Cenomani

The Cenomani were a Gallic tribe in northern Italy during the late Iron Age and into the Roman era. They were part of the Gauls living north of the Po River, within the broader region known to the Romans as Gallia Cisalpina.

The heart of their territory lay in the Po valley around the city of Brixia (modern Brescia) and, to the east, near Verona and the Adige valley; their land extended at times to parts of the lower Alps and the Garda region in present-day Lombardy and Veneto.

In classical sources they appear alongside other Cisalpine peoples in the context of Roman expansion during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. They were at times allied with Rome and at other times in conflict with neighboring Gaulish groups such as the Insubres.

Following military defeats and political realignments, the Cenomani were eventually incorporated into the Roman state, with their lands organized as part of the provinces of Cisalpine Gaul and later integrated into Roman Italy. The city of Brescia (Brixia) became a major center in their territory; Verona and other urban centers also show evidence of Romanization from the late Republic onward.

Cultural characteristics were Gaulish in origin, with typical hill forts and fortifications; their social structure, religion, and language were Gaulish-Celtic, as indicated by limited inscriptions and Roman accounts. The name “Cenomani” survives in ancient geography and in the toponymy of northern Italy.