Valenza
Encyclopedia
Valenza is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Alessandria
in the Italian
region Piedmont
, located about 80 km east of Turin
and about 11 km north of Alessandria
.
, it was conquered by the Romans
in the 2nd century BC, and became a forum
as Forum Fulvii Valentinum, having law jurisdiction and a market. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
, most of the population moved from the hills of the previous settlement to live where the current town is. It was ravaged by the Burgundians
and ruled by the Lombards
. After the Frank
conquest of northern Italy, it became part of the mark of Montferrat.
Overshadowed by the power of the nearby Alessandria, it attracted the attentions of Galeazzo I Visconti, duke of Milan, but his plot to capture the city failed. The Viscont were however able to conquer Valenza in 1370. Later the town was sacked by the French troops (1499 and 1515), reconquered by the Spaniards (1521) under Charles V
(1521) and then again captured by the French (1523). However, in the latter year it was given back to Charles V. Again surrendered to the French in 1557, it finally was assigned to Spain in 1559 by the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis.
In 1635, during the Thirty Years' War
, Valenza resisted for 6 days a siege from French, Parmense
and Savoyard
troops. It again withstood a French siege in 1641, but in 1656, after 70 days of siege, it capitulated to French, Savoyard and Modenese troops. Valaenza was besieged again in 1696, but this time the French and Savoyards were unable to capture it. In 1707, in the course of the War of Spanish Succession, it was conquered by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, who had its possession confirmed in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht
. Thenceforth Valenza followed the Piedmontese-Sardinian history, and that of Italy from 1861.
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Alessandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
in the Italian
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...
region Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, located about 80 km east 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...
and about 11 km north of Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
.
History
A stronghold of the LiguresLigures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
, it was conquered by the Romans
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
in the 2nd century BC, and became a forum
Forum (Roman)
A forum was a public square in a Roman municipium, or any civitas, reserved primarily for the vending of goods; i.e., a marketplace, along with the buildings used for shops and the stoas used for open stalls...
as Forum Fulvii Valentinum, having law jurisdiction and a market. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
, most of the population moved from the hills of the previous settlement to live where the current town is. It was ravaged by the Burgundians
Burgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
and ruled by the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
. After the Frank
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
conquest of northern Italy, it became part of the mark of Montferrat.
Overshadowed by the power of the nearby Alessandria, it attracted the attentions of Galeazzo I Visconti, duke of Milan, but his plot to capture the city failed. The Viscont were however able to conquer Valenza in 1370. Later the town was sacked by the French troops (1499 and 1515), reconquered by the Spaniards (1521) under Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
(1521) and then again captured by the French (1523). However, in the latter year it was given back to Charles V. Again surrendered to the French in 1557, it finally was assigned to Spain in 1559 by the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis.
In 1635, during the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, Valenza resisted for 6 days a siege from French, Parmense
Duchy of Parma
The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on the city of Parma....
and Savoyard
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
troops. It again withstood a French siege in 1641, but in 1656, after 70 days of siege, it capitulated to French, Savoyard and Modenese troops. Valaenza was besieged again in 1696, but this time the French and Savoyards were unable to capture it. In 1707, in the course of the War of Spanish Succession, it was conquered by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, who had its possession confirmed in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
. Thenceforth Valenza followed the Piedmontese-Sardinian history, and that of Italy from 1861.