Mondovì Explained

Mondovì
Official Name:Città di Mondovì
Coordinates:44.3889°N 7.8181°W
Region:Piedmont
Province:Cuneo (CN)
Mayor:Adriano Paolo
Area Total Km2:87
Population Total:22426
Population As Of:31 October 2017
Population Demonym:Monregalesi (rarer Mondoviti)
Elevation M:395
Saint:St. Donatus
Day:30 October
Postal Code:12084
Area Code:0174

Mondovì (pronounced as /it/; Ël Mondvì pronounced as /əl mʊŋdˈvi/, Latin: Mons Regalis) is a town and comune (township) in Piedmont, northern Italy, about 80km (50miles) from Turin. The area around it is known as the Monregalese.

The town, located on the Monte Regale hill, is divided into several rioni (ancient quarters): Piazza (the most ancient), Breo, Pian della Valle, Carassone, Altipiano, Borgato and Rinchiuso, lower, next to the Ellero stream, developed from the 18th century when industries developed in Mondovì and when it was reached by the railway.

The Funicolare di Mondovì, a funicular railway reopened in 2006, links Breo with Piazza.

It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mondovì.

History

Founded on a hilltop in 1198 by survivors of the destroyed village of Bredolo and by inhabitants of the neighboring villages of Vico (now Vicoforte), Vasco (now Monastero di Vasco) and Carassone (which was abandoned after the founding of the new city): an independent comune named Ël Mont ëd Vi, meaning "The Mount of Vico" in Piedmontese, was formed.

Their independence proved to be short-lived because the bishop of Asti and the marquis of Ceva stormed it in 1200 and destroyed it in 1231. The commune resisted, however, and the following year it was able to sustain another attack from Asti. In 1260 it was occupied by Charles I of Anjou (then King of Naples and one of the most powerful landlords in Provence and north-western Italy), while in 1274 it returned under the bishops of Asti. In 1290 he was however able to buy back its communal independence, under the new name of Mons Regalis ("Royal Mount") due to its large privileges. In 1305 it fell again under the Angevins, followed by the Visconti, the Marquisate of Montferrat, the Acaja and, from 1418, the House of Savoy.

Mondovì continued to grow until the 16th century when it was the largest city in Piedmont. In 1537 it was occupied by France, under which it mostly remained until 1559. In 1560, Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy restored it to Piedmont, which held it until the Italian unification, apart from the Napoleonic period (1796–1814).

Piedmont's first printing press was created in Mondovì in 1472. From 1560 to 1566, Mondovì was the seat of Piedmont's first university.

Music

It is home of the Academia Montis Regalis orchestra led by conductor Alessandro De Marchi.

Main sights

Nearby is the Baroque sanctuary of Vicoforte.

Climate

Mondovì has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with cold winters and warm to hot summers. Spring and fall are rainy, while summer and winter are relatively dry.

Notable people

Mondovì is the birthplace of

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Bona, John . 4 . 190 . 1.
  2. Beccaria, Giovanni Battista . 3 . 602 . 1.
  3. La Margherita, Clemente Solaro, Count del . 16 . 102 . 1.
  4. Durando, Giacomo . 8 . 693-694 . 1.
  5. Giolitti, Giovanni . 12 . 31 . 1.