{{Short description|Town in Emilia-Romagna, Italy}} {{More citations needed|date=September 2021}} {{Expand Italian|Castelfranco Emilia|topic=geo|date=April 2010}} {{Infobox Italian comune | name = Castelfranco Emilia | official_name = Comune di Castelfranco Emilia | native_name = | image_skyline = Villa sorra 01.JPG | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = Villa Sorra | image_shield = Castelfranco Emilia-Stemma.svg | shield_alt = | image_map = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | coordinates = {{coord|44|35|48|N|11|03|10|E|display=inline}} | coordinates_footnotes = | region = Emilia-Romagna | province = Modena (MO) | frazioni = Casale California, Cavazzona, Gaggio, Madonna della Provvidenza, Manzolino, Panzano, Piumazzo, Rastellino, Recovato, Riolo | mayor_party = | mayor = Giovanni Gargano (PD) | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 102.51 | population_footnotes = <ref name="istat">All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.</ref> | population_total = 32613 | population_as_of = 30 June 2017 | pop_density_footnotes = | population_demonym = Castelfranchesi | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 42 | twin1 = | twin1_country = | saint = Donnino | day = September 8 | postal_code = 41013 | area_code = 059 | website = {{official website|http://www.comune.castelfranco-emilia.mo.it/servizi/notizie/notizie_homepage.aspx}} | footnotes = }} '''Castelfranco Emilia''' (Western Bolognese: {{lang|egl|Castèl}}; Modenese: {{lang|egl|Castèlfrànc}}) is a town and ''comune'' in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, north-central Italy. The town lies about {{convert|25|km|mi}} northwest of Bologna.
Castelfranco either occupies or lies near the site of the ancient '''Forum Gallorum''', a place on the via Aemilia between Modena and Bologna. Near the town, on 14 April 43 BC, Octavian and Hirtius defeated Mark Antony in a battle during the War of Mutina.<ref name=eb1911>{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Castelfranco nell' Emilia|volume=5|page=471}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Golden |first=Gregory K |title=Crisis management during the Roman Republic |date=2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-05590-2 |oclc=842919750 |pages=198–99 }}</ref> The village never gained prominence in ancient times. While it was included in the ''Tabula Peutingeriana'', it was omitted from all other Roman road itineraries.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |entry=Forum Gallorum |encyclopedia=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=William |year=1854 |publisher=John Murray |location=London |entry-url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:entry=forum-gallorum-geo }}</ref>
A fortress was built just outside the town in 1628–34 by Pope Urban VIII as a northern defensive bastion for the Papal States. By the late 19th century, the fortress had been converted to a prison.<ref name=eb1911 /> In 1861 it was joined with the former comune of Piumazzo. This town is home of the tortellini, a typical Italian food. In this region lambrusco wine is also produced. The church of ''Santa Maria Assunta ''houses ''Assumption of the Virgin'' by Guido Reni.
==People== * Alfonsina Strada, the only woman ever to compete in the male Giro d'Italia (1924) * Valerio Massimo Manfredi, historian, archaeologist and journalist (1943) * Cécile Kyenge, Italian-Congolese politician and current Member of the European Parliament (1983)
==Twin towns== *{{flagicon|GER}} Marktredwitz, Germany, since 1997
==Sources== {{Reflist}}
{{Province of Modena}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna Category:War of Mutina
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