I am able to trace back to my 17th great grandfather, Pedro Sanchez de Luna.  Original rider of Saragozza belonging to the class of the “ricohombres”, Alcaide di Tierga in 1357.  Not your typical Italian family name I know, but when Spain ruled much of southern Italy and Sicily, this family, from the Aragona’s married into many of the noble Italian families, such as Piscicelli, Carafa, Caracciolo and many other’s.  Teresa Sanchez de Luna married Prince Ambrogio II  Caracciolo di Torchiarolo and are my 4th great grandparents. Link to Nobili Napoletani — Sances de Luna Link to Libro di Oro — Sanchez de Luna The family Sanchez (italianizzata in Sances) was one of the most powerful and richest in the reign of Aragona so much to possess a really little but hardened army; numbered between the Big ones of Spain, perhaps also with real descent. Thanks to their military and financial support, the ispanici managed to throw the Moors out of the peninsula. The progenitor of the Neapolitan branch was Don Alonso Sanches, royal General Treasurer (Office comparable with the Great Camerlingo) of the Reign of Naples, ambassador I press the Serene Highness one of Venice, marry descendant of Don Pedro Sanchez of Donna Francesca de Moon. Since then the signs of the Sances were coupled to those de Moon. In 1382 Don Giovanni Sanchez was appointed a Great Admiral. Don Giovanni Luigi, in order that there had served faithfully in war king Ferdinando (I dictate Shoeing) That of Naples, in 1467 had the feuds of Vico Equense and Mass Lubrense. Don Luigi, cousin of the progenitor Don Alonso Sanchez de Moon, was hurt in the war against the French ones and, for the brave behaviour, there was named by king Ferdinando the Catholic Treasurer Ganerale del Regno of Naples.The Family was admitted to the Neapolitan Patriciate of the Chair of Mountain and, after the abolition of the Seats (1800, it was enrolled in the Book from Neapolitan Gold. In the prosperous lands of Puglia, the French ones were acting cruelly imposing the customs of the sheep, to satisfy the alimentary needs with their army. The Spaniards with the best riders of the Reign of Naples hindered such an abuse of power; thank you also to the boldness of FRANCESCO SANCES, Rider of the Suit of S. Giacomo. He, with a bundle of able combatants, gave a humiliating defeat to the French ones camped in the city of Cerignola, managing to bring to Barletta further cinquemila heads of cattle. The French captains, when badly they were supporting the hard given war lesson, started offending the Italians. The challenge followed from Barletta between 13 French ones and 13 Italians of the Catholic army; Francesco Sances, together with the companions of weapon I Indicate (Sicilian) de Mendoza, Ettore Fieramosca (noble of Capua), Ludovico Abenevole (noble of Aversa), Mariano Abigniente (Sarno), Mark Corollario (Naples), Ettore de Pazzis (Foggia), he participated in the combat and was the first rider to obtain the victory against the own adversary. It returned the soul to God in 1504 and was buried in the church of Santa Mary la Nova to Naples. Click here to Join Italian Roots and Genealogy on Facebook Learn more about the Italian Nobility in my book “Farmers and Nobles” Alfonso II my 12th Great Grandfather Died (4-3-1564 buried in the church of the Announced  Naples, diplomat to the service of Joanna d’ Aragona Widowed queen of Naples,  8-11-1513; after 1518 it entered to service of the Emperor Carlo V: it representative in Savoy, then to Venice 1521/1528, General Treasurer of the Reign of Naples 1525 (with faculty of passing the office on to the heirs)Privilege of 19-8-1524, on the entrances of Barletta and the Handful land,  Land of Work and of the Earldom of the Moliso 6-5-1532, and He bought the Grottole feud; ambassador of the Cardinal Pompeo Column close to the Emperor Carlo V in 1531, Advisor of the Sacred Royal Council 1555. = (dowry of 100.000 shields) Brianna, only daughter of Simone Ruiz, General Treasurer of the Reign of Naples, and of White one of Cardona (1542). Alonso III my 11th Great Grandfather Died (16-11-1607), Barone di Grottole of 1564, 1st Marquis of Grottole 16-3-1574, broad money to Neapolitan patriciate (with the whole family) for the Chair of Mountain 30-3-1570; General Treasurer of Reign of Naples 1546 for renunciation of the father (confirmed in 1555, office given way to the Caracciolo in 1564 with Royal Assent for the sum of 30.000 ), Advisor with 19-12-1566 and later on Dean of the Sacred one Royal Council of the Reign of Naples, member of the Court of the Elected ones 1569. = Caterina, daughter of Giovanni Martinez de Moon Gentleman of Porroy, Rider of the Order of San Jago, Commendatory of Montalban and Lord of a castle of Milan, and of Isabella de Cardona – it purchases the land of Holy Arpino for 13.500 Giovanni Giacomo Carafa’s dukedoms in 1569. Giovanni my 10th Great Grandfather Died (9-1612), Baron of Holy Arpino 1607 and Patrizio Napoletano; Doctor in laws, Judge of the Great court Vicaria, Advisor of the Council of Santa Chiara in 1591, President of the Royal Sacred one Council of the Reign of Naples, Royal Advisor of the King of Spain in 1612. The descendants led also the surname Sanchez de Luna d’ Aragona. = 11-11-1581 Girolama, daughter of Giovanni Luigi Piscicelli, Patrizio Napoletano, and of Lucrezia di Tocco

Ariana Franco discusses starting her research in 2020 and turning her passion into a genealogy business. I began researching my family history in late 2020 as a way to investigate where I came from, who I came from, and to connect with family. The more I found the more inspired I have been to tell the stories. My personal family stories have transported me through 20th century New England back to 19th century Italy. My genealogical research balances the scale of imagination and information found in documents. As an artist, I have always been fascinated by people’s interactions and experiences in spaces. Themes of my personal art returns to artifacts that represent personality thus identifying a relationship between object and person. Those who have passed into the spirit world have become ethereal; symbolized as moths inside kaleidoscopes. You can find Ariana here www.arianafranco.com Podcast Click here to join our group on Facebook Video

Must See Places The History of Marche Italy is very interesting.  The most known cities being Urbino and Pesaro. I have ancestors from almost every province in Italy.  Marche is especially interesting  to me, due to the Guelphs, Montefeltro, Charlemagne and Dukes of Urbino, that all factor into my ancestry.  Scroll to the bottom to see the connections. Italy Magazine Get your copy of my new book click the photo to buy direct of buy on Amazon Few countries in the world are suffused with such a strong sense of historical continuity as Italy. From the myths that surround the birth of the Etruscan civilization to the foundation of United Italy in the 19thC, past and present are inextricably linked in a seamless web that stretches back over three millennia. This short account provides a thread to guide you through the labyrinth of this complex story. You’ll find more detailed local history in the individual town pages. Before the Romans Our knowledge of the early peoples of the Marche is hazy and often draws from the unreliable writings of later Roman historians. The most important of the tribes who first inhabited the region in any numbers were the Piceni, who lived on the eastern seaboard of the Marche. Up in the mountains their place was taken by the Umbri tribes who also dwelt in the neighbouring region now know as Umbria. Both tribes have left us few relics of their passage. Only with the Etruscans do we find early inhabitants who left their mark on Italian history but their influence in the Marche was marginal. Ancient Rome With the expulsion in 509 BC of Tarquinius Superbus, the last of the Etruscan monarchs, the new Republic of Rome gradually began to make its presence felt. Already weakened by attacks from the Greek colonists in southern Italy and by Celtic inroads from the north, the Etruscans soon came under the sway of Rome. The beginning of the end was marked by the Roman conquest of the Etruscan city of Veio in 396 BC. With the construction of the great highways such as the Via Flaminia, Roman dominion across Italy was consolidated. Under the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, the Marche was divided – the northern stretches formed part of the Roman Umbria, while the south was known as Picenum. Arrival of the Barbarians In AD 476, Rome, already weakened by the split between the Western and Eastern Empires and the first forays by Goths and Vandals from the north, finally fell to the barbarian warrior Odoacer. His reign as the first King of Italy was short-lived, however, with the arrival in 489 of Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, who established a 33-year rule of relative tranquility in Italy. On his death, the Eastern Emperor Justinian in Constantinople tried to revive imperial power in Italy through his celebrated generals Belisarius and Narses. Although they finally managed to topple the Gothic King Totila in 552  the deciding battle took place at the Furlo Gorge in the Marche, central Italy was in no fit state to resist yet another invasion from the north, this time from the Lombards in 568. For 200 years these warriors from the Danube valley held loose control over much of central Italy, ruling from Lucca and Spoleto. Only in the northern Marche and part of Umbria did the Byzantine powers manage to keep a toehold under the protection of the Exarchate of Ravenna. The Holy Roman Empire Although converted to Christianity by Pope Gregory the Great, the Lombards were regarded as unwelcome guests by later popes. It was Pope Stephen II who first hit on the idea of calling in foreign help to oust the Lombards and in 754 Pepin the Short entered Italy at the head of his Frankish army. The expulsion of the Lombards proved difficult and it was only under Pepin’s son, the great Charlemagne, that the work was completed. As a reward to his Frankish champion, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Emperor. Although at the time it was little more than an honorary title, the Holy Roman Empire thus founded was to last on and off for a thousand years and to become the focus of continual strife between the rival claims of successive popes and emperors. Although Charlemagne’s empire flourished, it depended too heavily on his guiding hand; on his death in 814, things rapidly fell apart. Italy was again plunged into anarchy with imperial officials setting themselves up as local despots. Increased security only returned with the revival of the power of the Holy Roman Empire under the Saxon King, Otto I. Trade and industry began to flourish and, while Emperor and Pope argued over who should rule, many of the cities of central Italy, the Marche included, had their first taste of independence. Although they paid lip service to one side or the other, in truth they found themselves able to decide their own future. Bereft of effective central government, these early city states bred fierce local patriotism and ceaseless rivalry with their neighbours. Guelphs & Ghibellines The rivalry between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire came to a head under the rule of the brilliant medieval German Hohenstaufen Emperor, Frederick II, the man who earned the title Stupor Mundi for his dazzling talents. If you visit Jesi, you’ll be able to see the place where he was born in a tent. Although he almost succeeded in creating a united Italy under his banner, his death in 1250 marked the eclipse of German imperial power in the peninsular. The Marche, like the rest of central Italy, was deeply bound up in this conflict, with loyalties tied either to the Guelph or Ghibelline parties. The supporters of the papacy took their name from Frederick’s rival for the empire, the Welf Otto, while the imperialists became known as Ghibellines from the Italianized Hohenstaufen battle-cry “Hie Weibling”. Behind the simple struggle between the two powers lay a deeper political battle between the new middle class of merchants and artisans, who allied themselves with the Guelphs, and the old feudal aristocracy who saw that the tide of democracy could best be held in check by the Emperor’s Ghibelline faction. Into this fundamental struggle all the warring factions of central Italy poured their energies. The Guelph cause can be said to have triumphed with the arrival of the French under Charles of Anjou in the middle of the 13th century at the invitation of Pope Urban IV; from now on France rather than Germany was to be the dominant foreign power in Italy. The Guelph and Ghibelline labels, however, lingered on for centuries. Long after they had lost their original significance, they remained as a cover for just about any difference of opinion, even as an excuse to settle old scores. Despots and Republics The absence of the papacy in Avignon from 1305-77, the subsequent Great Schism which saw up to three candidates claiming the Throne of St Peter, and the arrival of the Black Death in 1348, all provided fertile soil for the flowering of local despotism across the Marche. The careers of these petty tyrants were briefly interrupted by the arrival of the ruthless Cardinal Albornoz, sent by the Avignon popes to reimpose their rule over the Papal States, and finally went into decline with the restoration of the papacy in Rome in 1421 under the determined Pope Martin V. Peace before the Storm The apogee of the Renaissance in the middle of the 15th century was marked by a period of relative stability across central Italy. This was in no small part thanks to the Italian League, a defensive treaty between the major powers in Italy that held in check both the lesser Italian states and foreign invaders. It is against this background that many centres of art and learning flourished; perhaps, none better illustrates the splendour of these lesser courts than that founded by Duke Federico of Montefeltro at Urbino. Foreign Domination and the Papal States But the days of this prototype of a united Italy were numbered. The individual interests of the leading states soon took priority over the common good, and the arrival of Charles VIII from France in 1494, at the invitation of Milan in their quarrel with Naples, marked the dissolution of the League and the opening gambit in the Wars of Italy. Although the French invasion convulsed central Italy, two years later Charles was back in France with his Italian conquests lost. But the French intervention had turned the thoughts of another great European power towards Italian conquests – Spain. As the 16th century dawned and the Italian Renaissance took root across Europe, central Italy along with the rest of the peninsular became a battleground on which the rival claims to Italian hegemony between Francis I of France and Charles V of Spain were tested. And with the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559, over a hundred and fifty years of Spanish domination of Italy began. With the Spanish holding the rest of Italy in check, the Papacy was free to consolidate its rule over its own possessions which included the Marches – while the centre of Italian culture moved to Counter- Reformation Rome, the Papal States were left to languish under the dead hand of ecclesiastical bureaucrats. Napoleon & The Risorgimento The shock waves of the French Revolution of 1789 were felt in Italy and helped to fan the first flames of libertarianism that were to culminate in 1860 with the birth of United Italy. But first it had to submit to the Napoleonic invasion of 1796. Across Italy, Bonaparte first set up client republics – with the Papal States transformed into the Roman Republic – then the more draconian Kingdom of Italy. The collapse of the regime with the fall of Napoleon was as rapid as its arrival. But, despite its brevity, Napoleonic rule awoke central Italy and the rest of the country from its long slumbers and fostered the rebirth of nationalism. Under the Piedmont King Victor Emmanuel, his wily prime minister, Cavour and the heroic if maverick general, Garibaldi, United Italy became a reality. In 1859 the Italian tricolour flew from the Fortezza of Florence and the last Grand Duke, Leopold II, abdicated. A year later large parts of Italy opted to join the new Kingdom of Piedmont. The Papacy, however, proved more intransigent to the onslaught of the Risorgimento and it was only by force that the Marche managed to break free from the Papal States in the same year. It was a full ten years later that Rome finally fell, in 1870. From here on the history of the Marche is but part of the story of modern Italy. ©Peter Greene/le-marche.com The Guardian

I never really paid much attention into the history of Basilicata Italy.  As it turns out, many of my ancestral families are listed as playing a significant role in middle ages, specifically, Carafa, Caracciolo and Pignatelli from Italy.  And the Capetians from France and the Aragona from Spain. Basilicata, region, southern Italy, along the Golfo di Taranto (Gulf of Taranto), consisting of the provinces of Potenza and Matera. Bounded by the regions of Puglia(north and east), Calabria(south), and Campania(west), Basilicata is roughly divided into a western mountainous section, dominated by the Appennino Lucano, and an eastern section of low hills and wide valleys, while along the Ionian Seathe sand and clay hills overlook narrow coastal plains. The extinct volcano of Monte Vulture (4,350 ft [1,326 m]) stands isolated from the Apennines in the north. Basilicata: Mounte VultureMonte Vulture, northern Basilicata region, Italy.Maredentro Known in ancient times as Lucania(q.v.), the region was under Lombard rule in the early Middle Ages. It was controlled by the dukes of Benevento and then by the princes of Salerno. After an interval of Byzantine control, the Normans took over and made Melfi(q.v.) the capital of one of their dominions. Until the fall of the Swabian Hohenstaufens (1254), Basilicata played a significant part in the affairs of southern Italy; afterward, passing through Angevin and Spanish hands, it followed the variable fortunes of the Kingdom of Naples until united with Italy in 1860. The region was coextensive with Potenza province until the establishment of Matera province in 1927. The mainstay of the economy is agriculture, but yields are generally low because of poor soil and the rugged terrain. Crops include wheat, rye, grapes, and olives; sheep, goats, pigs, and an increasing number of beef and dairy cattle are raised. New crops introduced in the eastern and coastal areas include tobacco, vegetables, sugar beets, and flowers. Industry is virtually nonexistent except for olive presses and flour mills, although natural gas has been discovered near Matera and there is a chemical plant at Pisticci. Potenza(q.v.), the regional capital, and Matera(q.v.) are the only sizable cities. The region suffered severe damage in a disastrous earthquake in 1980. The main railroad line of Basilicata links Potenza with Naples and Battipaglia in the northwest and with Taranto in the east, connecting also with the Ionian railroad (Taranto–Reggio di Calabria). Area 3,858 sq mi (9,992 sq km). Pop. (2006 est.) 594,086. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager. Citation InformationArticle Title:BasilicataWebsite Name:Encyclopaedia BritannicaPublisher:Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Date Published:24 September 2013URL:https://www.britannica.com/place/BasilicataAccess Date:May 22, 2019 Click to join Italian Genealogy on Facebook Prehistory Venosa, fossil elephant skeleton The first traces of human presence in Basilicata date to the late Paleolithic, with findings of Homo erectus. Late Cenozoicfossils, found at Venosaand other locations, include elephants, rhinoceros and species now extinct such as a saber-toothed cat of the genusMachairodus. Examples of rock artfrom the Mesolithichave been discovered near Filiano. From the fifth millennium, people stopped living in caves and built settlements of huts up to the rivers leading to the interior (Tolve, Tricarico, Aliano, Melfi, Metaponto). In this period, anatomically modern humans lived by cultivating cereals and animal husbandry (Bovinaeand Caprinae). Chalcolithicsites include the grottoes of Latronicoand the funerary findings of the Cervaro grotto near Lagonegro. The first known stable market center of the Apennine cultureon the sea, consisting of huts on the promontory of Capo la Timpa [it], near to Maratea, dates to the Bronze Age. The first indigenous Iron Age communities lived in large villages in plateaus located at the borders of the plains and the rivers, in places fitting their breeding and agricultural activities. Such settlements include that of Anglona, located between the fertile valleys of Agriand Sinni, of Siris and, on the coast of the Ionian Sea, of Incoronata-San Teodoro. The first presence of Greek colonists, coming from the Greek islandsand Anatolia, date from the late eighth century BC. There are virtually no traces of survival of the 11th-8th century BC archaeological sites of the settlements (aside from a necropolis at Castelluccio on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea): this was perhaps caused by the increasing presence of Greek colonies, which changed the balance of the trades. Ancient history Metaponto, the Temple of Hera In ancient historical times the region was originally known as Lucania, named for the Lucani, an Oscan-speakingpopulation from central Italy. Their name might be derived from Greek leukosmeaning “white”, lykos(“gray wolf“), or Latin lucus(“sacred grove“). Or more probably Lucania, as much as the Luciusforename (praenomen) derives from the Latinword Lux(gen. lucis), meaning “light” (<PIE*leuk-“brightness”, Latin verb lucere“to shine”), and is a cognateof name Lucas. Another etymology proposed is a derivation from EtruscanLauchum(or Lauchme) meaning “king“, which however was transferred into Latin as Lucumo.[12] Starting from the late eighth century BC, the Greeks established a settlement first at Siris, founded by fugitives from Colophon. Then with the foundation of Metapontofrom Achaeancolonists, they started the conquest of the whole Ionian coast. There were also indigenous Oenotrianfoundations on the coast, which exploited the nearby presence of Greek settlements, such as Veliaand Pyxous, for their maritime trades. The Castle of Melfi The first contacts between the Lucanians and the Romans date from the latter half of the fourth century BC. After the conquest of Tarantoin 272, Roman rule was extended to the whole region: the Appian Wayreached Brindisiand the colonies of Potentia (modern Potenza) and Grumentumwere founded. Middle Ages After the fall of the Western Roman Empirein 476, Basilicata fell to Germanic rule, which ended in the mid-6th century when the Byzantines reconquered it from the Ostrogoths between 536 and 552 during the apocalyptic Byzantine-Gothic war under the leadership of Byzantine generals Belisarius and Narses. The region, deeply Christianized since as early as the 5th century, became part of the LombardDuchy of Benevento founded by the invading Lombards between 571 and 590. In the following centuries, Saracen raids led part of the population to move from the plain and coastal settlements to more protected centers located on hills. The towns of Tricarico and Tursi were under Muslim rule for a short period: later the “Saracen” population would be expelled.[13]The region was conquered once more for Byzantium from the Saracens and the Lombards in the late 9th century, with the campaigns of Nikephoros Phokas the Elder and his successors, and became part of the theme of Longobardia. In 968 the theme of Lucaniawas established, with the capital at Tursikon (Tursi). In 1059, Basilicata, together with the rest of much of southern Italy, was conquered by the Italo-Normans. Later, it was inherited by the Hohenstaufen, who were ousted in the 13th century by the Capetian House of Anjou. Modern and contemporary ages The Sassi di Matera In 1485, Basilicata was the seat of plotters against King Ferdinand I of Naples, the so-called “Conspiracy of the Barons”, which included the Sanseverino of Tricarico, the Caracciolo of Melfi, the Gesualdo of Caggiano, the Orsini Del Balzo [it]of Altamura and Venosa and other anti-Aragonese families. Later, Charles V stripped most of the barons of their lands, replacing them with the Carafa, Revertera, Pignatelli and Colonna among others. After the formation of the Neapolitan Republic (1647), Basilicata also rebelled, but the revolt was suppressed. In 1663 a new province was created in Basilicata with its capital in Matera. The region became part of the Kingdom of the Two Siciliesin 1735. Basilicata autonomously declared its annexation to the Kingdom of Italy on August 18, 1860 with the Potenza insurrection. It was during this period that the State confiscated and sold off vast tracts of Basilicata’s territory formerly owned by the Catholic Church. As the new owners were a handful of wealthy aristocratic families, the average citizen did not see any immediate economic and social improvements after unification, and poverty continued unabated. This gave rise to the phenomenon of Brigandage in Southern Italy after 1861, whereby the Church encouraged the local people to rise up against the nobility and the new Italian state. This strong opposition movement continued for many years. Carmine Croccofrom Rionero in Vulturewas the most important chief in the region and the most impressive leader in southern Italy.[14] From Wikipedia

Some of the most familiar provinces in Italy are found in Emilia Romagna.  For example,  Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, Parma and Rimini.  I have several ancestors that have their roots in this region.  Such as, the Dukes of Ferrara and the D’Este and Farnese families.  You can read more about them lower in this post. Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna: cultivated fieldsCultivated fields near Brescello, Emilia-Romagna regione, Italy.Szeder László Bologna: Palazzo del PodestàPalazzo del Podestà (left) and Palazzo dei Banchi on the Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, Emilia-Romagna regione, Italy.Steffen Brinkmann/Szs Emilia-Romagna, regione, north-central Italy. It comprises the provincieof Bologna, Ferrara, Forlì, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Ravenna, Reggio nell’Emilia, and Rimini. The region extends from the Adriatic Sea (east) almost across the peninsula between the Po River (north) and the Ligurian and Tuscan Apennines (west and south). It is bounded by the regions of Veneto and Lombardy on the north, Piedmont and Liguria on the west, and Tuscany, Marche, and the Republic of San Marino on the south.Bologna is the chief city and regional capital. The northern portion of Emilia-Romagna is a great plain extending from the Po River southeast to Ravenna and Rimini, where the Apennine Mountains come down to the Adriatic coast. The plain’s highest point is no more than 200 feet (60 metres) above sea level, and along the coast there are lagoons near the mouths of the Po. Immediately to the southwest of the ancient Roman road called the Via Aemilia, the mountains begin to rise, culminating in the central chain of the Apennines. Emilia-Romagna’s southern boundary follows the summits of this mountain chain. With the exception of the Po, the region’s main rivers descend from these mountains. The Trebbia, Taro, Secchia, and Panaro (affluents of the Po) and the Reno, Ronco, Montone, and Savio (flowing to the Adriatic) are the most important rivers. The name Emilia comes from the Via Aemilia, a Roman road that traversed the region from Ariminium (Rimini) in the southeast to Placentia (Piacenza) in the northwest; a modern railway closely follows its route. In popular usage the name was transferred to the area (which formed the eighth Augustan region of Italy) as early as the 1st century ad, and it was frequently named as a district under imperial judges. After the 3rd century, Ravenna was, as a rule, not treated as part of Aemilia, the chief town of which was Placentia. In the 6th century, Ravenna became the seat of a Byzantine exarchate. After the Lombards had for two centuries attempted to subdue the maritime pentapolis (Rimini, Ancona, Fano, Pesaro, and Senigallia), the Frankish king Pippin III took these five cities from the Lombard ruler Aistulf and in 755 gave them to the papacy, to which, under the name of Romagna, they continued to belong. The other chief cities of Emilia—Ferrara, Modena, Reggio nell’Emilia, Parma, and Piacenza—were independent. Whether belonging to the Romagna or not, each had a history of its own, and, notwithstanding the feuds of the Guelfs and Ghibellines (papal and imperial factions), they prospered considerably. Papal supremacy in the Romagna remained little more than nominal until Cesare Borgia, the natural son of Pope Alexander VI, crushed most of the petty princes there, and the Romagna came under papal administration after the death of Alexander in 1503. The papacy also controlled Ferrara and Bologna after the 16th century, while the rest of the region was largely dominated by the Este duchy of Modena and the Farnese duchy of Parma and Piacenza. After a period of Napoleonic domination, the Congress of Vienna (1815) returned Romagna to the papacy and gave the duchy of Parma to Marie Louise, wife of the deposed Napoleon, and Modena to the archduke Francis of Austria, the heir of the last Este. After a period of continuous unrest and numerous attempts at revolt, Emilia passed to the Italian kingdom almost without resistance in 1860. The name of the region was changed to Emilia-Romagna in 1948. With its broad lowland and adequate water supply (from both rainfall and irrigation), Emilia-Romagna is one of the leading agricultural regions of Italy. Wheat, corn (maize), fodder, and sugar beets are the principal crops; vegetables and fruits are also grown in the lowlands and grapes on the Apennine slopes. Livestock raising and dairy farming are extensive, and the region has a large food-processing and food-packing industry. The manufacture of cars and trucks, farm machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, ceramics, and clothing is important. Small hydroelectric stations on the rivers provide power, and these are connected with the Alpine plants so that interchange at different seasons is possible. The discovery of large deposits of natural gas (at Cortemaggiore north of Fidenza and near Ravenna) and of oil (at Busseto near Cortemaggiore) gives the region a vital role in the energy economy of Italy. Bologna is a communications hub for commerce between northern and southern Italy, and the region is well served by secondary railway lines and highways. Area 8,542 square miles (22,123 square km). Pop. (2006 est.) 4,187,557. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager. Citation InformationArticle Title:Emilia-RomagnaWebsite Name:Encyclopaedia BritannicaPublisher:Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Date Published:03 June 2011URL:https://www.britannica.com/place/Emilia-RomagnaAccess Date:June 11, 2019 Click to join our Facebook group Check out my newbook “Farmers and Nobles” Prehistory of Emilia Romagna While sharing the same historical evolution and dynamics with the rest of Northern Italy, the Emilia Romagna region became a sort of a bridge between the various environments of the peninsula during the various phases of prehistory. In fact, the populations of central Italy came in direct contact with the northernmost part of the peninsula, influencing each other’s cultures from the Neolithic Age. The territory of Emilia Romagna was inhabited with certainty since the earliest prehistoric times. Numerous traces of the Lower Paleolithic era are located in the coastal area and in the Apennine valleys, including Correcchio. From the plains come the numerous findings linked to the Middle Paleolithic age, while the most significant Upper Paleolithic testimonies are some feminine statues called “Veneri” from Savignano sul Panaro and Chiozza. The first part of the Neolithic period is characterized by the cultural facets of Fiorano, where the typical engraved ceramics appeared. This craft represents a clear point of contact with the coarse culture developing at the same time in Sasso. The Middle Neolithic and most of the Upper Neolithic periods are characterized by other cultural diffusions that resulted in square-shaped urns and vessels. At the end of this period and in the last centuries of the fourth millennium BC, Emilia Romagna presents typical aspects of the Lagozza culture, characterized by further development of ceramics. The situation in the region during the Eneolithic era is unclear, although some recent excavations carried out at Spilamberto have attributed the typical “scaly ceramics” to this stage. On the other hand, the presence of the ceramics in both residential and burial contexts is well-attested, especially in the period between the end of the Eneolitic era and the Bronze Age. The ceramics of the period are characterized by their typical bell shape, and they are skillfully decorated. Besides ceramics, the Bronze Age is characterized by the spread of the terramaricoli villages. In the thirteenth century BC, there is a clear influence of the Subapennine facets of development, borrowed from central Italy, especially in the Romagna area. Emilia Romagna massively abandoned the Terramare culture between the twelfth and tenth centuries BC, while the Protovillanovian culture emerged not only in the region but almost everywhere in the peninsula. This culture is characterized by a complex ritual of incineration and the first Villanovian tombs of the region are located in the area of Bologna and Verrucchio, in the proximity of Rimini. The Etruscan colonization in the region started soon after the Iron Age in an area connecting the Valley of Po to Tuscany. During this period Bologna flourished. Made up of several urban agglomerations, the city was placed between two fundamental routes of communication connecting the valleys of the region and the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian sea between Spina and Pisa. As a result, Bologna became the central node between Etruria and the north of the Peninsula. Lastly, in the sixth century BC, the region meets the advent of the Felsinean civilization that is strongly influenced by the Etruscans. History of Emilia Romagna Emilia Romagna was colonized by the Etruscans between the ninth and the sixth centuries BC, and the period was extremely flourishing for the region. During this period, numerous centers including Cesena, Parma, Piacenza, and Modena arose. The economic centrality assumed in the fifth century BC by the Padan Etruria brought Etruscans and the populations of Umbriainto direct contact with the Celtic populations. Their pressure, initiated in the sixth century, intensified even more as a result of the prosperous economy, and it concluded with the invasion of the Galls and the rupture of the Italian-Etruscan system in the fourth century BC. To fight against the invasion of the Galls, the Romans expanded their territory to the north of the Adriatic and founded Rimini. In 218 BC were born the colonies of Piacenza and Cremona, two settlements intended to control the Valley of Po. As a conclusion to the war against Hannibal in 202 and overwhelmed by the Galls in 191 BC, Romefounded numerous other colonies including those of Bologna, Modena, and Parma. In 187 BC Marco Emilio Lepido built Via Emilia, from which the region gains its name. Constituted as the spine of the Roman colonization, Via Emilia is based in the center of the system and represents one of the main arteries and communication routes of the Roman empire. At the end of the first century BC, Aemiliabecame the VIII district of the new order of Augustus who built a port in Ravenna, making this city the official seat of the defense-oriented fleet in the eastern Mediterranean. Thus Ravenna, together with Bologna, became the main center of the region. In the third century AD, under the diocesan reorganization, the region was divided into a western part, Aemilia, and an Oriental part embedded in the Flaminia et Picenumregion. Despite the decline of the empire in the fifth century, Ravenna knew a period of growth and success. In fact, in 402 the city became the imperial residence of the west and the capital of the Theodoric Kingdom, as well as the seat of the Byzantine domination in Italy. The descent of the Longobards in Italy in 568 marked the end of the Byzantine state that deteriorated with a remarkable rapidity. The Longobards conquered the Emilia area between 569 and 570 and Romagna between 728 and 751. The ninth century was characterized by the increased power of the bishops and the tendency towards the creation of small committees, particularly in Emilia Romagna. The religious authority was never strong in the region, and the struggles for investments between the eleventh and twelfth centuries weakened it even more, favoring the advent of the Communes. In this period emerged cities like Parma and Piacenza, two settlements that only played a secondary role until then. The first step towards the transformation of the communal institutions into a noble regime was made in the thirteenth century, with the establishment of the podestà. The process wasn’t fast everywhere in the region, but some cities adhered to it almost immediately, such as Ferrara and Piacenza. In the Emilia area, the Lombard influence was evident above all in Piacenza, Parma, and Reggio, cities that were subject to the rules of Visconti and Sforza. In parallel, Romagna also developed its noble structures in Ravenna, Cervia, Rimini, and Forlì. Although the religious power was weak, in the thirteenth century the Papal authority was recognized by Ottone IV and Federico II. As a result, the fifteenth century witnessed the struggles between the popes and the lords, which caused the culture and economy to stagnate in the region, while in the neighboring region’s cities such as Florenceand Venicewere expanding rapidly, attempting to extend their territories in Emilia Romagna. In 1559 the region was divided between the Farnese and the Pontifical State, which occupied Romagna firmly and placed its seat in Bologna. In 1597 Ferrara was also added to the Pontifical State, and the situation remained almost unchanged until 1731 when the Duchy of Parma passed under the domination of Charles of Bourbon. In the Napoleonic period, the cities of Modena, Bologna, Reggio, and Ferrara were annexed to the Cispadana Republic, while Parma and Piacenza were joined to France in 1802. The region became officially part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860 and since then it met a restructuring of the agriculture. This restructuring resulted in the rise of an agricultural proletariat and a general accentuation of the class conflicts. In this climate spread the cooperatives, the mutual relief organizations and the workforce chambers, institutions that created the basis of the modern Emilia Romagna. Credit to Trips to Italy for this information. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn