Piacenza (
Emiliano-Romagnolo:
Piasëinsa, ) is a
city and
comune in the
Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the
province of Piacenza. Modern forms of the name descend from Latin
Placentia. The etymology is long-standing, tracing an origin from the Latin verb,
placere, "to please." In French, and occasionally in English, it is called
Plaisance. The name means a "pleasant abode", or as
James Boswell reported some of the etymologists of his time to have translated it, "comely". This was a name "of good omen."