Position and motorway
access: The city, enclosed by the peripheral districts
arranged in the hexagon shape of the old ring road (corresponding
to the perimeter of the ancient city walls) lies on the
via Emilia, adjoining province of Parma to the west and
the province of Modena to the east. The A1 Milan/Rome motorway
running parallel to the via Emilia, is held to be the quickest
and most direct link to the main centres of the region (e.g.
Bologna is about 30 minutes away, Milan 1 hour and a half).
The SS 63 main road links the city to the province of Mantua
to the north; the same road leads towards the Apennines
in the opposite direction (Passo del Cerreto and La Spezia).
The city is linked to Sassuolo via the SS 467 in the direction
of the Modena Apennines and with Correggio and Carpi by
the SS 468.
Scientific History
Lazzaro Spallanzani, one
of the eighteenth century's most important scientists, was
born in Scandiano, a little town in Reggio Emilia province.
He was always joint to his land, and an important museum
is dedicated to Spallanzani. Spallanzani Museum is in Scandiano,
and there you can find among objects and documents of Spallanzani
research in biology and other fields
CENTRO STUDI "LAZZARO SPALLANZANI"
- c/o CASA SPALLANZANI
P.ZZA LIBERTA',6 - 42019 SCANDIANO - REGGIO EMILIA - ITALY
Analytical
text:
With the arrival of the Romans, at the beginning of the
II century b.C., Reggio Emilia (Regium Lepidi) became an
urban centre as part of the road network built along via
Emilia, while the surrounding plain was drained and settled.
Scattered remains testify to a period of intense economic
activity for the entire imperial period until the barbaric
invasions. From the 8th century, the continuity of civil
powers and the permanence of the urban structures were guaranteed
by the Bishop. In the 9th century the heart of Matilde's
domain was the Reggio territory, fortified by an imposing
series of castles. In 1077 one of the most famous episodes
in the war of Investitures took place within the city walls
of Canossa: the Emperor Henry IV, in the guise of a pilgrim,
appeals to Pope Gregory VII for the annulment of his excommunication.
Meanwhile, the free municipalities are being born on the
ashes of feudalism: Reggio is among the first. At the beginning
of the 15th century, it comes under the power of the Este
Family. Prominent figures mark the Renaissance period of
Reggio: from Matteo Maria Boiardo, the Count of Scandiano,
the great poet of Orlando Innamorato, who was governor of
Reggio towards the end of the 15th century, to Ludovico
Ariosto, the great poet of Orlando Furioso, born in Reggio
in 1474. The 17th and 18th centuries were tormented by wars,
plagues and the plundering of works of art. In intervals
of peace, the creativity of Reggio citizens expressed itself
in the construction of sumptuous palaces and many religious
buildings, prominent among which is the striking Basilica della Ghiara, erected in
the first half of the seventeenth century with the contribution
of exceptional artists and the amazing development of silk
art. On 7 January 1797, Reggio, the first site of the Italian
parliament, on the occasion of the birth of the Cispadane
Republic, saw the birth of the "Tricolore", the future Italian flag.
The spirit of resistance lived on in Reggio during the twenty
years of fascism, culminating in the fight for liberation.
In recognition of the part played by the city in the re-conquest
of freedom, the Reggio Emilia standard was decorated with
the gold medal for military valour.
Additional Notes
Patron Saint's Day: San Prospero
(24 November)
Postal code: 42100 Telephone
code: 0522
Market days: Tuesday and Friday
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