Fossano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Comune di Fossano | |
|---|---|
 Municipal coat of arms |
|
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Province | Cuneo (CN) |
| Area | 130 km² (50 sq mi) |
| Population (as of December 31, 2004) | |
| - Total | 24,198 |
| - Density | 186/km² (482/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Fossanesi |
| Dialing code | 0172 |
| Postal code | 12045 |
| Patron | San Giovenale |
| - Day | First Sunday of May |
| Website: www.comune.fossano.cn.it | |
Fossano is a town and commune of Piedmont, Italy, in the province of Cuneo.
It lies on the main railway line from Turin to Cuneo and to Savona, and has a branch line to Mondovì.
Chief industries of the town include chemicals, metallurgy, and textiles.
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[edit] History
Fossano appeared as a commune in 1237, but in 1251 had to yield to Asti. It finally surrendered in 1314 to Fillippo d'Acaia, whose successor handed it over to the house of Savoy.
[edit] The name
The name Fossano could be the transformation of the name "locus" or "fundus faucianus", from the Roman first name Faucius, or derive from the word "fossato" (ditch), in Piedmontese "fossà", from which "fossan" (inhabitant of the ditch).The sinkings are in fact characteristic of the hill on which the first city village rose. The historians agree speaking about “great ditch of the Chiotto”in dialect Ciot, hole, pit.. Another alternative hypothesis is that the name derive from “fons sana" (healthy spring), to indicate the presence in the vicinities of a drinkable water spring.
[edit] Main sights
It has an imposing castle with four towers, begun by Filippo d'Acaia in 1314. The cathedral was reconstructed at the end of the 18th century. The place began to acquire some importance in the 13th century. The town's hospital and the Trinity Church were designed by Francesco Gallo in the 18th century. There are also mineral baths and a center for agriculture and cattle-breeding.
[edit] Notable Fossanesi
- See also Category:People from Fossano
- Margaret of Savoy (1390–1464), born in Fossano, was one of the last of the Accaia branch of the House of Savoy. She became Marquise of Montferrat and, on being widowed, a nun at Alba.
- Ambrogio Borgognone (c. 1470s -1523/1524), Italian Renaissance painter, is said to have been born here.
- Giovanni Giovenale Ancina (1545–1604), priest, scholar and composer, was beatified in the late nineteenth century and became the town’s patron saint.
- Fiorenzo Bava-Beccaris (1831–1924), a general, especially remembered for the Bava-Beccaris massacre was born in Fossano.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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