa Argentina and Pinerolo in the Province of Turin. It is a tributary of the Pellice, which in turn is a tributary of the Po River...
.
History
In the Middle Ages, the town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance was the origin of the well-known military school that still exists today. The fortress of FenestrelleFenestrelle
Fenestrelle is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km west of Turin.It is home to the Fenestrelle Fort.-External links:*...
is nearby.
The earliest mention of Pinerolo is in the tenth century, when it belonged to the March of Turin
March of Turin
The county or march of Turin was founded in 941 by Hugh of Italy, who appointed Arduin Glaber as its governor. Arduin had captured Turin and the Susa Valley from the Saracens...
and was governed by the abbot nullius of Pinerolo who ran the abbey of Abbadia Alpina, even after the city had established itself as a municipality (1247) under the government of Thomas Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
.
From 1235, Amadeus IV of Savoy
Amadeus IV of Savoy
Amadeus IV was Count of Savoy from 1233 to 1253.The legitimate heir of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva, he had however to fight with his brothers for the inheritance of Savoy lands after their father's death...
exercised over the town a kind of protectorate which became absolute in 1243, and was continued thereafter either by the house of Savoy, or of Savoy-Acaia.
When French troops invaded Piedmont (1536), Pinerolo was conquered and it remained under their control until 1574.
With the treaty of Cherasco it again fell to France (1631).
France agreed to hand back Pinerolo to the house of Savoy under the Treaty of Turin (1696) with the conditions that its stronghold's fortifications were demolished and that Savoy withdrew from the League of Augsburg against Louis XIV.
The 2011 Tour de France
2011 Tour de France
-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
featured a stage in the area.
Main sights
- the Cathedral dates from the 9th century, and has an attractive bell tower
- church of San Maurizio, in GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style.
Notable Pinerolesi
People born in Pinerolo include:- Lidia PoëtLidia PoëtLidia Poët was the first modern female Italian advocate. Her disbarring led to a movement to allow women to practice law and hold public office in Italy.-Career:...
(born 1855), the first Italian female lawyer and an important figure in female emancipation - Luigi FactaLuigi FactaLuigi Facta was an Italian politician, journalist and last Prime Minister of Italy before the leadership of Benito Mussolini....
(1861–1930), politician, journalist and last Prime Minister of Italy before the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini - Ferruccio ParriFerruccio ParriFerruccio Parri was an Italian partisan and politician who served as the 43rd Prime Minister of Italy for several months in 1945. During the resistance he was known as Maurizio.-Biography:...
(1890–1981), partisan and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy for several months in 1945
People who died here include:
- Anna Canalis di CumianaAnna Canalis di CumianaAnna Carlotta Teresa Canalis di Cumiana was the morganantic spouse of Victor Amadeus II, King of Sardinia. She was created Marchioness of Spigno.-Lady of the court:...
(1680–1769) (morganatic spouse of King Victor Amadeus) died in the convent here - Nicolas FouquetNicolas FouquetNicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV...
, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux, (1615–1680) superintendent of FinancesSuperintendent of FinancesThe Superintendent of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661. The position was abolished in 1661 with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet, and a new position was created, the Controller-General of Finances....
in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
under Louis XIVLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, died in Pignerol.
Sports
- The venue Pinerolo PalaghiaccioPinerolo PalaghiaccioPinerolo Palaghiaccio is a 2000-seat indoor arena located in Pinerolo, Italy. The venue hosted the curling competitions for the 2006 Winter Olympics in neighboring Turin.-Reference:* Volume 3. pp. 68-9....
hosted curling eventsCurling at the 2006 Winter OlympicsCurling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...
at the 2006 Winter Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
Trivia
- The "Man in the Iron MaskMan in the Iron MaskThe Man in the Iron Mask is a name given to a prisoner arrested as Eustache Dauger in 1669 or 1670, and held in a number of jails, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol . He was held in the custody of the same jailer, Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, for a period of 34 years...
" was imprisoned in Pinerolo from 1669. - Nicolas FouquetNicolas FouquetNicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV...
, Marquis of Belle-Ile, was imprisoned in Pinerolo from 1665 to his death in 1680. - The MontevideoMontevideoMontevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
football team Peñarol takes its name from the Montevideo suburb of Pinerolo, which in turn takes its name from this town.
Twin cities
Gap, FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1963 Traunstein
Traunstein
Traunstein is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a district by the same name. It is situated at the heart of a region called Chiemgau, approximately 11 km east of Lake Chiemsee between Munich and Salzburg, 15 km north of the Alps, and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, since 1986 San Francisco
San Francisco, Córdoba
San Francisco is a city located at the far east border of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and parts of the city are beyond the border into the province of Santa Fe. In the city National Routes 19 and 158 intersect...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, since 1996 Derventa
Derventa
Derventa is the name of a town and municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northern part of Republika Srpska just northwest of the town of Doboj, in the Posavina region...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, since 2005