| The river Trebbia, background for great battles |
| In 218 a. C., year of the foundation of Piacenza, one of the most important battles of the Punic war was fought along the river Trebbia. Hannibal's armies,that had settled nearby Tavernago di Agazzano, fought against the Roman Army, settled along the right bank of the river, probably in the area of Niviano and Ancarano, near Rivergaro. The fight was really harsh and the Romans, guided by P. Cornelius Scipio and Sempronius Longus, were defeated and had to withdraw in Piacenza. The withdrawal was made more difficult by the river waters, nearly overflowing due to the heavy rains, and only 12.000 men were able to reach the town nearby. This was not the only important battle fought along this river. In 1746 the French-Spanish troops fought against the Austrian army, ally of the King of Sardinia . The Austrian army won, while the French had to withdraw. On 18 June 1799, on the other hand, the French army fought against the Austrian -Russian alliance, come to Italy to conquer Napoleon's territories back. Once again the Austrian army won, thanks above all to the intervention of the Russian general Souwaroff's troops, but the battle was a real massacre: 16.000 people died from both armies, while the French army had 7000 injured soldiers and 5000 prisoners. The curches of San Sisto, San Bartolomeo, San Francesco and San Giovanni became military hospitals for the Austrian and Russian soldiers, while Sant'agostino, which is no longer a church nowadays, hosted French prisoners. At the beginning of the bridge over the River Trebbia, along Via Emilia Pavese,a stone column commemorates these three important moments in the history of mankind. |
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