Vaiano Valle
Encyclopedia
Vaiano Valle is a rural district ("quartiere
") of Milan
, Italy
, part of the Zone 5 administrative division. It is located south of the city's urban area
, within the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano
nature reserve. Before 1869, it was an autonomous comune
.
Once a rural town, Vaiano Valle depopulated in the 20th century, and it is now one of the most degraded rural areas within Milan. Romani nomad
s have settled in several slum
s in the area, and have often had frictions with the local population as well as the city authorities. The district is also plagued with environmental problems, such as ubiquitous, illegal rubbish dumps
, and high crime rates.
s, Vajano was included in the pieve of San Donato Milanese
.
Under Napoleonic rule, Vajano was briefly annexed to Milan, but regained its autonomy with the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1859 its name was changed to "Vaiano" and then to "Vaiano Valle" in 1862. In the 1860s, Vaiano Valle had a population of about 260; this small community lived on agriculture and farming (producing wheat
, maize
, rice
, mulberries, milk
, and cheese
). In 1869 it was annexed to the nearby comune of Vigentino
, which in turn became part of Milan in 1923.
Quartiere
A quartiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word is from quarto, or fourth, and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods. The English word "quarter" to mean a neighborhood A quartiere (plural: quartieri) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The...
") of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, part of the Zone 5 administrative division. It is located south of the city's urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
, within the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano
Parco Agricolo Sud Milano
Parco Agricolo Sud Milano is a park in Milan, Italy.Since 1990 Milan is surrounded by the regional Parco Agricolo Sud Milano which forms a half-circle around the south of the city connecting the Ticino Park in the west and Adda Park in the east...
nature reserve. Before 1869, it was an autonomous comune
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:...
.
Once a rural town, Vaiano Valle depopulated in the 20th century, and it is now one of the most degraded rural areas within Milan. Romani nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
s have settled in several slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s in the area, and have often had frictions with the local population as well as the city authorities. The district is also plagued with environmental problems, such as ubiquitous, illegal rubbish dumps
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
, and high crime rates.
History
The oldest known reference to Vaiano Valle (then "Vajano") dates back to 1346. When the Milanese was partitioned into pievePieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
s, Vajano was included in the pieve of San Donato Milanese
San Donato Milanese
San Donato Milanese is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 10 km southeast of Milan.-History:...
.
Under Napoleonic rule, Vajano was briefly annexed to Milan, but regained its autonomy with the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1859 its name was changed to "Vaiano" and then to "Vaiano Valle" in 1862. In the 1860s, Vaiano Valle had a population of about 260; this small community lived on agriculture and farming (producing wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, mulberries, milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
). In 1869 it was annexed to the nearby comune of Vigentino
Vigentino
Vigentino is a district of Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 5 administrative division, located south of the city centre. Before 1923, Vigentino was an autonomous, rural comune...
, which in turn became part of Milan in 1923.