Reggio Emilia, Provincial capital city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Reggio Emilia is a provincial capital in Emilia-Romagna between Parma and Modena, stretching along the ancient Via Emilia. The historic center forms a hexagon with narrow streets, red-brick palaces, and several churches grouped around the central square.
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus founded the settlement in 175 BC as a station on the consular road to Piacenza. From 1409 the Este family took control and shaped the city until Italian unification in the 19th century.
The name comes from Regium Lepidi, the Roman settlement on the Via Emilia that later flourished under the Este family. Today life revolves around the central Piazza Prampolini, where residents gather in front of the cathedral and under the arcaded walkways.
The historic center can be explored on foot, as all major sights lie within a few blocks of the main square. Via Emilia runs through the city from northwest to southeast and provides orientation for walks through the old town.
The Sala del Tricolore in the town hall preserves the table and walls of the room where representatives of the Cispadane Republic adopted the green-white-red flag as their official symbol in 1797. This room is considered the birthplace of the Italian national flag and is open to visitors.
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