Cento

Cento is a town and comune located in the province of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The name derives from the centuriation of the Po Valley, and the settlement evolved from a small fishing village in the marshes during the early second millennium into an established farming community. In 1502, Pope Alexander VI removed Cento from the dominion of the Bishop of Bologna and incorporated it into the dowry of his daughter Lucrezia Borgia upon her betrothal to Duke Alfonso I d'Este. The town was later returned to the Papal States in 1598. The area is home to the Partecipanza Agraria, a unique institution established in the 12th century by the Bishop of Bologna and the Abbot of Nonantola, which redistributed land every twenty years among male heirs of founding families.

The town boasts several significant architectural landmarks. The Rocca, a massive square castle with square towers, was originally built in 1378 by the bishop of Bologna and subsequently enlarged by Giulio della Rovere, the future Pope Julius II, in 1460. Other notable structures include the 18th-century Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, which houses the Civic Gallery featuring works by the renowned local artist Guercino, and the 1502 Palazzo del Governatore, which contains the Galleria d'arte moderna Aroldo Bonzagni. The town also features the 14th-century Porta Pieve, the sole surviving gate of the original four gates. The historic center contains several churches including the Basilica Collegiata San Biagio and the Baroque-style 17th-century Santa Maria Maddalena.