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About Carpi

In 1882 Hans Semper, the famous German art historian, defined Carpi as a princely seat of the Italian Renaissance.
A good part of the artistic and architectural heritage described by Semper has been faithfully preserved down to this day, including: the Pio Palace, embellished by 15th and 16th century frescoes; Piazza dei Martiri, the major city square with its Renaissance design still intact; the Cathedral, and the Church of St. Nicholas.
The ancient Pieve of St. Mary built in 751 A.D. under the reign of the Lombard king Astulphus is an outstanding example of early Medieval architecture.
In addition to churches, palaces and convents and the general architecture of the town, another point of interest is the Museum dedicated to the victims of the holocaust.
In fact, during the Second World War, Fossoli, an outlying ward of Carpi, was the location of the most important concentration and deportation camp in Italy from which about 5,000 people were subsequently sent to Auschwitz, Mauthausen and other Nazi concentration camps.
Another attraction is the civic museum and art gallery which, amongst others, houses important stuccoes and plaster works made according to the technique invented by Guido Fassi (1584-1649) and exported to the major European courts of the period. As well there are noteworthy artworks dating back to various periods made with the xylographic technique, and 19th and 20th century decorative paintings by Lelio Rossi, Fermo Forti, Albano Lugli, Carlo Grossi, and Andrea Becchi.
A number of important private collections of contemporary art are also on display.
And last but not least, another reason for coming to Carpi is its exquisite cuisine which may be enjoyed in a number of typical restaurants located in pleasant countryside settings along the via Emilia, the ancient Roman road.
The sector includes 160 establishments employing 500 people.

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