Brianza

Lampugnani castle, Sulbiate.
The Corni di Canzo.
Taccani power plant, Trezzo sull'Adda.
Borromeo Palace, Cesano Maderno.
Villa Reale, Monza.
Ferry boat designed by Leonardo da Vinci, Imbersago.
Cascina Rancate, Casatenovo.
Santa Maria Assunta church, Senna Comasco.
San Lorenzo Martire church, Lazzate.
Villa Tittoni Traversi, Desio.
Town hall, Ronco Briantino.
The White Towers, Vimercate.

Brianza (Italian pronunciation: [briˈantsa]) is a geographical, historical and cultural area of Italy, at the foot of the Alps, in the North-West of Lombardy, between Milan and Lake Como.

Geography

Brianza extends from the Canzo area, North of Monza (approximately 14 km from Milan), to the Seveso (river) on the West and to the Adda River on the East. The southern and western parts are mostly flat, while the northern and eastern parts are mountainous.

Brianza encompasses a part of the administrative area of the Province of Monza and Brianza, a part of the administrative area of the province of Lecco, a part of the administrative area of the province of Como and some municipalities of the administrative area of the province of Milan bordering the Province of Monza and Brianza.

The main language spoken in this area is Italian and to a lesser extent a dialect of the Lombard language.

Brianza is densely populated, with approximately 1.372 inhabitants/km², yet remains remarkable fertile for farming. Due to its hilly nature, it is a favorite summer resort for the people of Milan. Its economy includes the production of furniture and tools. The agro-industrial technology and high-tech economies have expanded in recent years.

Geographic boundaries

History

The area of the modern day Brianza was originally settled in the 2nd millennium BC or earlier. In Italian, the lower Brianza is referred to as bassa Brianza and the upper Brianza is alta Brianza.

The Brianza is in the Lombardy region. The Longobards who arrived around the 570s, after the Celtic and the Roman expansion, gave the current name to Lombardy.

The spread of Christianity into the Brianza dates back to the 3rd century, owing much to Saint Ambrose. In the Brianza, St. Augustine of Hippo,(as documented by the Augustine same in his Confessions ), had lived at ‘Rus Cassiciacum’, during the period of its existence after its conversion and just before the baptism at the hands of Bishop Ambrose. In the Middle Ages the Cathars, the Humiliati and the pataria religious movement, rose and fell in several towns of the Brianza. The Franciscans flourished in the Brianza and remain to present day. Most of the Brianza follows the Ambrosian Rite of the Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome.

The Brianza was home to many distinguished figures in poetry, philosophy and history of medicine among them are:

Names

The name "Brianza" may be derived from the Celtic brig ("hill"), or the Latin name Brigantia which originated from some colonies of the Brigantes, or Brigantii, a Celtic sub-tribe of Alps and Prealps that were Romanized and after barbarian invasions emigrated.According to another tradition, when the Celtic leader Bellovesus founded Milan, his chief lieutenant, Brianteo conquered a surrounding geographical area, which was thenceforth named Briantia or Brianza.

Brianteo, Briantea, Briantei, Briantee; Briantina/o, Briantine/i, Brianzuola, Brianzuolo, Brianzuole,Brianzuoli, and Brianzola, Brianzolo, Brianzole, Brianzoli, are terms for the people of the Brianza. Briantitudine is a name that claims the identity of the Brianza with its population and its culture.

References

  1. ↑ (Lambro river)
  2. ↑ (Canale Villoresi)
  3. ↑ (Adda park )
  4. ↑ (Seveso)

Bibliography

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