Sabbioneta, Italy

Italy-25, originally uploaded by Abhishek's Received Postcards.

Sabbioneta is a town in Lombardy, northern Italy, in the province of Mantua, about 30 km north of Parma, not far from the northern bank of the Po River. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008.

Sabbioneta was founded by Vespasiano I Gonzaga in the late 16th century along the ancient Roman Via Vitelliana, on a sandy bank of the Po (whence the name, meaning "Sandy" in Italian; he was its first duke, using it as a personal fortress and residence. It was also during this period that it became a minor musical centre; composers such as Benedetto Pallavicino were employed here by Vespasiano Gonzaga, prior to his moving to the main Gonzaga city of Mantua.
The town is also known for its historic Jewish Ghetto and Synagogue, and in particular for its Hebrew printing-press. In 1567 Tobias Foa set up the press; he had, however, published certain "anti-Christian books" and his career was "forcibly ended". His work and possibly his type were taken up by a Christian printer, Vicenzo Conte.