Cuneo

Cuneo listen (Coni in Piedmontese) is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area. It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in the south-west of Piedmont on a triangular plateau (italian word "cuneo" meaning wedge, triangular prism) at the confluence of the rivers Stura di Demonte and Gesso. Including all bordering municipalities Beinette, Borgo San Dalmazzo, Boves, Busca, Caraglio, Castelletto Stura, Centallo, Cervasca, Morozzo, Peveragno, Tarantasca and Vignolo the population is 123,301 inhabitants. It is near six important mountain passes: Colle della Maddalena at 1,996 metres (6,549 ft) Colle di Tenda at 1,871 metres (6,138 ft) - Tunnel of Tenda at 1,300 metres (4,300 ft), 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long Colle del Melogno at 1,027 metres (3,369 ft) Colle San Bernardo at 957 metres (3,140 ft) Colle di Nava at 934 metres (3,064 ft) Colle di Cadibona at 459 metres (1,506 ft). History Cuneo was founded in 1198 by the local population, who declared it an independent commune, freeing themselves from the authority of the bishops of Asti and the marquisses of Montferrat and Saluzzo. In 1210 the latter occupied it, and in 1231 the Cuneesi rebelled. In 1238 they were recognized as free commune by Emperor Frederick II. In 1259 the independence of Cuneo ceased forever, as it gave itself, also to take protection against its more powerful neighbours, to Charles I of Anjou, who was then King of Naples and Count of Provence. Together with Alba, it was the main Angevine possession in northern Italy; their rule (in fact interrupted by periods under Saluzzo, Savoy, the Visconti of Milan) ended in 1382 when Cuneo was acquired by the Duchy of Savoy. Cuneo became an important stronghold of the expanding Savoy state, and was thus besieged by France several times: first in 1515 by Swiss troops of Francis I of France, then again in 1542, 1557, 1639, 1641, 1691 and, during the War of Austrian Succession, in 1741. In all the sieges Cuneo resisted successfully. Cuneo was conquered by France only during the Napoleonic Wars, when it was made the capital of the Stura department. After the restoration of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the unification of Italy, Cuneo became the capital of its namesake province in 1859. During World War II, from 1943 to 1945, it was one of the main centres of partisan resistance against the German occupation of Italy. Climate Cuneo has a temperate sub-continental climate, with cold winters and hot, dry summers. However, it is situated more than 500 metres (1,640 feet) above sea level, which helps to make summers more bearable: the hottest month, July, has an average temperature of 21.6 °C (70.9 °F). The coldest, January, averages −1.1 °C (30.0 °F). Annual precipitation is about 950 mm (37.4 in), distributed over 81 days. The rainfall pattern is similar to that of Turin, with two maxima—one primary and one secondary (spring and autumn) and two minima (summer and winter). The driest month is July, 44 millimetres (1.7 in). Snowfalls are frequent owing to high elevation and wind patterns. Main sights Villa Oldofredi Tadini, built in the 14th and 15th centuries as a watchtower. It is now a museum housing collections of the owners, the Mocchia and Oldofredi Tadini families. Villa Tornaforte, surrounded by an English-style park. Civic Museum Railway Museum Churches of Santa Croce, San Giovanni Decollato and Santissima Annunziata, housing paintings by Giovan Francesco Gaggini. Panoramic funicolar that connects plateau to Gesso river. Monument of Stura and Gesso in Torino Square The median way of the plateau (Rome Avenue, Galimberti Square and Nice Avenue): the commercial heart of Cuneo. Nuvolari Libera Tribù: the longest summer's musical festival, near river Gesso Monument at Peano's curve Palazzo Uffici Finanziari (PUF), highest edifice in the city at about 50 metres (160 ft) Subdivisions Centro storico, Cuneo centro, Cuneo nuova, San Paolo, Donatello, Gramsci, San Rocco, Cerialdo, Confreria and Borgo San Giuseppe. Notable people Annibale Santorre di Rossi de Pomarolo, Count of Santarosa (1783–1825), early Risorgimento leader. Franco Andrea Bonelli (1784–1830), ornithologist, entomologist and collector. Giuseppe Peano (1858–1932), mathematician. Giovanni Battista Ceirano 1860 - automobile pioneer, joint founder of Ceirano, Well-Eyes bicycles, Well-Eyes cars - the first F.I.A.T., SCAT (Società Ceirano Automobili Torino) Matteo Ceirano 1870 - automobile pioneer, joint founder of Itala Fabrica Automobile and S.P.A. (Società Piemontese Automobili) Ernesto Ceirano 1875 - Winner of 1911 and 1914 Targa Florio in SCAT automobiles. Giorgio Federico Ghedini (1892–1965), composer. Tancredi "Duccio" Galimberti (in Italian) (1906–1944), a lawyer, against fascists, Italian National Hero. Nuto Revelli (1919–2004), partisan and writer. Alviero Martini (born c.1940), fashion designer. Cesare Damiano (born 1948), politician. Carlo Petrini (born 22 June 1949), born in the province of Cuneo in the commune of Bra in Italy, is the founder of the International Slow Food Movement. In 2004, he founded the University of Gastronomic Sciences, a school intended to bridge the gap between agriculture and gastronomy. Piergiorgio Odifreddi (born 1950), mathematician, logician and aficionado of the history of science. Livia Turco (born 1955), politician. Michele Ferrero (born 1925) patriarch of Italian chocolate dynasty Ferrero Group. He inherited the company from his father Pietro in the 1950s and turned it into one of the world's largest confectionery makers, whose brands include Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates, Nutella and Tic Tac. Cuisine and food Cuneo's specialty is Cuneesi al rhum, chocolates with a unique rum-based filling. The most famous brand is Arione, located in Piazza Galimberti (the city's central square). Arione, founded in 1923, has kept its traditional furniture and old world appearance to this day, projecting timeless old-fashioned elegance. Many famous people have stopped by to taste the famous Cuneesi al rhum, including the famous writer Ernest Hemingway in 1954. Sport Volleyball There is an important volleyball club, Piemonte Volley who won 1 Italian Volleyball League, 3 CEV Cup, 2 CEV SuperCup, 4 Italian Volleyball Cup and 3 Italian Volleyball SuperCup. Football Associazione Calcio Cuneo 1905 (A.C. Cuneo 1905) who plays in the 3° level of Italian football. Cycling Many times stage of Giro d'Italia. See also Venchi Ferrero SpA Twinnings Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Argentina Nice, France Chambéry, France Cuneo is also twinned with the contrada della Selva of Siena, Italy. References External links Cuneo homepage, comune.cuneo.it (Italian) Giornale di informazione della Provincia di Cuneo, grandain.com (Italian) Parco Fluviale Gesso e Stura, parcofluviale.cuneo.it (Italian)