Carpi is a town in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna. It is a busy center for industrial and craft activities and for cultural and commercial exchanges. Carpi is distinguished by its great Renaissance square (piazza), called Piazza Martiri, the largest in the region It is flanked by a portico with 52 columns. Other notable landmarks include the Town hall (Palazzo dei Pio), formerly the castle of the Pio family; Carpi Cathedral and the Church of Santa Maria in Castello or La Sagra, designed by Peruzzi.
Carpi is an Italian town and comune of about 71,000 inhabitants in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna. It is a busy centre for industrial and craft activities and for cultural and commercial exchanges.
A small town with a giant square, Carpi is defined by the humongous Piazza dei Martiri, which is fringed by 50 porticoes and big enough to mark out an aeroplane landing strip. It’s only 15 minutes by train from Modena and is well worth an afternoon detour.
HIGLIGHT
Carpi history
Around the 10th century Carpi was founded as an imposing castle which was the seat of the Counts of the Canossa dynasty – the family included Countess Matilda of Canossa (1046-1115) who defended herself here against the troops of the Emperor.
The castle – Castello del Pio – is near this church, and an impressive monument with lots of towers and turrets built in the 16th century. The castle now contains a museum dedicated to residents who were deported from here to a nearby concentration camp during the Second World War.
Through the courtyard you reach the square called Piazza dei Martiri, the principal square in Carpi and where you can find the most important artistic artefacts in the city. Among these is Carpi Cathedral, built to a plan by Balsassarre Peruzzi and with a mighty dome. The exterior has a baroque facade while the cathedral interior has three naves and contains many 17th century paintings.
The area outside the historic centre of Carpi is also rich in monuments and works of art worthy of a visit – churches in particular. Starting from Piazza Garibaldi and heading along Via San Francesco you reach the Church of Saint Francis, which dates back to the 13th century, although it was rebuilt in the late 17th century.
Near to the Church of Saint Francis in Carpi are the Church of Saint Bernardino from Siena (17th century, with gilded wooden altars), the Church of the Holy Crucifix (18th century, rococo-style) and the church of St. Nicholas (15th century, with work by Baldassarre Peruzzi and numerous paintings of the 17th-18th centuries).
After the convent of the Observant Monks, in the Corso Fanti, you can see some beautiful buildings constructed by the local nobility, then the Santa Chiara Church (XV century) and Church of St. Ignatius (17th century).
Main sights
Carpi is distinguished by its great Renaissance square (piazza), called Piazza Martiri the largest in the region. It is flanked by a portico with 52 columns.
Other notable landmarks include:
- Town hall (Palazzo dei Pio) – formerly the castle of the Pio family. It includes parts from different ages, such as the merloned-tower of Passerino Bonaccolsi, the Renaissance façade and the tower of Galasso Pio, and the 17th century watch tower. It includes a chapel frescoed by Bernardino Loschi and Vincenzo Catena.
- Carpi Cathedral – Originally designed by Baldassarre Peruzzi, drawings for it are located in the Gabinetto dei Disegni e Stampe in the Uffizi, Florence, and document Peruzzi’s contact with Leonardo da Vinci.[7] Construction begun 1514, Baroque façade added in 1701 and cupola completed 1774).
- Church of Santa Maria in Castello or La Sagra – façade (1514) designed by Peruzzi .
- Church of Santa Chiara
- Church of Santissimo Crocifisso
- Church of San Bernardino Realino
- Church of San Bernardino da Siena
- Church of San Nicolò, Carpi
- Church of Sant’Ignazio– home of the Museum of the Diocese of Carpi
- Church of San Francesco d’Assisi
Carpi cuisine
There is more to Carpi than history, art and culture, and the town also has a taste for good food and wine. There are several restaurants in the city and surrounding areas where you can taste the typical dishes of the area: we suggest you sample the local pasta dishes based around tortellini, tagliatelle, maltagliati and tortelloni.
Among other typical products of the region we should mention the Quartirolo, a soft cheese, the Parmigiano Reggiana; and a draught of Nocino, an excellent digestive. Among wines, of course you can enjoy the famous Lambrusco.
