Province of Pavia

The province of Pavia (Italian: Provincia di Pavia) is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy; its capital is Pavia. As of 2015, the province has a population of 548,722 inhabitants and an area of 2,968.64 square kilometres (1,146.20 sq mi); the town of Pavia has a population of 72,205.[3]

Province of Pavia
Province
Map highlighting the location of the province of Pavia in Italy
Country Italy
RegionLombardy
Capital(s)Pavia
Comuni190
Government
 • PresidentVittorio Poma
Area
 • Total2,965 km2 (1,145 sq mi)
Population
 (1 January 2015)[2]
 • Total548,722
 • Density190/km2 (480/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
27010-27027, 27029-27030, 27032,
27034-27055, 27057-27059, 27100
Telephone prefix0381, 0382, 0383, 0384, 0385
Vehicle registrationPV
ISTAT018

History

The city Pavia was initially settled by the Ligures and was later occupied by Gaulish tribes; it was conquered by the Romans in 220 BCE.[4] Named "Ticinum" by the Romans, the town was reinforced and became a key part of their defenses in northern Italy; despite this, the town was sacked by Attila, the ruler of the Hunnic Empire, in 452 CE, and then again by Odoacer in 476 CE. In the sixth century it was the capital of German tribe the Lombards and survived an attempted Frankish invasion. However, following the death of Charlemagne, the Lombard territory became part of Frankish territory.[4]

In the 12th century, it became a commune after Frankish rule ceased, and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor fortified areas of the commune and he was crowned in Pavia in 1155. The University of Pavia was founded in 1361. Starting from 1359, Pavia and its neighbourhood were owned by the Visconti and then the Sforza of Milan, until, in 1499, the Duchy of Milan became a Spanish possession. It was the scene of a Franco-Imperial battle in 1525, in which Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor defeated Francis I of France. In 1707 and again 1774, parts of the so-called "principality of Pavia", a province of the Duchy under the Spaniards, were sold to Piedmont; these changes were restored after the collapse of the French Empire in 1814.

Geography

The Province of Pavia is in the region of Lombardy in northwestern Italy. It is bounded to the north by the provinces of Milan and the Lodi, to the southeast by the Province of Piacenza (Emilia-Romagna), and to the southwest it is bounded by the Province of Alessandria (Piedmont). The province is crossed by the rivers Ticino and Po, which meet four kilometres south of the capital, Pavia. The province contains 190 communes and the River Po is navigable up to its confluence with the Ticino.[4] There are three regions of the province, the Pavese, which is entirely in the Po Valley, the Lomellina, which is also completely in the Po Valley but between the Ticino and the Po, and Oltrepò, to the south of the Po and which includes Monte Lesima (1,724 m (5,656 ft)), a mountain in the Apennine Mountains which is the highest point in the province. The territory of Siccomario, at the confluence of the two great rivers, should properly be included in Lomellina, but for historical reasons it is considered part of Pavese. Another large river flowing through the province is the Olona.[5]

The province is mostly flat with the northwestern part of the province being good agricultural land. The southern part rises to low hills which give way to the Ligurian Apennines. The town of Pavia has a major position in northern Italy's textile industry and is renowned for hatmaking. It also plays its part in the country's engineering and metallurgical industries.[6] This is an important winemaking district and produces sparkling wines. It is the largest area in Italy for the production of Pinot noir.[7]

Municipalities

The list below shows the most populated municipalities of the province in 2010:[8]

Rank City Population Area
(km2)		 Density
(inhabitants/km2)		 Altitude
(mslm)
1st Pavia 71,142 62 1147.5 77
2nd Vigevano 63,984 82 780.3 116
3rd Voghera 39,937 63.28 631.1 96
4th Mortara 15,673 52 301.4 108
5th Stradella 11,674 18.77 621.9 101
6th Gambolò 10,312 51 202.2 104
7th Garlasco 9,888 39.03 253.3 93
8th Broni 9,528 20.87 456.5 88
9th Casorate Primo 8,425 9 936.1 103
10th Cassolnovo 7,116 31.96 222.7 120


See also
  • Comuni of the Province of Pavia

References
  1. Italian Institute of Statistics (Istat) (2001). "Superficie territoriale (Kmq) - Pavia (dettaglio comunale) - Censimento 2001". Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  2. "Popolazione residente al 1° gennaio". Istat. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  3. "Provincia di Pavia". Tutt Italia. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  4. Roy Palmer Domenico (2002). The Regions of Italy: A Reference Guide to History and Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-313-30733-1.
  5. The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World (13 ed.). Times Books. 2011. p. 76. ISBN 9780007419135.
  6. Russell King (27 March 2015). The Industrial Geography of Italy. Routledge. pp. 185–. ISBN 978-1-317-52111-2.
  7. "Pinot Noir". Mondo del vino al bivio, il Consorzio: Noi parliamo con i fatti. Archived from the original on 8 March 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  8. "Bilancio demografico anno 2010 e popolazione residente al 31 Dicembre". Istat.it. Retrieved 24 August 2015.

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