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41-441: Volta Mantovana borders the following municipalities: Cavriana , Goito , Marmirolo , Monzambano , Valeggio sul Mincio . In Italian, the word volta means 'a turn' or 'a bend', and it is believed that the name of Volta Mantovana comes from either a bend in the river Mincio , or a turn in the road running alongside between Mantua and Goito to the south and Monzambano and Peschiera to the north. The area of Volta Mantovana has

82-531: A saint , twelve cardinals and fourteen bishops . Two Gonzaga descendants became empresses of the Holy Roman Empire ( Eleonora Gonzaga and Eleonora Gonzaga-Nevers ), and one became Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ( Marie Louise Gonzaga ). The first members of the family of historical importance are known to have collaborated with

123-749: A cardinal, presided over the Council of Trent and was almost elected Pope; Ferrante was a faithful ally of the Emperor Charles V who covered him with honors and positions, Ferrante was also the progenitor of the cadet branch of the Gonzaga of Guastalla. In 1531, the family acquired the Marquisate of Montferrat through marriage. Through maternal ancestors, the Gonzagas inherited also the Imperial Byzantine ancestry of

164-600: A commissar, while parish priest Don Cesare Ferarri was withdrawn from the parish. Cavriana Cavriana is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Mantua in the Italian region Lombardy , part of the municipalities of Alto Mantovano . Cavriana is in the northern part of the Province of Mantua . It is located about 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of Milan and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Mantua . It

205-557: A flourishing time and its decline started in 1630. It fell under Austrian domination in 1707. On the 24th June 1859 Cavriana saw the Battle of Solferino , when the Austrian army was defeated by Napoleon III . Cavriana joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. The road between Cerlongo and Guidizzolo , in the communal territory of Cavriana, was the location of Alfonso de Portago 's fatal accident in

246-502: A long history of human occupation. A vast Mid-to-late Bronze Age site was excavated in 1955 and 1956 on an island in the river Mincio located between the comune of Volta Mantovana (in the province of Mantua, Lombardy) and the frazione (fraction) of Borghetto in the comune of Valeggio sul Mincio (in the province of Verona, Veneto). The discovery of the site, located in the localitá Isolone del Mincio (sometimes known as Isolone Delle Moradelle o Prevalese) constituted one of

287-559: A member of a junior branch of this family. The House of Gonzaga is the inspiration for the play-within-the-play in Shakespeare's Hamlet . In Act 3 scene 2, they act out a play called The Murder of Gonzago (or The Mousetrap ). Gonzaga rule continued in Mantua until 1708 and in Guastalla until 1746. Both ruling lines going extinct until passing on to a minor Gonzaga-Vescovato branch, which

328-533: A position that influenced even Benito Mussolini . His ambiguous or indecisive attitude towards Fascism as Home Secretary in the Giolitti government and then, in 1921, as prime minister is often cited as one of the primary reasons behind Fascism's successful seizure of power, though Bonomi was by no means a Fascist and never joined the Fascist party. After Mussolini's seizure of power, Bonomi withdrew from politics, emerging in

369-555: A seat in the Mantuan consiglio provinciale , the town council, from Volta). Bonomi, a reformist socialist broke with the mainstream Italian Socialist movement in the early 1900s when he became a prominent advocate of Italian colonialism and of the Italian participation in the First World War , emerging as the most influential national spokesperson for the movement known as "democratic interventionism" ( interventismo democratico ),

410-540: Is accompanied by a cavrer , usually a child, who cannot touch it, just call in order to be followed until the finish line. Before the race, people belonging to the different contrade parade toward the town center in Renaissance costumes. Each contrada has a specific colour: Villaggio (in yellow), San Rocco (in light blue), la Pieve (in violet), Castello (in bordeaux and white), Pozzone-Bande (in red and white), Scarnadore (in orange) and San Cassiano (in green). The winner of

451-482: Is on a hilly territory (with a minimum altitude of 43 m and a maximum of 202 m). Cavriana borders with the Province of Brescia , with the municipalities of Pozzolengo and Lonato del Garda, while the Province of Verona ( Valeggio sul Mincio ) and the Garda Lake are just a few kilometers away. The town has 5 hamlets: San Cassiano, San Giacomo, Castelgrimaldo, Campagnolo and Bande. The name "Cavriana" could derive from

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492-608: Is the only remaining existing branch. The House of Gonzaga was an important patron of the arts. This began when Gianfrancesco Gonzaga funded a school led by Vittorino da Feltre where music and art were core subjects along with mathematics, history, Greek and Latin, religion, and philosophy. The music theorist and composer Franchinus Gaffurius was trained at this school. Isabella d'Este , wife of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua , used her influence to financially support native composers at court (such as Bartolomeo Tromboncino and Marchetto Cara ) which contributed to popularizing

533-460: The Bronze Age , specifically in 2040 B.C. with the pile-dwelling of Bande, now one of the hamlets of Cavriana. Many findings of that age have been discovered, among which some important brotlaibidoles, small clay objects dating back to the 2100-1400 B.C. periods, engraved with symbols whose meaning is still unknown and found throughout Europe. The phase of Romanization started in 225 b.C. Cavriana

574-688: The Gonzaga family, and the ruins of the old castle, which was demolished around 1770 by the Austrians. The hamlet of Bande is home to some prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements. They were declared part of the World Heritage Site of Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps by UNESCO in 2011. There are two museums in Cavriana: Cavriana, as proven by the archaeological findings of

615-874: The Guelph faction alongside the monks of the Polirone Abbey . Starting from the 12th century they became a dominant family in Mantua, growing in wealth when their allies, the Bonacolsi , defeated the traditional familiar enemy, the Casalodi. In 1328, however, Ludovico I Gonzaga overthrew the Bonacolsi lordship over the city with the help of the Scaliger , and entered the Ghibelline party as capitano del popolo ("people's captain") of Mantua and imperial vicar of Emperor Louis IV . Ludovico

656-699: The March of Verona unopposed, marching down the Brenner pass in March and reaching Verona for Easter, on 4 April 1081, before entering Milan and receiving the homage of the Lombard cities ten days later. During the Renaissance, after the Republic of Venice ceded the town and castle to the House of Gonzaga , Ludovico III Gonzaga built a palace in the town, to which a large park was added in

697-569: The Paleologus , an earlier ruling family of Montferrat . A cadet branch of the Mantua Gonzagas became dukes of Nevers and Rethel in France when Luigi (Louis) Gonzaga, a younger son of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua , and Margherita Paleologa , married the heiress. The Gonzaga-Nevers later came to rule Mantua again when Louis's son Charles (Carlo) inherited Mantua and Montferrat, triggering

738-580: The War of the Mantuan Succession . Another cadet branch were first sovereign counts, later dukes of Guastalla . They descended from Ferrante , a younger son of Duke Francesco II of Mantua (1484–1519). Ferrante's grandson, Ferrante II , also played a role in the War of the Mantuan Succession . A further cadet branch was that of Sabbioneta , founded by Gianfrancesco , son of Ludovico III . Marie Louise Gonzaga , daughter of Prince Charles Gonzaga-Nevers ,

779-494: The frottola . Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga founded an ecclesiastical chapel which employed musicians and further advance the musical live of the region through sacred music composition and performance. Guglielmo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua , himself a gifted composer, founded the Basilica palatina di Santa Barbara (construction began 1562) which became a cultural center for sacred art and music. He also brought several notable composers to

820-524: The 16th century. In the course of the 17th century two ecclesiastical foundations of note were established in town: a Franciscan convent outside town, and an Ursuline nunnery within the town walls. In 1708 Volta Mantovana became a part of Austrian Lombardy following with the dissolution of the Duchy of Mantua. Following the Piedmontese defeat in the 1848 battle of Custoza the retreating Piedmontese crossed

861-590: The 1940s, as an anti-fascist figure of note and helping organize the 25 July 1943 coup . After the war, Bonomi became the first president of the Italian Senate . He was buried in the cemetery of Volta Mantovana following his death in 1951. During the disturbances that preceded the Fascist seizure of power, Volta Mantovana was briefly occupied by Fascist Militias. On 4 June 1921 in a brawl a local named Ardiccio Magri purportedly wounded two Fascist activists, Ettore Morganti and Vittorio Ferrari. The provincial committee of

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902-463: The 1957 Mille Miglia . A memorial slab remembers the event along the road. There are two main churches, the parish church of Santa Maria Nova - a Baroque building dedicated to the patron Saint Blaise - and a Pieve, a Romanic building dedicated to Saint Mary . Numerous oratories have been erected when Christianity spread in the area, as any small community built their own worship place. The main historic buildings are Villa Mirra, which belonged to

943-504: The 8th century, while historian Piero Gazzola instead proposed a date in the 9th century. It was certainly in existence in 1053 when Countess Beatrice of Lorraine , wife of Boniface III of Tuscany and holder of comital rights over the Imperial county of Mantua (and the greater part of the Po valley) donated her seigneurial estate, castle and chapel at Volta ( Curtis cum Castro et cappella ) to

984-483: The Austrians frustrated the Piedmontese attempt to recapture the town and repulsed the Piedmontese counter-attack, forcing the Piedmontese to retreat towards a new defensive line behind the river Oglio . Volta Mantovana was the home and native place of the radical Italian politician Ivanoe Bonomi , who was born into one of the town's more affluent landholding families and quickly became the most prominent political figure in early 20th century Mantua (invariably running for

1025-673: The Fascist Party of Mantua immediately accused the local leadership of the Catholic Italian People's Party and local parish priest Don Cesare Ferrari of having conspired against the Fascists by inciting violence and resolved to retaliate, dispatching all local squadristi to Volta. After five days of uninterrupted street violence and intimidation the local municipal government of the Italian People's Party resigned to be replaced by

1066-607: The Latin Caprius or Caprilius plus the suffix - ana . What is sure is that the small town was called Capriana : it is indeed mentioned in the Latin poem Anticerberus by Bongiovanni da Cavriana written in the second half of the XIII century. He wrote: "Me Capriana tulit, dicor Bonus atque Iohannes" [I was born in Cavriana and my name is Bongiovanni]. Settlements in Cavriana started in

1107-676: The Mantua court, including Alessandro Striggio , Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi , Giaches de Wert , Benedetto Pallavicino and Claudio Monteverdi . Through Monteverdi, the court witnessed some of the first operas ever staged, including L'Orfeo (1607) and L'Arianna (1608). Marco da Gagliano 's La Dafne was staged in 1608. The Gonzaga House also sponsored theatre. The Mantua court staged Giovanni Battista Guarini 's plays Il pastor fido and L'idropica . These plays included incidental music by several different composers, including Monteverdi, Gastoldi, Gagliano, Paolo Birt, and Salamone Rossi . Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua also supported

1148-456: The Mincio to reconnect with the Piedmontese forces then besieging Mantua and to concentrate at Goito. On the morning of 26 July, during the course of the retreat, the third Piedmontese division of general Ettore De Sonnaz was ordered to occupy Volta Mantovana (just recently abandoned) and to either cover the Piedmontese retreat or frustrate the Austrian advance. In the ensuing Battle of Volta Mantovana

1189-459: The arts, but financial problems for the court led to a decline in support during his reign. Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat employed Antonio Caldara as maestro di cappella from 1701-1707. government. The branches of the Gonzaga family, showing marquises and (subsequently) dukes of Mantua in bold , dukes of Nevers and Rethel in italics and the Guastalla line to

1230-509: The bishop of Mantua . In 1367 Cavriana became part of the territories of the House of Gonzaga , princes of Mantua. The castle was expanded in these years because Cavriana was a border area between Visconti and the Republic of Venice . With Ludovico III , in the XV century, the castle of Cavriana became a refined home and hosted architects, such as Luca Fancelli , as well as Isabella d'Este . Cavriana saw

1271-516: The bishop of Mantua, a donation seemingly confirmed by another edict in 1073. Beatrice's daughter Matilda of Tuscany still maintained extensive possessions in Volta because she made a donation of rights over the labor of the serfs of Volta to the canons of the Church of Saint Peter in Mantua in 1079. During the investiture controversy a key battle known as the Battle of Volta Mantovana took place in or near

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1312-538: The most notable Bronze Age archeological discoveries from the Bronze Age in the Upper Mantuan area, and helped prompt more research into the hitherto neglected history of the Bronze Age in the area between the river Mincio, the river Po and Lake Garda . Local historian Cesare Farinelli estimated in his History of Valeggio that around 16,000 archaeological remains (mostly ceramic shards and lithics) were recovered. While

1353-457: The northernmost find of definitive Etruscan remains. A small number of Roman finds (connected with burials and a possible necropolis) are in the collections of the nearby archeological museum at Cavriana . In the Middle Ages, Volta became notable for the castle that still dominates the small town. Its exact date of construction is unknown. Historian Giovanni Paccagnini thought it was built in

1394-457: The prehistoric era, has always been a territory with a vocation for wine. Today, the hills are covered by vineyards and some DOC wines are produced. The Palio della Capra d'Oro takes place in July and it was first held in 1998. The Palio is linked to the Renaissance period of the Gonzaga. It is a goat race (capra=goat) held once a year. A goat for each contrada has to complete a brief route and it

1435-768: The race brings the prize to their own contrada : the Golden Goat ( Capra d'Oro ). House of Gonzaga The House of Gonzaga ( US : / ɡ ə n ˈ z ɑː ɡ ə , ɡ ɒ n -, - ˈ z æ ɡ -/ , Italian: [ɡonˈdzaːɡa] ) is an Italian princely family that ruled Mantua in Lombardy , northern Italy from 1328 to 1708 (first as a captaincy-general, then margraviate , and finally duchy ). They also ruled Monferrato in Piedmont and Nevers in France , as well as many other lesser fiefs throughout Europe. The family includes

1476-498: The site at Isolone del Mincio was unfortunately destroyed by later construction work, later excavations at Bande di Cavriana and Castellaro Lagusello in Monzambano have led to the recovery of two similar Bronze Age sites associated with the local bronze-age material culture known as Polada culture and their preservation as archeological sites. An Iron-Age tomb excavated in the municipality of Volta has sometimes been referred to as

1517-413: The title of Marquis of Mantua with the recognition of Emperor Sigismund , while obtaining recognition from the local nobility through the marriage of his daughter Margherita to Leonello d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara in 1435. In 1530 Federico II (1500–1540) received the title of Duke of Mantua. Also the two brothers of Federico II are historical characters of a certain importance: Ercole Gonzaga became

1558-572: The town, most likely in October 1080. As related in the Chronicon of Bernold of Constance (who mentions the battle as taking place " apud Vultam propre Mantuam ") and in the Liber ad Amicum of Bonizo of Sutri an army of Lombard forces loyal to the emperor Henry IV defeated the troops of Matilda of Tuscany in front or near the castle. Matilda's defeat was consequential, and made it possible for Henry IV to enter

1599-402: Was a queen consort of Poland and grand duchess consort of Lithuania from 1645 to her death in 1667. Two daughters of the house, both named Eleanor Gonzaga, became Holy Roman Empresses , by marrying emperors Ferdinand II of Germany and Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor , respectively. From the latter Empress Eleonora , the current heirs of the Gonzaga descend. Saint Aloysius Gonzaga was

1640-453: Was a centre of commerce thanks to the main roads passing near the settlement ( Via Postumia and Strada Cavallara ): this is why many Roman villas have been discovered, as well as two necropolis and a worship place. The early medieval history is not as known as the prehistoric one and Northern Italy was invaded by different peoples. Probably the first defensive structure dates back to 1045, when Henry III acknowledged Cavriana as property of

1681-449: Was succeeded by Guido (1360–1369) and Ludovico II (1369–1382), while Feltrino , lord of Reggio until 1371, formed the cadet branch of the Gonzaga of Novellara, whose state existed until 1728. Francesco I (1382–1407) abandoned the traditional alliance with the Visconti of Milan , in order to align their rising power with the Republic of Venice . In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed

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