PIACENZA is a city of Italy, in the duchy of Parma, in E. Long. 10. 25. N. Lat. 45. It is a large handsome city, whose name is derived from its pleasant situation, in a fruitful plain, on the Via Aemilia, about half a mile from the Po. It is the see of a bishop suffragan of Bologna, and has a university, but Piacenza, of no great fame. It is defended by a wall and a strong citadel, and is reckoned about three miles in circumference, so that it is somewhat bigger than Parma. The houses are low, but prettily built; the great street called the Stradone is in a direct line and of equal breadth, with a foot-way fenced with posts on each side like London, and is about 3000 feet long. The houses are generally built of brick, and some of them are prettily painted. The cathedral is an old structure, but well adorned within. The duke of Parma, who is sovereign of Piacenza, has a palace in the city built by Vignola. There are many excellent paintings in this place. There are two chapels painted, one with the history of St. Catharine, and the other with a picture of Christ, as also the altar of the church of St. Augustin, all by Perdonone. In the same church there is a fine picture of the blessed virgin, St Peter, and St Paul, by Paolo Veronese. At the Capuchins there is a Francis by Guercino. There is a fountain said to have been erected here by Julius Caesar, and the equestrian statues of the famous general Alexander I. duke of Parma and Placentia, and of his son Ranuccio, both in the great square. In the palace of Scotti, there are a great many fine pictures by Lanfranco, who had been a page in their family, and among the rest the rape of Helen, the taking of Troy, the blessed virgin, and St Francis. The trade of this city consists chiefly in their cheese, as at Parma, these cities being surrounded with the richest pasture grounds in Italy; though the greatest part of what we call the Parmesan cheese is made in the duchy of Milan, and particularly at Lodi. See Parmesan Cheese.—Without the walls, which are washed by the rivers Trebbia and Po, there is a large seminary or college, magnificently erected by cardinal Alberoni, a native of this city, but considerably hurt by the modern Goths in the last war. Towards the north of the city is the mouth of the river Trebbia, famous for the victory which Hannibal obtained over the Romans.