Caniparola

Updated on Dec 04, 2023

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Province Province of Massa and Carrara

Caniparola is a frazione del comune di Fosdinovo, in province di Massa e Carrara.

Map of 54035 Caniparola Province of Massa and Carrara, Italy

Physical Geography

It's in the southern part of the comune, at 39 metres above sea level. It's the lowest frazione in the comune and it's displaced along the first part of the provincial street that leads to Fosdinovo from Aurelia Street.

History

In Caniparola, until the XVIII century, there was a tower, that was built at the age of the Bishops of Luni, on the which the Fosdinovo marquess Gabriele III Malaspina, ending his predecessor's project, Carlo Francesco Agostino Malaspina (who died here in 1722) built in 1724 his summer residence, the villa Malaspina. The plain on which this villa was founded was already exploited for agricultural use by Malaspina, who had built here a lot of farmhouses (they are said "Malaspinian Farmhouses"). In the mid-eighteenth century, between the end of Gabriele III's marquisate and the beginning of Carlo Emanuele Malaspina's one, some lignite benches were discovered for the mining of the so-called "Caniparola coal".

The toponym derives from the cultivation of the cannabis (canapa, in Italian) that was held in the area in the past.

Religious architecture

S. Antonio da Padova's Old Church, within Caniparola's borough.

S. Antonio da Padova's New Church, placed out the borough, along the Malaspinian Street.

Civil architecture

Arch of Caniparola, in the centre of the borough: it's a architectural complex which included the small Madonna della Seggiola's Chapel ("seggiola" means "chair", in English), built in XIV century under Malaspina's will.

Caniaparola Big Door (Portone di Caniparola), today disappeared. It was a big door placed along that street that once upon a time was called Strada regia postale di Genova (Genoan Mail Royal Street, today Aurelia), to the right of Larone creek, in the last edge of Fosdinovo marquisate and, now, in Fosdinovo comune.

Villa Malaspina with giardino all'italiana (1724).

Demographic Evolution

During the second half of XIX century, this frazione had an outstanding demographic increase (which is corresponded to a likewise increase of the built infrastructures and houses), so that, counted with the near localities (above all Borgetto-Melara), from 2001 onwards it began representing almost the half of the total population of the comune. The only frazione, on the other hand, has a population that would place as the first between the frazioni, but as second compared to Fosdinovo, the chief town. Today Caniparola is a residential place, although it still keeps vineyards and olive groves of its agricultural past.

Religion

Caniparola is seat of the Sant'Antonio da Padova Parish, in the diocese of Massa Carrara-Pontremoli within Aulla Vicariate. Patron Saint Day is 13 June.

Education

Caniparola is seat of the detachment of the statal school "Don Florindo Bonomi", consisting of kinfergartens, elementary and secondary school. The chief seat is in Fosdinovo.

People linked to Caniparola

Carlo Francesco Agostino Malaspina (Fosdinovo, 1671 – Caniparola, 1722), Fosdinovo marquess from 1671 to 1722. He died in his villa Malaspina.

Lido Galletto (Caniparola, 7 giugno 1924 – Carrara, 18 gennaio 2011), antifascist partisan commander (battle name "Orti") during the Resistenza; after the war, he was a scholar of Resistenza history in the Western Linea Gotica area.

Sport

Caniparola has got a great public gym and a stadium, "Mulattieri", placed in the locality Borghetto-Melara, where some football tournaments are held, like Trofeo Città di Fosdinovo and Memoriale Federico Severino. In Caniparola the matches of the chief Fosdinovo volley team, Volley C.P.O. Fosdinovo, are played. The female sector takes part to the regional Championship.

References

Caniparola Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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