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Alfonsine
Alfonsine
	— Comune —
Comune di Alfonsine
	; Alfonsine Location of Alfonsine in Italy
	Coordinates: 44°30′N 12°3′E / 44.5°N 12.05°ECoordinates: 44°30′N 12°3′E / 44.5°N 12.05°E
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Province	Ravenna (RA)
Frazioni	Fiumazzo, Taglio Corelli, Villa Pianta, Filo, Longastrino, Borgo Gallina, Borgo Seganti
	Government
- Mayor	Angelo Antonellini
	Area
- Total	106.8 km2 (41.2 sq mi)
Elevation	6 m (20 ft)
	Population (30 April 2008)
- Total	11,739
- Density	109.9/km2 (284.7/sq mi)
- Demonym	Alfonsinesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	48011
Dialing code	0544
Patron saint	Madonna delle Grazie
Saint day	8 September
Website	Official website

Alfonsine is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Ravenna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 60 km east of Bologna and about 15 km northwest of Ravenna.

Located in the north of the Romagna at the intersection of the Senio River and Adriatic, in a fertile area in which agriculture is very present, especially viticulture. It has some important industries such as Marine-FAYAT, Sica, and Fruttagel Contarini. In the territory there are considerable deposits of natural gas.

[edit] History

There are two main hypotheses about the origins of the name of Alfonsine The first, based on documents dating back to the early 1500s, and most accredited, refers to Alfonso Calcagnini, who began the reclamation of these lands, which were thus called "the Alfonsine" (Alfonso lands) in the dialect of Romagna "on gl'Infulsen" and the second was due to its Polloni Antonio Toponomy Romagnola (1966), which assumes that the name derives from the Alfonsine "æ-ditch, channel, ditch dug by man, "and that only at a later time - and by coincidence - was influenced by the name of Alfonso Calcagnini.

The foundation of the town Alfonsine took place in the distant 1464, when the territory, consisting of valleys and marsh land, was donated by Borso d'Este in Calcagnini Theophilus who began a major work of reclamation. The original nucleus of the country is developed around the church of Our Lady, built in 1502 by the feudal lord who ruled during the period on those lands Calcagnini Alfonso, son of Theophilus.

The site, which has always been the border area between Ravenna and the domain of Este, was the subject of centuries and sometimes dramatic struggle for control. The question is sopi with the intervention of Pope Leo X, who, in 1519, officially invested Calcagnini of their possessions, thus legitimizing the donation Estensi, but extend to lands belonging to the Lateran canons of S. Maria in Porto and noble Rasponi. The feud took on the name of "territory biased." Calcagnini I found them to be feudal lords of the church is that of Este. The privilege was reconfirmed by Clement VIII at the end of the century.

Despite the economic and population growth recorded during the eighteenth century, the inhabitants of the rural community at that time not yet enjoyed any freedom. The area served by area only of exploitation and enrichment for the class of feudal lords, while the population forced to pay fees due to Lord continued to live in a high social disadvantage.

The Napoleonic period saw the emancipation of Calcagnini Alfonsine and in 1814 became the Municipality.

The harsh living conditions led to the gates of the'900, the formation of a side band of criminals, and other associations of a welfare policy and engaged in the struggle to win rights for the lower classes.

It is then put back to a hard test by the outbreak of the troubles of the week red, which is manifested in Alfonsine very violently and the two world wars that followed

During the second world war, and specifically between December 1944 and 10 April 1945, Alfonsine was the scene of bloody clashes between Germans, allies and partisans who fought on the front located on the River Senio. Following the release, the scene was distressing to the destruction of 70% of homes and the disappearance of the old historic center, which was initially heavily bombed by the Allies, and further undermined the Germans before their retreat northward. This is still an important town in the museum that commemorates the battle, the Museum of the Battle of the Senio, the relics, there is an original Bailey bridge used by the Allies during the conflict and examples of artillery and equipment.

The City of Alfonsine is one of the city decorated with the Military Valor for the Liberation War because it was awarded the Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare for the sacrifices of its people and its activities in the partisan struggle during the Second World War.