Modigliana () is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' (municipality) in the

Province of Forlì-Cesena The Province of Forlì-Cesena () is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its capitals are the cities of Forlì and Cesena. The province has a population of 394,273 as of 2016 over an area of . It contains 30 '' comuni'' (: ''comu ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

region

Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...

, located about southeast of

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

and about southwest of

Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...

. The toponym derives from (Castrum) ''Mutilum'', meaning ‘cut off, broken’, with the adjectival suffix ''-ānus''.

History

The city stands in the place where, according to

Ludovico Muratori Lodovico Antonio Muratori (21 October 1672 – 23 January 1750), commonly referred to in Latin as Muratorius, was an Italian Catholic priest, notable as historian and a leading scholar of his age, and for his discovery of the Muratorian fragmen ...

, the Roman Castrum Mutilum mentioned by

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

was located. It is mentioned in documents dating from the 9th century as part of the

Exarchate of Ravenna The Exarchate of Ravenna (; ), also known as the Exarchate of Italy, was an administrative district of the Byzantine Empire comprising, between the 6th and 8th centuries, the territories under the jurisdiction of the exarch of Italy (''exarchus ...

. It was the seat of the most important branch of the

Guidi Guidi is an Italian surname shared by several notable people: * Guidi (family), a medieval noble family * Alessandro Pier Guidi (born 1983), racing driver from Italy * Angela Maria Guidi Cingolani (1896–1991), Italian politician * Angelo Guid ...

counts after Tegrimo I Guidi married the countess Ingelrada, daughter of Martino duke of Ravenna, in the 10th century. In 1271, the Guidi counts signed pacts with the community of Modigliana, thus officially recognizing the birth of the municipality. In the spring of 1377 it freed itself from the comital dominion; subsequently, the city came under the influence of the

Republic of Florence The Republic of Florence (; Old Italian: ), known officially as the Florentine Republic, was a medieval and early modern state that was centered on the Italian city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The republic originated in 1115, when the Flor ...

, depending first on the Florentine lordship and then on the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

and enjoying a privileged position with respect to Florence. From 1510 it was an independent

podestà (), also potestate or podesta in English, was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of central and northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a c ...

's office, from 1772 the seat of a

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

. Important local institutions were founded in this period: in 1660 the prestigious Accademia letteraria degli Incamminati (still existing), in 1722 the Spedale dei poveri di Cristo, and in 1738 the Monte Pio. During the French occupation, Modigliana was a seat of a sub-prefecture in the Arno department. The role of capital city passed to

Rocca San Casciano Rocca San Casciano ( or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì. Geography Rocca San Casciano borders the following ...

with the Restoration. In 1838 Modigliana was declared a "noble city" and a few years later, in 1850, it became the seat of its own diocese: from 1850 until 1986 Modigliana Cathedral was the seat of the

diocese of Modigliana The Diocese of Modigliana was a Latin Catholic diocese of Roman Rite in central Italy, erected on 7 July 1850. On 30 September 1986 it was merged with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faenza, Diocese of Faenza to form the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faen ...

Neighbouring municipalities

Modigliana borders the following municipalities:

Brisighella Brisighella () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Ravenna, region of Emilia-Romagna, in Northeast Italy. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). Brisighella borders the following municipal ...

Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole ( or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì. The ''comune'' consists of three sma ...

Dovadola Dovadola () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì, on the road leading to Florence. Dovadola borders the foll ...

Marradi Marradi () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italy, Italian region Tuscany, located about northeast of Florence at the borders with the Emilia-Romagna region. Marradi borders the following municipalities: ...

Tredozio Tredozio () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì. Tredozio borders the following municipalities: Marradi, Modiglian ...

Notable people

Famous 19th century painter

Silvestro Lega Silvestro Lega (8 December 1826 – 21 September 1895) was an Italian realist painter. He was one of the leading artists of the Macchiaioli and was also involved with the Mazzini movement. Biography He was born in Modigliana, near Forlì, to ...

was from Modigliana, and every September the town holds a "Tableau Vivants Festival" in which citizens dress in 19th century costume and reenact Lega's paintings. The Sephardic Jewish Modigliani and Modiano families trace their origins back to Modigliana.themodianos website

References

External links

Official website
Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna {{EmiliaRomagna-geo-stub