Moncalvo

{{For|the painter called ''Il Moncalvo''|Guglielmo Caccia}} {{Infobox Italian comune | name = Moncalvo | official_name = Città di Moncalvo | native_name = | image_skyline = Moncalvo-teatro_civico3.jpg | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = View of Moncalvo | image_shield = Moncalvo-Stemma.svg | shield_alt = | image_map = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | coordinates = {{coord|45|3|N|8|16|E|type:city(3,319)_region:IT|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = | region = [[Piedmont]] | province = [[Province of Asti|Asti]] (AT) | frazioni = [[Castellino di Moncalvo|Castellino]], Patro, Santa Maria, Gessi, Stazione | mayor_party = | mayor = Diego Musumeci | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 17.7 | population_footnotes = <ref name="istat">All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|Istat]].</ref> | population_total = 2967 | population_as_of = 31 October 2017 | pop_density_footnotes = | population_demonym = Moncalvini | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 305 | twin1 = | twin1_country = | saint = St. [[Anthony of Padua]] | day = June 13 | postal_code = 14036 | area_code = 0141 | website = {{official website|http://www.comune.moncalvo.asti.it/}} | footnotes = }}

'''Moncalvo''' is a village and ''[[comune]]'' in the [[Province of Asti]] in the [[Italy|Italian]] region [[Piedmont]], located about {{convert|45|km|mi}} east of [[Turin]] and about {{convert|15|km|mi|0}} northeast of [[Asti]] on the national road SS 547 which links Asti to [[Casale Monferrato]] and [[Vercelli]]. Historically it was part of the state of [[Montferrat]] and was of particular importance during the early years of the [[Paleologi]] period of the marquisate. Its best-known inhabitants were the [[Baroque painting|Baroque painter]] [[Guglielmo Caccia]] and ‘[[La Bella Rosin]]’, King [[Victor Emmanuel II]]’s favourite mistress and eventually wife.

Moncalvo borders the following municipalities: [[Alfiano Natta]], [[Castelletto Merli]], [[Cereseto]], [[Grana (AT)|Grana]], [[Grazzano Badoglio]], [[Ottiglio]], [[Penango]], and [[Ponzano Monferrato]].

==History== The fondation dates back to [[Roman Empire|Romans]], in [[Middle Age]] the village was under the [[Asti]] bishopric, until it became part of [[March of Montferrat]], of which it became his capital city. In 1691, the village was plunded by [[Prince Eugene of Savoy]]'s troops. In 1704, the village was annexed to [[Savoy House]] domains.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Rivista del collegio araldico - Storia Diritto Genealogia Collegio Araldico fondato nel 1853 | language=it | trans-title=Journal of the Heraldic College - History, Law, Genealogy, Heraldic College founded in 1853 | url=https://www.collegio-araldico.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ARALDICA-giu-2022-def-compresso.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204192034/https://www.collegio-araldico.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ARALDICA-giu-2022-def-compresso.pdf | archive-date=2022-12-04}}</ref>

===Jewish community=== Since [[XVI century]], in Moncalvo has been settled an important [[Jewish]] community: in 1731, Jewish people were 176 out of about 1700 total inhabitants.

Their [[Ghetto]] had the particularity of being in the city center (usually ghettos were far away from city center and main churches), and moreover, the Jewish synagogue faces the center place of Moncalvo.

The main document concerning Jewish Moncalveses is ''La Gran Battaja dj'Abrei d'Moncalv'' (The Big Battle of Moncalvese Jews), that is a Piedmontese ballad, written in [[Judaeo-Piedmontese]] by a non-Jew local writer, that is underlining how much Jewish Moncalveses were integrated in the Moncalvo society.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Colombo | first1=Dino | title=Il Ghetto di Moncalvo e una sua poesia | journal=La Rassegna Mensile di Israel | date=1970 | volume=36 | issue=11 | pages=436–441 | jstor=41283294 | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41283294?seq=4 }}</ref>

The Moncalvese Jewish community has been extinguished after [[WW2]], but his demographic decline persisted since centuries before.

==Main sights== Churches in the town include:<ref>[http://www.artestoria.net/book_0_1.php?loc=44 Monferrato arte, churches of Moncalvo.]</ref> *Sant'Antonio da Padova, 10th century parish church *San Francesco d’Assisi. Built in 1272, rebuilt in 1644, now parish church *San Antonio Abate, built in 1623 *Madonna delle Grazie. Originally an oratory of the 16th century, rebuilt by Magnocavalli (1756-58). *San Marco - 15th century church adjacent to hospital *San Rocco, erected im 1600 *San Giovanni Battista - church erected 1960 *Chiesa dell’ Annunciazione (dell’ Ospizio) - near Palazzo Cissello *San Pietro in Vincoli, in strada Gessi, 18th century *Santa Croce a Patro - church erected in 16th century *Santa Caterina d’Alessandria in frazione Castellino - Church erected first in 1584; presently a 19th century reconstruction *San Giorgio presso Castellino - chapel remains of parish church *Santa Maria delle Peschiere in frazione Santa Maria - Documented since 1573, rebuilt in 1624, and again 1754

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Moncalvo]]