Parabiago

Infobox CityIT
img_coa =parabiago-Stemma.gif
img_coa_small = yes
official_name = Comune di Parabiago
name =Parabiago
region = Lombardy
province = Milan (MI)
elevation_m = 184
area_total_km2 = 14.16
population_as_of = 2007-12-31
population_total = 25.530
population_density_km2 = 1692
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|45|33|N|08|57|E
frazioni = Ravello, San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence), Villastanza, Villapia
telephone = 0331
postalcode = 20015
gentilic = Parabiaghesi
saint = St. Gervasius and Protasius
day = june 19
mayor =Olindo Bruno Garavaglia
website = [http://www.comune.parabiago.mi.it/ www.comune.parabiago.mi.it]
mapx =45.55
mapy = 8.95

Parabiago is a town of 25.530 inhabitants, in the province of Milan (Lombardy, Italy).

The "communal maintown" is situated between the Sempione National Street (SS 33) and the Milan-Gallarate-Domodossola Railway; in Parabiago flows the Olona river and the Villoresi channel. It's called "The Shoes Town", because in its territory are some shoes factories.

Its gentilic in italian is "parabiaghese" in male and female singular forms, and "parabiaghesi" in male and female plurar last ones; in english it's translatable like "parabiaguese" for singular forms and "parabiagueses" for plural forms. But it's different in local insubric dialect, because is "parabiaghës" or "parabiagœs" for male singular form, "parabiaghësa" or "parabiagœsa" for female singular form, and "parabiaghës" or "parabiagœs" for the two plural forms.

History

Ancient history and Middle Ages

Parabiago has ancestral origins: starting from the first celtic-insubrian settlement, it developed during the Roman Empire rule, as documented by various archaeological descoveries of little objects, as the famous "Parabiago Patera", a wonder silver plate probably used to cover an ashes urn.

In the Early Middle Ages, Parabiago was chief town of a parish ("pieve") and of an autonomus county, named "Comitatus Parabiagi" and sometimes "Burgaria", governed by the "Sanbonifacio" family, a frank descent coming from Verona; in the 7th century, its importance took the lombard Queen Theodelinda, to give a little artificial stream, named "Riale" or "Röngia", which took water from the Olona river and traveled through the village: that stream lasted until the 1928, when it was definitively stilted up.

During the Late Middle Ages, the town was the set of some lombardian events. The Truce of Parabiago, happened between august 28 and 29 1257, was the introduction of the Pace di Sant'Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose's Peace, because it was signed in the homonymous Basilica in Milan) and it put an end to the risk of a civil war between nobles and people in the "Commune of Milan". In February 21 1339, there was the Battle of Parabiago between Lodrisio Visconti, with his army named "Compagnia di San Giorgio" ("Saint George's Company"), and Lodrisio with his nephew Azzone, for the dominius in the Duchy of Milan; the Battle was won by milanese regular army, with the miraculous Saint Ambrose's apparition.During this time, the "Crivelli" family inheredited from the "Sanbonifacio" family the "County of Parabiago", perhaps still corresponding with the "Burgaria County".

In the following centuries Parabiago had a slow decline, in fact it suffered two pillages, in 1449 by Francesco Sforza and in 1527 by Bourbons of Spain, as well as two epidemics (in 1529 and in 1540).

Early Modern

During Spanish rule in Duchy of Milan, the Marquess Camillo Castelli bought the "Fief of Parabiago" for 8800 liras (September 26 1658); his descendants ending in 1783, when the Cardinal Giuseppe, the last of the "Castelli family", died.

Parabiago had a further development in the 18th century, during the austrian rule. In this century was born an important intarnational artist, Giuseppe Maggiolini, mentioned has "Maestro d'Intarsio" (carver master); in fact he was a great furniture-maker and the first neoclassical cabinet-maker in Europe. In the same period existing the "Cavalleri College", a famous school for young milanese nobles, founded by Father Claudio Cavalleri and his brother Filippo. Between 18th and 19th centuries, the parabiaguese medical Giuseppe Giannini operating and writing medical essays.

Between 19th and 20th centuries the Industrial Revolution got in Parabiago. The most active industrialists was in texile Felice Gajo, the creator of the "Unione Manifatture di Parabiago" ("United Manifacturing of Parabiago"), and in shoes making Paolo Castelnuovo who founded in 1899 the first shoe factory in the town, still as know as "Città della Calzatura" ("Shoes City").

20th century

In 1960s the Economic Boom was followed by a Demographic Boom in Parabiago like other cities and towns in Northern Italy. The Industrialization catched on, the little artigianal shoemakers grew middle and big shoe factories, chemical and maccanical industries borned, and the Parabiago's population upgraded with the immigration from Southern Italy. In November 27 1985 the town taking the title of City.

In early 1990s with the rinnovation of the "Piano Regolatore Generale" (urbanistic plane) the Majority of the Town Council formed by "D.C." (Christian Democracy), "P.S.I." (Italian Socialist Party) and "P.R.I." (Italian Republican Party), was carried by the Tangentopoli scandal and some important local politicians was arrested.

Bibliography of Parabiago

*"Storia di Parabiago, vicende e sviluppi dalle origini ad oggi", (History of Parabiago) Father Marco Ceriani - 1948, Un. Tipografica di Milano"
*"Uomini e cose di Parabiago", (Men and things from Parabiago) Prof. Egidio Gianazza - 1990, Comune di Parabiago"
*" [http://comune.parabiago.mi.it/parabiago/citta/agenda21_site/ambiente/RSA2.pdf Ipotesi di definizione del paesaggio dell’altomilanese in epoca imperiale romana] " (Hipothesis about the Alto Milanese lands during Roman Empire)- in Italian - , Raul Dal Santo e Matteo Dolci - 2006, Comune di Parabiago"