Cotignola – Balle di paglia Arena

It is in the Middle Age that Cotignola lived its glory. In its territory the counts of Cunio had their castle, that tied their name above all to the fraction of Barbiano, locality fortified from them and in which they moved after the destruction of the castle. From this lineage the famous condottiere Alberico from Barbiano originated. “The prerogative that distinguishes Cotignola from even bigger and more important cities – explains the local historian Alfredo Toschi – is that of having given rise to one of the most famous and powerful princpesque families of the Renaissance: the Sforza. Their forefather, Muzio Attendolo known as Sforza, who chose military life, left Cotignola to become a famous captain. His son, Francesco, became Duke of Milan, a very important duchy that the Sforza dynasty ruled for over a century. Blessed Antonio Bonfadini has been revered in Cotignola for over 500 years, in a village called “the saint”, whose body rests in the church of San Francesco. Modern times have seen Cotignola rise again from the terrible destruction of the war and become an attractive center for relevant productive activities specialized in various sectors: agro-industry, metallurgy, chemistry, precision mechanics and healthcare, to name a few. Among the many artists of Cotignola, the most prominent exponent was the famous painter Luigi Varoli, whose value is still growing today. The city boasts the Silver Medal of Civil Value for the commitment of the citizens of Cotignola, Vittorio Zanzi above all, in saving 44 families of Jews from the violence of the Second World War.