The Castle of Voghera in a 19th-century etching. Voghera ( Vogherese dialect of Emilian: ''Vughera'';

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

: ''Forum Iulii Iriensium'') is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces ('' province''). The can ...

'' in the

Province of Pavia The province of Pavia ( it, Provincia di Pavia) is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy; its capital is Pavia. , the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of ; the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205 ...

in the

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

region Lombardy. The population was 39,374 as of 2017. It is the third most populated town in the province, after Pavia and Vigevano. It is located 30 km south-southwest of that city, on the

Staffora The Staffora is a river of the Oltrepò Pavese in the Province of Pavia, north-west Italy and a right-side tributary of the Po. It is probably the river known to the Romans as the Iria. Course The river rises in the Ligurian Apennines at the F ...

(a tributary of the Po). It is the main town of

Oltrepò Pavese The Oltrepò Pavese (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Ultrepò Paves) is an area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. It is ('beyond') the Po when considered from the p ...

and is an important rail and road hub as well as a renowned wine producer.

History

Known in ancient times as ''Iria'', the town took its name from the river on which it was situated. It was on the road from

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

to '' Dertona'', and was made a colony by

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

(''colonia Forum Iulium Iriensium''). In the 1st century CE, it was destroyed by the

Rugii The Rugii, Rogi or Rugians ( grc, Ρογοί, Rogoi), were a Roman-era Germanic people. They were first clearly recorded by Tacitus, in his ''Germania'' who called them the ''Rugii'', and located them near the south shore of the Baltic Sea. So ...

, and it is next mentioned as ''Viqueria'' (contracted from ''vicus Iriae'', Iria's village) in the 10th century. After several lordships, it was acquired by the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

in 1743 with the Treaty of Worms. Five years later it became the provincial capital and received the city status. In 1800, the troops of Napoleon occupied the town and set his headquarters in the Palazzo Dattili for the battle of Montebello. In 1805 it became part of the ''département'' of Genoa; after the French defeat in 1814, it was captured by the Austrians, who handed it over to the Piedmontese. In 1860 it was included in the province of Pavia. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the town was heavily bombed by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

because of its strategic position on the roads Milan-Genoa and Turin-Bologna. On May 31, 1962, it was the location of a railway disaster that killed 62 people.

Main sights

*The Castle, erected by the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

in 1335–1372, containing frescoes attributed to

Bramantino Bartolomeo Suardi, best known as Bramantino ( – ), was an Italian painter and architect, mainly active in his native Milan. Biography He was born in Milan, the son of Alberto Suardi, but his biography remains unclear, and was long complicated ...

. *''Palazzo Gounela'', the current Town Hall. *The large Cathedral of

Saint Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman ...

dates from the 11th century, but was remodelled in the Baroque style about the beginning of the 17th. *The church of St. Joseph, with a noteworthy Baroque façade. *The suppressed church of ''Sant'Ilario'', also known as ''Tempio alla Cavalleria'' or ''Chiesa Rossa'' ("Cavalry Temple" or "Red Church"), so-called from the red colour of the brick of which it is built. It dates from the 8th–10th centuries. *Cowboyland - Only Western theme-park in Italy The Historic Museum houses, among the others, the personal A112 car of General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, killed by

the Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

in 1982, and the weapon that allegedly killed

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in ...

Transport

Voghera railway station Voghera railway station ( it, Stazione di Voghera) serves the town and ''comune'' of Voghera, in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy. Opened in 1858, it forms part of the Alessandria–Piacenza railway, and is also the terminus of a railway ...

, opened in 1858, forms part of the

Alessandria–Piacenza railway The Alessandria–Piacenza railway is a railway located in northern Italy connecting the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, and Piedmont. The railway is long and it is managed by RFI.

, and is also an important node of the railway from Milan to Genoa. Due to its strategic position, the station is an important trading node, and one of the major railway stations in Italy's north-west.

Popular culture and media

The term "Voghera housewife" (Casalinga di Voghera) is often used in the media, political discourse and even in common parlance as a reference to the average, stereotypical, somewhat lower-middle-class person, voter or consumer. It is not a disparaging term but refers to an average person who – despite not being very educated or sophisticated – with hard work and self-sacrifice is trying to raise a family as best as possible.

People

Alberto Arbasino Nino Alberto Arbasino (22 January 1930 – 22 March 2020) was an Italian writer, essayist, and politician. Among the protagonists of Group 63, his literary production has ranged from novels (Fratelli d'Italia of 1963, rewritten in 1976 and 1993 ...

, writer *

Sandro Bolchi Sandro Bolchi (18 January 1924 – 2 August 2005) was an Italian director, actor and journalist. Biography Bolchi was born in Voghera, Italy on 18 January 1924. He died on 2 August 2005 in Rome, Italy. Background Born in Voghera, Bolchi, who ...

, cinema director *

Ambrogio Casati Ambrogio Casati (December 27, 1897 – July 19, 1977) was an Italian painter. He was born in Voghera, Italy in 1897 and was schooled in Paris in the plastic arts. Upon his return to Italy, he became associated with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti a ...

, painter *

Valentino Garavani Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (; born 11 May 1932), known mononymously as Valentino, is an Italian fashion designer, the founder of the Valentino brand and company. His main lines include Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, ...

, fashion designer *

Attilio Gatti Attilio Gatti (Voghera (Lombardy, Italy) 10 July 1896 - Derby Line (Vermont, USA) 1 July 1969) was an Italian-born explorer, author, and documentary filmmaker who traveled extensively in Africa in the first half of the 20th century. Expeditions ...

, explorer in Africa, author (b. in Voghera 1896) *

Aldo Giorgini Aldo Giorgini (March 15, 1934 – October 1994) was an Italian artist and a pioneer in computer graphics. He is the father of music producer Mass Giorgini and Flav Giorgini. Biography Giorgini was born in Voghera, in the province of Pavia (nor ...

, computer art pioneer *

Carolina Invernizio Carolina Maria Margarita Invernizio (28 March 1851 - 27 November 1916), better known just as Carolina Invenizio, was an Italian novelist. She had a large popular success between late 1800s until her death. Biography Early life Invenizio was ...

, writer *

Alessandro Maragliano Alessandro Maragliano (1850 in Voghera – 1943 in Naples) was a writer, linguist and poet. Better known by his fellow citizens as ''Lissandren dra Russela'', which in the local Lombard vernacular translates as 'little Alexander of the Russela', ...

, writer * Maserati Brothers, automobile engineers *

Antonio Natali Antonio Natali (born 1951) is an Italian art historian, academic and museum director. Born in Piombino, he headed several departments at the Uffizi from 1981 onwards before becoming its director from 2006 until 2015. He and Carlo Falciani curated ...

, politician *

Mauro Nespoli Mauro Nespoli (born 22 November 1987, in Voghera) is an Italian archer who was a member of the Italian teams that won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics and silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics. and individual silver at Tokyo 2020 Tokyo Summer Oly ...

, archer *

Giovanni Parisi Giovanni Parisi (2 December 1967 – 25 March 2009) was an Italian boxer, who won the gold medal in the Men's Featherweight (57 kg) category at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. 1988 Olympic results Below is the record of Giovanni Parisi, ...

, boxer *

Giovanni Plana Giovanni Antonio Amedeo Plana (6 November 1781 – 20 January 1864) was an Italian astronomer and mathematician. He is considered one of the premiere Italian scientists of his age. The crater Plana on the Moon is named in his honor. Biograph ...

, astronomer, mathematician *

Federico Sandi Federico Sandi (born 12 August 1989 in Voghera) is an Italian motorcycle racer. He competes in the European Superstock 1000 Championship aboard a Ducati 1199 Panigale The Ducati 1199 Panigale was a Ducati sport bike introduced at the 2011 M ...

, motorcycle racer * Luigi Montagna, better known as

Bull Montana Lewis Montagna (born Luigi Montagna; May 16, 1887 – January 24, 1950), better known as Bull Montana, was an Italian-American professional wrestler, boxer and actor. Biography Born in Voghera, Italy, into a poor country family — and at a tim ...

, professional wrestler and actor *

Fabrizio Poggi Fabrizio Poggi (pronounced Pohjee) (born 1 July 1958) is a singer and harmonica player. A Grammy Awards nominee who has received the Hohner Lifetime Award, and has been two times Blues Music Awards nominee, Jimi Awards nominee, and during his lon ...

, Grammy-nominated blues harmonica player

Twin cities

Manosque Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...

, France *

Leinfelden-Echterdingen Leinfelden-Echterdingen ( Swabian: ''Laefälda-Ächdordeng'') is a town in the district of Esslingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located approximately 10 km south of Stuttgart, near the Stuttgart Airport and directly adjacent to ...

, Germany *

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...

, United States

References

External links

Voghera official website
{{Authority control Castles in Italy