IT23 Visit to Casalmaggiore

The students met with the Mayor of Casalmaggiore. The Mayor gave a short presentation on the rich and varied history of his town. Casalmaggiore is a comune in the province of Cremona, Lombardy, Italy, located across the Po River. The town of Casalmaggiore is the 3rd most popular town in the district. The mayor also spoke about the history of the communal building. The town hall is located in front of Piazza Garibaldi, which is the main square and it represents the town’s hearth. It is the third reconstruction of the town hall and the new building pays homage to the medieval period when Italian city states were self-governing. After this symbolic meeting, the pupils were divided into small groups and shown around the city by Italian students. They selected a route that retraced the history of the city. In particular, the students were able to discover:

-The Castle of Torrione: the castle can be considered as the highest point of the remaining fortifications of the city. It was built on the roman ruins thanks to some important Italian family. Il the past of the city, there were two castles: one was built in the 11th century and this one, the construction started il the 15th century.

- Theatre: it dates back to the end of the 18th century. It is an example of an “Italian-style theatre”. It has a horseshoe shaped plan, three tiers of bowes and a gallery, with a capacity about 350 seats.

- Casalmaggiore’s cathedal: the Cathedral, dedicated to St. Stefano, is a big Neo-Classical church of the half of the 19th century. The Cathedral has a Greek cross structure and it is divided in three naves with some lateral chappels and a big apse. The huge dome is 60 meters high and it is supported by 16 arcades.

- Palazzo abbaziale: this palace has been restored thanks to the action of local associations. In this palace, several magnificent rooms can be visited: the archive that contains more than five thousand documents about Casalmaggiore’shistory since 1517, the library, the red room or the pantry. Students who were not afraid of heights were able to climb the tower and see the city from above.

The students acquired more historical and cultural knowledge about the history of Casalmaggiore. They will be able to reinvest the vocabulary learned and the historical approach used.