Gallarate

Gallarate
Comune
City of Gallarate
Church of Santa Maria Assunta.
Coat of arms
Gallarate Location of Gallarate in Italy
Coordinates: 45°40′N 8°48′E / 45.667°N 8.800°E / 45.667; 8.800
Country	Italy
Region	Lombardy
Province / Metropolitan city	Varese (VA)
Government
• Mayor	Andrea Cassani
Area
• Total	20 km2 (8 sq mi)
Elevation	238 m (781 ft)
Population (30 November 2014)
• Total	52,857
• Density	2,600/km2 (6,800/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Gallaratesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	21013
Dialing code	0331
Patron saint	St. Cristopher
Saint day	25 July
Website	Official website

Gallarate [ɡallaˈraːte] (Lombard: Galaraa) is a city and comune of Alto Milanese of Lombardy, northern Italy, in the Province of Varese. It has a population of some 53,000. Its name comes from the Latin language, in fact a lot of cities around it have the same root "rate", such as Casorate Sempione, Samarate, etc.

It is the junction of railways to Varese, Laveno and Arona (for the Simplon). Some 10 kilometres (6 miles) to the west are the electric works of Vizzola, where 23,000 hp are derived from the river Ticino. Its territory is crossed by the river Arnetta, and belongs to the Ticino River Natural Park.

The city in the first part of the 19th century had a strong textile industry.

Founded by the Gauls and later conquered by the Romans, Gallarate was mentioned as an important vicus or village in documents dating back to the Roman conquest of what was then called Gallia Cisalpina. After the Carolingian conquet of northern-central Italy, a castle was erected upon the remains of the original Roman fortifications located beside the still existing Basilica of Santa Maria. The castle has disappeared, but its ancient location is identified through the city’s topography and by the street name Via Postcastello.

After the obliteration of Castelseprio by Ottone Visconti in 1287, Gallarate became the capital of the vast Seprio county. During these years, Gallarate saw a period of prosperity and economic growth that would last for the rest of Visconti’s control, until the beginning of French rule two centuries later (1498). Documents in the National Archives refer to Gallarate as an important centre of commercial exchange between both Italian and foreign markets, particularly for cotton, drapes, flax and textiles. Distinguished families such as the Rosnati, Reina, Masera, Palazzi, Macchi, Curioni, Mari and the Guenzati represented the nobility and the merchant classes. This period was also noted as a time of great civic improvement and the beginning of Gallarate as a centre of industrial activity.