The province of Piacenza (Italian: provincia di Piacenza) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Piacenza. As of 2015, it has a total population of 288,013 inhabitants over an area of 2,585.86 square kilometres (998.41 sq mi), giving it a population density of 111.38 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city Piacenza has a population of 102,269, as of 2015. The provincial president is Francesco Rolleri and it contains 48 comuni (singular: comune). The province dates back to its founding by the Romans in 218 BCE.
History
Piacenza was founded by the Romans for military purposes in 218 BCE. It was conquered by Carthaginian Hasdrubal II in 207 BCE and the city was sacked in 200 BCE by the Gauls. A key city in the region, it was destroyed by barbarians but the town was rebuilt under the rule of bishops in the 10th century. By the 12th century, the city was a free comune and it later fought against Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor as part of the Lombard League. In the Renaissance period it passed from French, to papal, to Viscontis, to Sforzas rule. Pope Paul III formed the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza and Piacenza became part of this duchy. It voted for a union between it and Piedmont in May 1848; this union was enacted in 1859.
Piacenza [pjaˈtʃɛntsa] listen (Emiliano-Romagnolo: Piasëinsa, Latin: Placentia) is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza. Modern forms of the name descend from Latin Placentia. The etymology is long-standing, tracing an origin from the Latin verb, placēre, "to please." In French, and occasionally in English, it is called Plaisance. The name means a "pleasant abode", or as James Boswell reported some of the etymologists of his time to have translated it, "comely". This was a name "of good omen."
Piacenza is located at a major crossroads at the intersection of Route E35/A1 between Bologna and Milan, and Route E70/A21 between Brescia and Tortona. Piacenza is also at the confluence of the Trebbia, draining the northern Apennines, and the Po, draining to the east. Piacenza also hosts two universities, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Politecnico di Milano.
History
Ancient history
Pre-Roman era
Before its settlement by the Romans, the area was populated by other peoples; specifically, most recently to the Roman settlement, the region on the right bank of the Po River between the Trebbia River and the Taro River had been occupied by the Ananes or Anamari, a tribe of Cisalpine Gauls. Before then, says Polybius, "These plains were anciently inhabited by Etruscans", before the Gauls took the entire Po valley from them.
Piacenza can refer to: