Mortara

Mortara (Lombard: Murtära) is a comune (municipality) in the province of Pavia, in the Italian region of Lombardy. It lies between the Agogna and Terdoppio rivers, in the historical district known as Lomellina, a rice-growing agricultural center. It received the honorary title of city with a royal decree in 1706. The town has Roman origins and its first name was Pulchra Silva. After Charlemagne defeated the Longobard King Desiderius in 773, its name was changed to its modern name. In the Orlando Furioso (second canto) it can be read: Quivi cader de’ Longobardi tanti,e tanta fu quivi la strage loro,che ‘l loco de la pugna gli abitantiMortara dapoi sempre nominoro.Ludovico Ariosto, I cinque canti - canto II, 88 Translating as: "Here so many Longobards died and the slaughter of them was so great here that, from then on, the inhabitants gave the place of the battle the name of Mortara". Around the 14th century the town was the site of leisure hunting, and an inhabitant Gian Galeazzo Visconti made an unsuccesful attempt to change its name into Beldiporto in 1384. The town became a fortress called "The Star" under Charles V and was besieged by the French-Piedmontese Army led by Francesco d'Este in 1658. It was restituted to Spain and remained a Spanish possession until 1706, when it was annexed to the Savoy Kingdom. In the same year it became the capital of the Province of Lomellina. On March 21, 1849 it was the site of the Battle of Mortara. Mortara is now an agricultural center and large producer of rice. Goose sausage is regarded as a local specialty.

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Mortara is a stopover point on The Via Francigena. You can reach Civitas Vaticana - Città del Vaticano in 34 days.