Brianza (, ) is a geographical, historical and cultural area of Italy, at the foot of the Alps, in the northwest of

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

, between

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

and

Lake Como Lake Como ( , ) also known as Lario, is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the third-largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. At over deep, it is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. ...

Geography

Brianza extends from the

Canzo Canzo (; , ; Canzés, locally: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of the Italian province of Como. It is the last town north of the historical Brianza region of Lombardy, capital of the Lake Como Triangle community and a regional tourism destinat ...

area, North of

Monza Monza (, ; ; , locally ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the Lambro, River Lambro, a tributary of the Po (river), River Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the province of Mo ...

(approximately 14 km from

), to the Seveso River on the West and to the

Adda River The Adda (Latin: *Abdua*, or *Addua*; Lombard: *Ada*, or *Adda*) is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po near Castelnuovo Boc ...

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 The province of Monza and Brianza (; ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Description It was officially created by splitting the north-eastern part from the province of Milan on 12 May 2004, and became executive ...

, a part of the administrative area of the

Province of Lecco The province of Lecco (; Lecchese: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecco. As of 2017, the province had a population of 337,211 on a surface of divided into 85 ''comuni'' (: ''com ...

, a part of the administrative area of the

Province of Como The province of Como (; Comasco dialect, Comasco: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It borders the Switzerland, Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grisons, Grigioni to the north, the Italian provinces of Province of ...

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 The Lombard language (,Classical Milanese orthography, and . ,Ticino, Ticinese orthography. Modern Western orthography and Classical Cremish Orthography. or ,Eastern Lombard, Eastern unified orthography. depending on the orthography; pronuncia ...

. Brianza is densely populated, with approximately 1.372 inhabitants/km², yet remains remarkably fertile for farming. Due to its hilly nature, it is a favorite summer resort for the people of

. Its economy includes the production of furniture and

tools A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ...

. The agro-industrial technology and high-tech economies have expanded in recent years.

Geographic boundaries

*To the northeast: hills and valleys from Lake

Garlate Garlate ( Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about south of Lecco. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,630 and an area of .All de ...

, up to the beginning the

Lambro The Lambro ( or ''Lambar'' ) is a river of Lombardy, northern Italy, a left tributary of the Po. The Lambro rises from the Monte San Primo, elevation , near the Ghisallo, in the province of Como, not far from Lake Como. After Magreglio it fl ...

River on Monte San Primo. To the northwest: hills surrounding the source of the Lambro back down to

Tavernerio Tavernerio ( Comasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about east of Como. Tavernerio borders the following municipalities: Albese con Cassano, Como, F ...

(which is above Lake

Montorfano Montorfano (English: "orphan hill"; Brianzöö: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Como, part of Lombardy, in northern Italy. It is situated about south of Como, which is at the southern tip of Lake Como, c. north of Milan. It has a ...

), continue along the line

Lipomo Lipomo ( Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about southeast of Como. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 5,758 and an area of .All demo ...

Capiago Intimiano Capiago Intimiano ( Comasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about southeast of Como. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 5,196 and an area of ...

Senna Comasco Senna Comasco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about south of Como. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,995 and an area of .All demographics and o ...

Casnate con Bernate Casnate con Bernate (Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, about north of Milan and about south of Como. As of 1 January 2010, it had a population of 4,908 and an area of .All ...

and end where the Seveso River takes its source on Sasso di Cavallasca. *Southern borders: beginning of

Limbiate Limbiate ( ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan. As of 2016, it had a population of 35.279. By decree of the President of the Republic on 26 March 2018 ...

, the municipalities along the Canale Villoresi to its confluence in the Adda River. *Eastern borders: the Adda, after the lakes of Garlate and Olginate, which receives the waters of the Canale Villoresi. *Western borders: the Seveso River from its source on Sasso di Cavallasca to

Paderno Dugnano Paderno Dugnano ( Milanese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Milan, in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is bounded by ''comuni'' of Senago, Limbiate, Varedo, Cusano Milanino, Cormano, Nova Milanese, Bollate, Novate Milane ...

where it crosses the Canale Villoresi, and the ''Oltreseveso'' ("beyond the Seveso") consisting of the municipalities of

Cermenate Cermenate (Brianzöö: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about south of Como. Cermenate borders the following municipalities: Bregnano, Cantù, Cari ...

Lazzate Lazzate is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan. Lazzate borders the following municipalities: Bregnano, Cermenate, Lentate sul Seveso, Rovellasca, Misi ...

Misinto Misinto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan. Misinto borders the following municipalities: Lentate sul Seveso, Lazzate, Rovellasca, Rovello Po ...

Cogliate Cogliate (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Monza and Brianza in the Italian region Lombardy, located northwest of Milan. Cogliate borders the following municipalities: Lentate sul Seveso, Rovello Porro, Misinto, Barlass ...

, Ceriano Laghetto, Solaro and Limbiate.

History

The area of the modern day Brianza was originally settled in the

2nd millennium BC File:2nd millennium BC montage.jpg, 400x400px, From top left clockwise: Hammurabi, Babylonian king, best known for his Code of Hammurabi, code of laws; The gold Mask of Tutankhamun, funerary mask of Tutankhamun has become a symbol of ancient Egypt ...

or even earlier. Brianza is in

, the region named after the

Longobards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and 796) t ...

, who arrived around the 570s, after the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

and the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

expansion. The spread of Christianity in Brianza dates back to the 3rd century, owing much to

Saint Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

. There, St.

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

(as documented by himself in his '' Confessions'') had lived at ''Rus Cassiciacum'' (now Cassago), during the period after his conversion and just before his baptism by Bishop Ambrose. In the Middle Ages the

Cathars Catharism ( ; from the , "the pure ones") was a Christian quasi- dualist and pseudo-Gnostic movement which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. Denounced as a he ...

, the

Humiliati The Humiliati (Italian ) were an Italian religious order of men formed probably in the 12th century. It was suppressed by a papal bull in 1571 though an associated order of women continued into the 20th century. Origin The origin of the order of ...

and the

Pataria The ''pataria'' was an eleventh-century Catholic movement focused on the city of Milan in northern Italy, which aimed to reform the clergy and ecclesiastic government within the city and its ecclesiastical province, in support of papal sanctions ...

religious movement rose and fell in several towns of Brianza. The Franciscans flourished instead and remain to the present day. Most of the region follows the

Ambrosian Rite The Ambrosian Rite () is a Latin liturgical rites, Latin liturgical rite of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church (specifically The Divine Liturgy of Saint Ambrose). The ritual family, rite is named after Ambrose, Saint Ambrose, a b ...

of the Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. Brianza was home to many distinguished figures in poetry, philosophy and history of medicine among them are: *

Cesare Cantù Cesare Cantù (; December 5, 1804March 11, 1895) was an Italians, Italian historian, writer, archivist and politician. An immensely prolific writer, Cantù was one of Italy's best-known and most important Romanticism, Romantic scholars. Biograph ...

Piero Corti Piero Corti (16 September 1925 – 20 April 2003) was an Italian doctor who chose to work in a hospital in Uganda for most of his life. Childhood between war and illnesses Piero Corti, whose real name was Pietro, was born in Besana in Brianza ...

* Luigi Giussani *

Giuseppe Parini Giuseppe Parini (23 May 1729 – 15 August 1799) was an Italian satirist and Neoclassicism, Neoclassical poet. Biography Parini (originally spelled Parino) was born in Bosisio Parini, Bosisio (later renamed Bosisio Parini in his honour) in Brianz ...

Giovanni Battista Scalabrini Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, CS (8 July 1839 – 1 June 1905) was an Italian Catholic Church, Catholic missionary who served as Roman Catholic Diocese of Piacenza–Bobbio, Bishop of Piacenza from 1876 unti ...

Alberto da Giussano Alberto da Giussano (in Lombard ''Albert de Giussan'', in Latin ''Albertus de Gluxano'') is a legendary character of the 12th century who would have participated, as a protagonist, in the battle of Legnano on 29 May 1176. In reality, according ...

Aribert, Archbishop of Milan Aribert (or Heribert) (Italian: ''Ariberto da Intimiano'', Lombard: ''Aribert de Intimian'') ( Intimiano, between 970 and 980 – Milan, 16 January 1045) was the archbishop of Milan from 1018, a quarrelsome warrior-bishop in an age in which su ...

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

Filippo Turati Filippo Turati (; 26 November 1857 – 29 March 1932) was an Italian sociologist, criminologist, poet and socialist politician. Early life Born in Canzo, province of Como, he graduated in law at the University of Bologna in 1877, and particip ...

Andrea Dell'Orto Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that ref ...

* Simona Brambilla *

Sergio Sala Sergio "Gigi" Sala (born 11 January 1958 in Casatenovo) is an Italian former semi-professional footballer and climber. Early life and education Sergio Sala was born 1958 in Casatenovo. Career Sala started his playing career at San Giorgio, a ...

Names

In Italian, lower Brianza is referred to as and upper Brianza is . The name ''Brianza'' may be derived from the

word ("hill"), or the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

name which originated from some colonies of the

Brigantes The Brigantes were Ancient Britons who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England. Their territory, often referred to as Brigantia, was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire. The Greek geog ...

, or Brigantii, a Celtic sub-tribe of Alps and Prealps that were Romanized and after the Barbarian invasions emigrated. According to another tradition, when the Celtic leader

Bellovesus Bellovesus (Gaulish: 'Worthy of Power') is a legendary Gallic chief of the Bituriges, said to have lived ca. 600 BC. According to a legend recounted by Livy, the king Ambigatus sent his sister's sons Bellovesus and Segovesus in search of new la ...

founded Milan, his chief lieutenant Brianteo conquered a surrounding geographical area, which was thenceforth named ''Briantia'' or ''Brianza''. ''Brianteo''/''Briantea''/''Briantei''/''Briantee'', ''Briantino''/''Briantina''/''Briantini''/''Briantine'', and ''Brianz(u)olo''/''Brianz(u)ola''/''Brianz(u)oli''/''Brianz(u)ole'' are all 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

Bibliography

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Sardini, Milano, 1974 * Casiraghi L., Brianza Romana, Grafica Salvioni SNC, Renate, 1992 * Cattaneo C. - Notizie naturali e civili sulla Lombardia - Milano, 1844 * Cattaneo P., Brianza. Un mondo che cambia,Cattaneo Ed.,Oggiono, 1998 * Cedro A., ''et al.'' - Brianza e Lecchese, dimore rurali - Jaca Book, Milano, 1985 * Cherubini F,Vocabolario milanese-italiano, Milano, Imperial Regia Stamperia, 1856, 4 vol. (rist. anast. Milano, Martello, 1968 ) . * Chambers I., Migrancy, Culture, Identity, Routledge, London, 1994. * Cons. Com. 1994–1998 : provincia... della Brianza....; C.Lissone, archivio. * Cormio L. - La Civica Siloteca Cormio. Istituto sperimentale del legno - "Milano", Milano, 1942. * Copeta C., Realtà sociali e paesaggio simbolico, Unicopli, Milano, 1990. * Dal Re M. - Ville di delizia o siano palagi camperecci dello Stato di Milano - 1743, (ried. a cura di F. P. Bagatti Valsecchi, Milano, 1963) * Di Giacomo F, analisi di due linee evolutive del cromosoma Y in Eurasia occidentale", Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”, 2005 * Diocesi Milano e studi di storia locale della chiesa Milanese. Tessere per un mosaico, Ubaldo Valentini e B. Malusardi eds, San Giuliano Milanese, 1983. * Doranlo R. E., « La Civitas des Lexovii et ses abornements », dans Revue des études anciennes, 1932 * Fabi M. - "Grande illustrazione del Lombardo-Veneto", Milano, 1858 * Ferrarini G., A. Stadiotti A., M. Stadiotti M., Seregno: un paese, la sua storia, la sua anima – Telesio editrice – Carnate 1999. * Fossati D. - La Valle del Lambro da Carate a Monza - Tesi di laurea, Istituto di Geologia Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, 1983 * Girino E,Dizionario di finanza. Tecniche, strumenti,IPSOA ED, 2005 * Giulini A. "Architettura e storia lombarda", 1917 * Gualdoni F.,Dal premio alla Pinacoteca, Casa Editrice Silvana Editoriale, Cinisello Balsamo, 2000 * Kraatz,. et Al, "Merletti", A. Mondadori editore Mi, 1988 * Ingegnoli V., ''et al.'' - Dinamica storica del territorio milanese, nei suoi rapporti con la struttura fluviale - Atti del convegno sulla tutela della natura e i parchi fluviali, Italia Nostra, Milano, 1971 * Linneo C., Instructio peregrinatoris, in Amoenitates Accademicae, Leida 1760 * LoC Class :Lombard Street : a description of the money market, by Walter Bagehot; 2003 * Lose F., C.- Viaggio pittorico nei monti di Brianza corredato di alcuni cenni storico-statistici, diviso in 24 vedute disegnate, incise e dipinte in acqua tinta da Federico e Carolina Lose, Milano, 1823 (ried. 1959 ) * M. Mauri, D.F. Ronzoni. Ville della Brianza. Ediz. italiana e inglese vol. 2. Missaglia, Bellavite. 2004. . * M. Mauri, D.F. Ronzoni. Ville della Brianza. Ediz. italiana e inglese vol. 1. 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Gallery

File:Duomo Monza.jpg,

File:Vimercate Piazza Castellana.jpg,

Vimercate Vimercate (; , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Monza and Brianza, in the Italian region of Lombardy. It is from Milan and from Monza. Its name (whose first finding dates back to the year 745) derives from the Latin ''Vicus ...

File:Merate4.JPG,

Merate Merate (; Brianzöö: ) is a municipality of 15.020 inhabitants in the province of Lecco, in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is served by Cernusco-Merate railway station. History The name ''Melatum'' appeared for the first time ...

File:Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Agliate (Italy).JPG, (Agliate, Carate Brianza) File:Erba-Chiesa Santa Eufemia.jpg,

Erba, Lombardy Erba (previously Erba-Incino, as it was formed by the union of these two places, together with some smaller districts) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of some 16,000 inhabitants in the Province of Como in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy. It is lo ...

File:Montorfano.JPG,

File:Piazza garibaldi cantù.jpg,

Cantù Cantù (; Brianzöö: ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Como, located at the center of the Brianza zone in Lombardy. It is the second largest city in Brianza. History The name could stem from that of the Canturigi, a population of I ...

{{Coord missing, Italy