CJ Ferriere

Population:

337883

Map:

Montgo_Massif

Game Version:

• Cities XXL 2015

I’m glad to finally present you this project, my biggest city so far and the first CJ since 2015 (that time using the profile of President of Echa as a part of CoXL). I started with this in March 2018 and after more than 400 hours invested, the city is not even close to be finished, and only God knows when/if I will complete it, so I made this first stage which comprends the city center north of the river.

But before beginning, I want to thank you all, administrators or the site, modders and those who with their comments have helped me to improve the city.

DESCRIPTION
There were many changes from the conception of the idea to the final result, and even during the process I have redesigned some area from scratch, demolishing entire blocks to open an avenue and so on.

But in essence, Ferriere is a mid-size city with mainly Spanish and Italian influences ((though I've use the German pack for the modern areas due it size and roof colour), especially from Barcelona and Turin, following the scheme of a typical walled city with a later planned expansion in the XIX century, where boulevards, tree-lined streets and compact blocks are the common rule.

There are also a good number of French buildings, which could be explained by the closeness and influence of this country, and a brief period of occupation.

Finally, I decided to locate the city in Italy, specifically in the Piedmont region, and name it after Ferriere in Piacenza, the town where my bisnono was born and lived before he moved to Argentina.

And now, the city...


HISTORY

The first known settlement in the area was a Gaul oppidum located in a meander on the south bank of the Ada river, in the territories that Romans called Gallia Cisalpina, and then became part of Gallia Cispadana (the portion south of the Po River) after the Republic conquered these lands in the late III c. BC.

The romans settlers began to populate the north side and by the 205 BC they founded a castrum called Castra Ferrarum on the largest of the seven hills near the meander. This is the date indicated by historians as the foundation of the city.

In the next decades the population increased considerably, following the Republic’s expansion, and the construction of public buildings began, as well as the fortifications around the village.

It is believed that the roman settlement reached its peak between Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul and the beginning of The Principate. After that, there aren’t significant mentions of Castra Ferrarum until the late 4th Century, when a second wall was built.

Like many other cities in Italy, Ferrarum declined after the Fall of Rome, but it remained as an important mining center, and during the Franks dominance in the North it started a growth process that continued for the next three centuries until the town became the free city-state of Ferriere in 1082.

But this called the attention of more powerful neighbours like Milano, Genoa and Savoy, who tried to annex it to their possessions, and finally was the later Duchy (and then Kingdom of Sardinia) the one that could retain the control over the city and its territories since the XV century to the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, with short periods under French rule in the middle.

The name of the city refers to the iron mines nearby and the fame achieved by blacksmiths since the time of the Gaul settlement. Along its history, Ferriere was called “Little Rome” due its placement on seven hills and by the river and the “Invicta” because its walls were never crossed by an invading army (at least by force).


This isn't a finished city. This stage comprends the area between the river and the highway, the train track on the West and that avenue on the East where the mall is.

Spoiler: Overviews

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DISTRICTS
The city (a comune) is divided into districts (municipi) for both electoral and administrative purposes and these are made up of neighborhoods (quartieri).


Cittá Vecchia

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Centro - Nord, Est & Ovest

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TRANSPORTATION

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Spoiler: Avenues

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PARKS, LEISURE & LANDMARKS


Santa Maria's basilica and the old town hall

San Giovanni's cathedral and a section of the old wall


San Pietro's church

L'Anfiteatro Mall and the teather. Crossing the street from the mall, there's the Hotel Imperiale.


Galleria Floresta, built to resemble the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano, is still the largest mall in the city after more than a hundred years.


A recycled 19th century prison. The five blocks were destined for shops, offices and departments, the latter very popular among the students due to the proximity to the University, while other annex buildings were demolished to make way for green spaces.


Monte Sacro


Villa Savoia

Spoiler: Parks and plazas

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Spoiler: Sports

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Spoiler: Services

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Street & Night pictures

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Watch the Discussion section for more explanations and news about the project's development. You can also give me your suggestions and advices to improve the city.

One last picture...

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Ok, that's all for now. Thanks for you visit.