Legnano
Encyclopedia
Legnano is an Italian town and comune
with 59.147 inhabitants in the province of Milan
, about 20 km (12 mi) from Milan.
It's crossed by the river Olona
, and it's the 13th town for inhabitants in Lombardy
.
Thanks to the historic Battle of Legnano
, Legnano is the only town, in addition to Rome, named in the Italian national anthem. Every year Legnanesi remember this battle with the Palio delle contrade.
. The ground is mainly composed of pebbles, gravel, sand and clay. It was once covered by a thin layer of humus, unsuitable for the gowing of woods, so it was mostly heathland.
ic center, conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC.
In the Middle Ages, Legnano was the location of the battle
in which Emperor Frederick I was defeated by the Lombard League
(1176).
From 1820 to 1915, with the introduction of numerous textile and mechanical companies, the town grew from an agricultural to an industrial center. Most of the textile industries closed in the 1960s: today the services sector is the most thriving one.
by Goffredo Mameli
.
"Legnano" is a famous brand of lightweight racing bicycles, named for the city in which they were produced. Notably, celebrated racers Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi rode Legnano bicycles.
The fashion house Dolce & Gabbana
has its administrative offices in Legnano.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
with 59.147 inhabitants in the province of Milan
Province of Milan
The Province of Milan : /) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Milan. The provincial territory is highly urbanized, resulting in the third highest population density among the Italian provinces with more than 2,000 inhabitants/km2, just behind the provinces of...
, about 20 km (12 mi) from Milan.
It's crossed by the river Olona
Olona
The Olona is a 71 km long Italian river, which runs through the provinces of Varese and Milan.The Olona has more than one source; in fact it has six main springs...
, and it's the 13th town for inhabitants in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
.
Thanks to the historic Battle of Legnano
Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was fought on May 29, 1176, between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the Lombard League.-The Lombard League:...
, Legnano is the only town, in addition to Rome, named in the Italian national anthem. Every year Legnanesi remember this battle with the Palio delle contrade.
Territory
Legnano is situated along the river OlonaOlona
The Olona is a 71 km long Italian river, which runs through the provinces of Varese and Milan.The Olona has more than one source; in fact it has six main springs...
. The ground is mainly composed of pebbles, gravel, sand and clay. It was once covered by a thin layer of humus, unsuitable for the gowing of woods, so it was mostly heathland.
History
The most ancient proofs a settlement in Legnano dates to pre-historic times, to the so-called Culture of Remedello (21st-19th centuries BC). Later it was a CeltCelt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic center, conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC.
In the Middle Ages, Legnano was the location of the battle
Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was fought on May 29, 1176, between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the Lombard League.-The Lombard League:...
in which Emperor Frederick I was defeated by the Lombard League
Lombard League
The Lombard League was an alliance formed around 1167, which at its apex included most of the cities of northern Italy , including, among others, Crema, Cremona, Mantua, Piacenza, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Genoa, Bologna, Padua, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Treviso, Venice, Vercelli, Vicenza, Verona,...
(1176).
From 1820 to 1915, with the introduction of numerous textile and mechanical companies, the town grew from an agricultural to an industrial center. Most of the textile industries closed in the 1960s: today the services sector is the most thriving one.
Main sights
- The Basilica of San Magno (early 16th century), designed by Giovanni Antonio AmadeoGiovanni Antonio Amadeothumb|260px|The Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo.Giovanni Antonio Amadeo was an Italian early Renaissance sculptor, architect, and engineer....
or one of his followers. The interior, on the Greek cross plan, contains an altar by Bernardino LuiniBernardino LuiniBernardino Luini was a North Italian painter from Leonardo's circle. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he was described to have taken "as much from Leonardo as his native roots enabled him to comprehend". Consequently many of his works were...
which it is said to have been begun by Bramante or, more likely, by Amadeo or Antonio da Lonate. - Church of Sant'Ambrogio, known from 1389. It was rebuilt in the 17th century.
- Castle, enlarged by the Torriani re-using a former convent. Later it was owned by the Lampugnani family.
- The monument to Alberto da GiussanoAlberto da GiussanoAlberto da Giussano was an Italian legendary Guelph warrior during the wars of the Lombard League against Frederick Barbarossa in the 12th century...
in the Piazza Monumento (1900).
Famous people
- Gianfranco FerréGianfranco FerrèGianfranco Ferré was a fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design....
, fashion designer. - Il Marchese, professional wrestler.
- Francesco Coco, footballer.
- Antonella Clerici, television host and journalist.
Sports
| Club | Sport | Founded | League |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.C. Legnano A.C. Legnano Associazione Calcio Legnano was an Italian football club, based in Legnano, Lombardy, that was founded in 1913. The team's colors were lilac and white. In the past Legnano have played three seasons in Italy's top league; Serie A, finishing bottom of the league each time.The club were perhaps best... |
Football Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
1913 | Serie C1/A |
| Legnano Basket Knights | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
1966 | Serie B2 |
| Frogs Legnano | American Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
1977 | Serie A |
| Atletica Legnano | Track & Field | ? | FIDAL Fidal Fidal is a French business law firm with over 1200 lawyers, and one of the top 100 largest law firms by revenue.... |
| Baseball Softball Club Legnano | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... and Softball Softball Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand... |
1950 | Serie A1 (softball); Serie C1 (baseball) |
Culture
Together with Rome, Legnano is the only other city mentioned in the Italian national anthemIl Canto degli Italiani
Il Canto degli Italiani is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as Inno di Mameli , after the author of the lyrics, or Fratelli d'Italia , from its opening line...
by Goffredo Mameli
Goffredo Mameli
Goffredo Mameli was an Italian patriot, poet and writer, and a notable figure in the Italian Risorgimento. He is also the author of the lyrics of the current Italian national anthem.-Biography:...
.
"Legnano" is a famous brand of lightweight racing bicycles, named for the city in which they were produced. Notably, celebrated racers Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi rode Legnano bicycles.
The fashion house Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
has its administrative offices in Legnano.