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Cisalpine

Cisalpine is an adjective meaning "on this side of the Alps," derived from the Latin cis- meaning "on this side" and alpīnus meaning "of the Alps." In geography and history, it designates lands on the Italian side of the Alps.

In ancient Roman usage, the term occurred in forms such as Gallia Cispadana or Cisalpine Gaul, referring

In the late 18th century, during the French Revolutionary period, the Cisalpine Republic was proclaimed in

In contemporary usage, cisalpine generally refers to the Italian side of the Alps in geographic, historical,

See also: Transalpine, Gallia Cispadana, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Po Valley.

to
territories
on
the
northern
side
of
the
Alps
that
lay
within
or
adjacent
to
the
Roman
sphere
of
influence.
Over
time,
Cisalpine
regions
came
to
be
associated
with
parts
of
northern
Italy,
notably
the
Po
Valley
and
surrounding
areas,
as
a
contrast
to
lands
beyond
the
Alps
on
the
other
side
(the
Transalpine
regions).
1797
as
a
client
state
of
the
French
Republic
in
northern
Italy.
It
underwent
constitutional
reorganization,
eventually
becoming
the
Italian
Republic
in
1802
and
then
the
Kingdom
of
Italy
under
Napoleon
from
1805
to
1814.
These
changes
reflected
the
broader
political
realignments
of
the
Napoleonic
era
while
preserving
the
geographic
sense
of
the
term.
ethnographic,
or
linguistic
contexts.
It
is
commonly
contrasted
with
transalpine,
which
denotes
regions
on
the
opposite
side
of
the
Alps.
The
term
remains
primarily
of
historical
and
descriptive
value
rather
than
a
current
administrative
designation.