Mirandola

Mirandola (local dialect: La Miràndla) is a city and comune of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in the Province of Modena, 31 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of the provincial capital by railway. History Mirandola originated as a Renaissance city-fortress. For four centuries it was the seat of a independent principality (first a county, then a duchy), a possession of the Pico family, whose most outstanding member was the polymath Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–94). It was besieged two times: in 1510 and 1551. It was acquired by the Duchy of Modena in 1710. The city started to decay after the castle was destroyed in 1714. On 29 May 2012, a powerful earthquake hit the Mirandola area. It killed at least 17 people and collapsed churches and factories. Also 200 were injured. The 5.8 magnitude quake left 14,000 people homeless. Main sights The Palazzo del Comune is a 15th-century edifice of Gothic style. The castle of the Pico family has been recently restored and it is now open to the public. Palazzo della Ragione, in late Gothic style. Palazzo Bergomi (15th century) Palazzo Comunale (1468, largely restored in the 19th century), with the portraits of the Pico and other artworks, including an Adoration of the Magi once attributed to Palma il Giovane. The Cathedral of Mirandola, dating from the end of the 15th century, has been restored. S. Francesco is a fine Gothic church. It houses the tombs of the Pico family, including that of Prendiparte Pico (14th century). Collapsed during the second of the 2012 Emilia earthquakes. The Baroque Church of the Gesù (1690). The 15th century Collegiata. Twin cities Ostfildern, Germany Villejuif, France Sources This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. External links Official website (Italian)