Soragna

Soragna (Parmigiano: Suràgna) is a town and comune in the Province of Parma, northern Italy, with a population of about 4,800.

Soragna
Comune
Comune di Soragna
Coat of arms
Soragna Location of Soragna in Italy Show map of Italy Soragna Soragna (Emilia-Romagna) Show map of Emilia-Romagna
Coordinates: 44°56′N 10°7′E
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Parma (PR)
Frazioni	Carzeto, Castellina, Diolo
Government
• Mayor	Marco Taccagni
Area [1]
• Total	45 km2 (17 sq mi)
Elevation	49 m (161 ft)
Population  (31 December 2016[2])[3]
• Total	4,834
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	43019
Dialing code	0524

Soragna is first recorded in 712, in a document issued by the Lombard king Liutprand. From 1198, it was a possession of the Lupi family and an imperial fief elevated to a marquisate in 1347 and to a principate in 1709 with the right to mint coins.

The town is home to the medieval rocca (fortress), later converted into a palace, known as the Rocca Meli Lupi. The first fortress on the site was built in 985 by Marquis Adalbert I of Milan, who had received Soragna and Busseto from Emperor Otto I. In the 12th century, the area was acquired by the Pallavicino family. In 1186, the castle was stormed by combined Guelph forces from Piacenza and Cremona, but the lordship was confirmed to the Pallavicino by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1189. A few years later, the Lupi family acquired the castle through marriage and initiated a reconstruction program. The building contains 16th-century frescoes by Cesare Baglione, possibly Niccolò dell'Abbate, and other artists. The surrounding park was redesigned as an English garden around 1820.

Notable churches include:

• Beata Vergine del Carmine e San Rocco
• San Giacomo
• Oratory of Sant'Antonio da Padova
• Santa Caterina D'Alessandria

• 
  Rocca Meli Lupi.
• 
  San Giacomo (Saint James) church.

Twin towns

• Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia