Castel Maggiore

Castel Maggiore is an Italian comune with 17,422 inhabitants in the province of Bologna located at about 9 kilometres (6 mi) northwards from the historic centre of the capital town, Bologna. Literally, its name means Major castle, but it is actually a corruption of the old name Castaniolo Maggiore (Major little chestnut). It is not uncommon for tourists to ask for the non-existent "castle" in Castel Maggiore. History The first documents conveying the existence of the Comune, in ancient times called Castaniolo (Little chestnut) date back to the 10th century. The legend narrates that the name comes from a big chestnut trunk that should have floated into the territory of the comune through the Canale Navile (a navigable drain canal). Afterwards Castaniolo was marked by the nickname of Maggiore (Major) in order to distinguish it from a homonymous hamlet (now Castaniolo Minore) of the Bentivoglio comune. The name was changed into the one it still carries nowadays during Napoleon's era, in 1818, in which jurisdiction on today's hamlets has been recognised. The town underwent heavy bomb attacks during World War II because of the passage of the railroad linking Bologna and Padua. References