The town of San Polo d'Enza is situated on the plains of Reggio Emilia, at the mouth of the Enza River, about 16 km. from the town of Reggio Emilia.
Postal code: 42020
Open-air market held on Thursday
Feast of San Paolo, Patron Saint of San Polo d'Enza, 25 January
Outlying villages: Barcaccia, Grassano, and Pontenovo
Inhabitants:
5,755 update Jannuary,1 2009 |
How to get there:
Distance from Reggio Emilia: 22 km.
When coming from Reggio Emilia, take Provincial Road SP 9 travelling in the direction of Cavriago and Montecchio Emilia, then switch to Provincial Road SP 8 to San Polo d'Enza.
Railway Station. |
Tourist information:
Municipality 0522 241711 Fax 0522 874867 |
San Polo d'Enza is situated in the area that once belonged to Matilda, Countess of Canossa, and was an important link between the territory of Reggio Emilia and Parma, and between the plains and the mountains. The name of the town derived partly from San Paolo, to whom a chapel was dedicated, and partly from the Enza, the river that flows along the border of the territory. The area was first settled in very ancient times, as shown by the important Etruscan settlement that was found in Servirola (located about 1 km. north of town). It is thought that the town was established by the Etruscans around the 5th century B.C. The old name of San Polo, "Plebs de Caviliano", was mentioned for the first time in a charter drawn up on 14 October 980 A.D. and signed by Emperor Otto II. In 1070 San Polo became the property of the Church of Reggio Emilia under the rule of Marquis Boniface of Canossa. It was later ruled by the Visconti family, the Este, and the Gherardini in the seventeenth century.