Rubiera

Rubiera is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located on the Via Emilia about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Bologna and about 13 kilometres (8 mi) southeast of Reggio Emilia. History The original name of the city was Corte de Herberia, probably derived from the Celtic er-beria, meaning "in the middle of the plain". The Roman emperors Gallienus and Valerianus built a bridge over the Secchia river at this location in AD 259. The first historical mention of Rubiera is from 915, at which time it was a fief of the Supponidi family; the city later became a fief of the Obertenghi family. After a period of decline, it recovered some importance in the 12th century under the comune of Reggio Emilia, due to its strategic position and the fact that the city had a castrum (castle) and massive walls. At later times it was a possession of the House of Este, a Papal possession, and part of the Duchy of Modena and Reggio, during which period the castle was used as a prison. Sports Rubiera is the hometown of Stefano Baldini, European and Olympic marathon champion. Rubiera's handball team (Pallamano Secchia) has played in the Italian serie A every year since 1982. Twin towns Bjelovar, Croatia Neulingen, Germany, since 1991 Györújbarát, Hungary, since 2005 References External links Official website