Piacenza, City

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Piacenza, Placentia, a City of Lombardy, of great Antiquity; called by the French Plaisance. It is a Bishops See, under the Archbishop of Bologna; and the Capital of a Dukedom of the same name, which ever since 1557. has been in the Hands of the Dukes of Parma. It is a neat, populous City; said to have twenty five thousand Citizens within its Walls, and to be five Miles in Circuit: full of fine Buildings; and blessed with an ingenuous Race of Men, fit either for Arts or War. One Mile from the Po, forty from Milan to the East, and thirty five from Parma to the North-East; in a pleasant place, surrounded with fruitful fields, Meadows, and Pastures; having many Channels cut for the watering their Ground, and the bringing in Merchandizes. It has several Salt-Springs, Mines of Iron; plenty of Wine, Oil, Corn; and Fruits of all sorts: the best Cheese in the whole World is made here in great quantity. Nor does it want Woods and Forests for Hunting; so that all things considered, it is one of the pleasantest situated Cities in the World: and thought to have taken its name from thence. It was one of the first Colonies the Romans setled in Gallia Cisalpina against the Gauls. They fortified it so well, that though the Insubres and Boii out of discontent Revolted and joined with Hannibal, (who made the Siege of this place one of his first Attempts) yet he was not able to take it. Nor had Asdrubal who followed him any better success: so that Livy informs us, this was one of the twelve Colonies which in the second Punick War saved Rome. In the Year of Rome 553. Amilcar a third Punick General, took this City with the help of the Gauls; and in a great degree ruined it by Fire and Sword. Caelius, a Thuscan General, not being able to defend it against the Siege of Cinna and Marius, rather than he would be taken, desired his friend Petronius to give him his sword in his heart; who did so, and afterwards executed the same to himself. Spurina, a Commander under Vitellius, defended this City with great Gallantry against Cecina, (one of Otho's Generals;) who yet at last took and burnt it, Anno Christi 69. In 269. M. Aurelianus received a great overthrow from the Marcomanni near it. In 542. Totilas King of the Goths, took it by a Siege: which reduced them to the necessity of eating Mans Flesh. About 1335. it fell first into the Hands of the Viscounts of Milan. About 1447. they called in the Venetians, and endeavoured to shake off the Dominion of the Milanese: which had like to have ended in their Ruin; the City being taken and sacked, and a most cruel Slaughter made of the Inhabitants. It continued after this under the Dukes of Milan; till together with Milan, it fell into the Hands of Lewis XII. King of France, in 1499. Pope Julius in 1512, got the Possession of it. In 1545. Pope Paul III. Created Lewis (his Natural Son) Duke of this City: who was slain for his Cruelty and wickedness by some Gentlemen hereof; and the place put into the Hands of Charles V. in 1547. Philip II. his Son, ten years after this, granted it to the Duke of Parma; whose Posterity of the House of Farnese enjoy it now. This was the Country of Pope Gregory X. Pope Ʋrban II in 1094, or 95. celebrated a Council here, in which the divorced Empress, Wife to Henry III. presented her Complaints. There have been other small Councils held here. The Territory, il Piacentino or il ducato di Piacenza, has some considerable Towns and Springs in it, with Mines of Iron and Brass.