Cortemaggiore

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Comune di Cortemaggiore
Coat of arms of Comune di Cortemaggiore
Municipal coat of arms
Country Flag of Italy Italy
Region Emilia-Romagna
Province Province of Piacenza (PC)
Mayor Gianluigi Repetti (Casa delle Libertà)
Elevation 50 m (164 ft)
Area 36 km² (14 sq mi)
Population
 - Total 4,345
 - Density 121/km² (313/sq mi)
Time zone CET, UTC+1
Coordinates 45°0′N, 9°56′E
Gentilic Cortemaggioresi or Magiostrini
Dialing code 0523
Postal code 29016
Frazioni Chiavenna Landi and San Martino in Olza
Patron San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence)
 - Day August 10th
Website: Comune di Cortemaggiore [1]

Cortemaggiore is an Italian comune located in the Province of Piacenza.

Founded in the 1479 by the Pallavicino family, over an old roman site, it was the capital of the ancient Stato Pallavicino.

During the years, the birth of a lot of brotherhoods, bears the construction of a lot of churches:

  • The Basilica of "Santa Maria delle Grazie" or "Collegiata": Started in 1480, it's the main church of Cortemaggiore, it has a Latin cross plant; it conserves a valued polyptych, composed by twelve pieces, by Filippo Mazzola, Parmigianino's father.
  • The church of "Annunziata" (Church of the Announcation): Builted in 1487, it keeps two importants pictures by Il Pordenone, an "Immacolata concezione" (Blameless Conception) an a superb "Deposizione" (the Deposition). Next to the church, there is a monastery , with a cloister of 40 metres (about 43 yards) on all sides.
  • The church of "San Giuseppe" (St. Joseph): Started in 1576 by the brotherhood of San Giuseppe.
  • The oratory of "San Lorenzo" (St. Lawrence): Builted in 1666.
  • The oratory of "San Giovanni" (St. John): Started in 1625 by the confratenity of SS. Sacramento.
  • The church of "Santa Maria delle Grazie fuori le mura" or "Madonnina": Builted by the priest Anotonio Bovarini in 1661.

In 1949 the Italian entrepreneur Enrico Mattei, discovers in Cortemaggiore's subsoil an important oilfield; with this oil was product a gasoline (the only one refined from Italian oil), called Supercortemaggiore.

In 1997 to Cortemaggiore was conferred the title of "Città d'Arte" (City of Art), a particular prize assigned to the most artistical interesting city.

The municipality's motto is "Nihil sanctius quam recta fides cum sororibus associata" (Latin).

[edit] Territory

Cortemaggiore is located in the northern Italy about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Milan and 120 kilometres (75 miles) from Bologna, in the zone of Italy called "Pianura Padana". The municipality borders with Fiorenzuola d'Arda, Villanova sull'Arda, Besenzone, San Pietro in Cerro, Caorso, Pontenure and Cadeo.

[edit] Born in Cortemaggiore