Hebrew-English Guide to Soncino

THE HISTORY OF SONCINO 5 THE HISTORY OF SONCINO The village of Soncino rises in the middle of the Lombardia valley, on the right side of the river Oglio, which divides it from the nearby Province of Brescia. This specific strategic position of Soncino has always attracted the powers of the time: the Republic of Venice and the Dukedom of Mi- lan. With the 10th century Hungarian incursions, the fortification process of Soncino started, but it was towards the end of the XV century that the village found its strongest military connotation. On 18th June 1118 the municipality of Cremona bought the castle, the curia and the court of Soncino from Gisalbertini Counts of Ber- gamo. The first tower, the ancient core of the Palazzo Comunale, was erected in 1128. During the long lordship of Buoso Da Dovara (1247- 1266) two important episodes occurred: the conquest of the nearby fortress of Orzinuovi and the capture of Ezzelino III da Romano, im- prisoned in 1259 in the tower of Soncino.