COMENIUS PROJECT 2011-2013“PROMOTE YOUR EUROREGION”LICEO CELIO-ROCCATI

ROVIGOITALY

Rovigo is situated in the north-east of Italy, more specifically in the Veneto. The territory of the district of Rovigo is completely flat. It extends from the border with Verona and Mantua to the Adriatic coast, where the famous Po Delta is situated. The territory is contained between the rivers Adige and Po which are the first and the third most important rivers in Italy. The climate is semicontinental with high humidity, hot summers and foggy winters.

GEOGRAPHY

Rovigo has its origins during the Roman time. It was named“Rhodigium” or “Rodigo”, and it was the highest part of the“Polesine”, the area where the town is in, and all around itthere were swamps and ponds. Rovigo has a pentagonalshape and it was closed within the walls of the castle.

From the year 1000 Rovigo was under the rule of the Estensi family and they promoted the extension of the town, that was on both sides of the Adigetto, a small river whose name comes from the Adige, another important river of the Polesine.

HISTORY

Later, the town went under theVenetian Republic with the “saltbattle”, and it stayed this way forabout three centuries. In 1800Rovigo was conquered byNapoleon; in this period Rovigochanged radically: almost all themonuments and the churchesthere are now in the townwere built under the Frenchdomination, so Rovigo had a newsocial pulse, even if the economywas still very basic.

Then, in 1815, Rovigo passed under Austrian domain: even if the gates of the walls all around the city were broken down, Rovigo experienced a period of flowering and renovation.Finally, in 1866, Italy was unified, so Rovigo went back to being part of the kingdom of Italy.

ART & CULTURE

VITTORIO EMANUELE II’S SQUARE

Vittorio Emanuele II’s square is one of the oldest of Rovigo and the real heart of the town..In the Middle Ages it was used as a meeting place for civic and commercial activities.In the middle stands the commemorative statue of Vittorio Emanuele II - the father if the unification of Italy. The statue was built by the sculptor Giulio Monteverdi and placed there in 1881. At one end of the square stands a stone column(1519) having on its top the Lion of St. Mark, a symbol of Venice’s domination in the town.

Garibaldi’s square isRovigo’s second most important square and itwas inaugurated in1896 by GiuseppeGaribaldi. The mostimportant symbol ofthe square is the statueof Garibaldi mountinghis horse..

GARIBALDI’S SQUARE

Set on a granite base decorated with reliefs and inscriptions, the statue is of fine workmanship; under the character’s stirrups there are two crowns placed upside down by the sculptor, as a sign of contempt for the monarchy.

CASTLE OF ROVIGO

The Castle of Rovigo, built in920, is the oldest relic ofthe urban city. Originally itincluded eight towers andtwo drawbridges giving access to the insidecourtyard. Today thereare two gates andtwo towers, both leaning, overlooking a smallpark completely rebuilt in2010.

LA ROTONDA

The Temple of the Blessed Virgin ofthe Rescue, known as the Rotondafor its circle-like shape, with thenearby belfry by Longhena, is themost important monumentalgroup in Rovigo and a highlysuggestive place for the history ofthe town. The Church was built

after1594 as a votive offering to theVirgin of Rescue for saving the townfrom a plague.

The Duomo is the main church of Rovigo dedicated to St. Stephen, pope and martyr. In 920, the bishop of Adria (the Diocese of the area) Paul was allowed to temporarily move his residence to Rovigo and build a fort to guard against attacks of barbarians and heretics. Short later the building of the church was started. The present church is the result of various modifications carried out over a few centuries; as a cathedral it was consecrated in 1461.

DUOMO DI ROVIGO

The “Accademia dei Concordi” was born in 1580 thanks to Count Gaspare Campo who loved literature, music and arts. Since then, the “Concordiana” has been the heart of cultural institutions and associations in the town. Nowadays it’s used as a library and for public readings and conferences.

THE ACADEMY

Roverella palace was built in 1474 by Cardinal Bartolomeo Roverella. Three years later, construction was interrupted because of the cardinal’s death. After many attempts at restoration, nowadays it houses the picture gallery of the “Accademia dei Concordi”.

ROVERELLA PALACE

The TEATRO SOCIALE of Rovigo wascompleted in 1819 by the architect SanteBaseggio and the painter Niccolò Pellandi,although it was rebuilt in 1904 because ofa fire which occurred two years before.

It is considered one of the most important Italian opera houses. It consists of stalls, a staircase, a row of boxes, a lodge and a gallery. The decorations are simple and elegant. On the parapets of the lower boxes we find eight portraits of famous men: Goldoni, Metastasio, Alfieri, Doninzetti, Verdi, Rossini, Bellini e Mercadante.

THEATRE of Rovigo

The “Museo dei grandi fiumi” deals with the development and the diffusion of the archaeological, ethnographic, cultural and environmental heritage of the “Polesine”, which has always been geographically and historically linked with the two biggest rivers in Italy, the Po and the Adige.

MUSEUM “DEI GRANDI FIUMI”

Built in 1715, it was the seat of the Venezze family until their death. During the first world war it was used as accommodation for troops passing through the town. Nowadays it’s the home of the public music conservatory in Rovigo.

VENEZZE PALACE

GRAN GUARDIA

Work on the construction of the barracks of the Guards’ Corps was

started in 1853 and ended the following year, in 1854.

The building was designed to accommodate the local establishment of the Austrian army. The project is the work of Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Medusa. It bears witness to the Austrian domination in the town.

VILLA BADOERVilla Badoer is a villa in Fratta Polesine, near Rovigo, built between 1557 and 1563 by Andrea Palladio for the Venetian nobleman Francesco Badoer. Villa Badoer was declared world heritage by “UNESCO” in 1996. Its main body stands on a

high basement with a staircase leading to more ramps and two lateral ones that connect two “barchesse” (a kind of barns). These barns, elegant and curved, concretely realized by Palladio, remind us of open arms welcoming visitors.

Giacomo MatteottiGiacomo Matteotti was born inFratta Polesine, in 1885.He took part in politics with thesocialist movement.He dedicated his life to fightingfascism.For Fascism Matteotti was aninconvenient presence.“You might kill me, but you will

never kill my ideas”

..someone to know…

Benvenuto TisiBenvenuto Tisi was a famous

15th-16th century painter. For a short period he lived in Rome. There, in 1512, he worked for Pope Giulio II

and he met thefamous painter Raffaello, whoinfluenced his way of painting.In 1531 he was blind in one eyebut he continued to paint until hebecame completely blind (1550).

Katia Ricciarelli Katia Ricciarelli was born inRovigo on 18th January 1946from a poor family. She hasbeen interested in singing sinceshe was a child. She studied atBenedetto MarcelloSchool of Music in Venice.She has beenvery successful in her career, asa lyric soprano voice, and shehas made lots of concerts allover the world.

In an interview she said: “Silence is dangerous because it spreads like an oil blot”.

Marika ZanforlinMarika Zanforlin is 26 years old and she lives near Rovigo. She’s a skating and ice-skating champion . She has won three National titles, three European titles and four International titles.

“Sport is a good opportunity for growing physically, psychologically and for getting better.”

Veneto’s traditional cuisine

Veneto’s cuisine can be divided into three different areas:• Coastal and lagoon, with a gastronomy linked especially to fishing products;• Inland, linked to a cuisine based on agriculture;• Mountainous, based on dairy products.In particular, in the area of Rovigo there are typical products or foods such as different kinds of lettuce from Lusia, white garlic, clams and mussels on the coast, rice, white melon, ciabatta bread and beans.

A typical local menu: First Course

Dark BigoliIngredients (for 2):

200 gr. of bigoli 2 medium white onions40 gr. of salted anchoviesextra virgin olive oilblack pepper

Second course

Salt cod with polenta Ingredients for 12 people: 800 gr. of salt cod Flour Salt and pepper ½ glass of water 1 onion A clove of garlic A sprig of parsley A glass of white wine ½ liter of milk 50 gr. of butter

Dessert

Crostoli ( typical carnival sweets)Ingredients for four people: 500 gr. flour 5 yolks 90 gr. sugar Vanilla essence 2 spoonfuls of white grappa A liter of frying oil Icing sugar A pinch of salt A grated lemon

Wine Prosecco

Dry white wineprosecco wine is an

internationally famous wine from the area of Treviso, a town

north of Rovigo

THE END