Legnano | ||
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Comune | ||
Comune di Legnano | ||
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Legnano within the Province of Milan |
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Location of Legnano in Italy | ||
Coordinates: 45°36′N 08°55′E / 45.600°N 8.917°ECoordinates: 45°36′N 08°55′E / 45.600°N 8.917°E | ||
Country | Italy | |
Region | Lombardy | |
Province / Metropolitan city | Milan (MI) | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Alberto Centinaio (PD) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 17 km2 (7 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 199 m (653 ft) | |
Population (1 January 2015) | ||
• Total | 60,451 | |
• Density | 3,600/km2 (9,200/sq mi) | |
Demonym(s) | Legnanesi | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Postal code | 20025 | |
Dialing code | 0331 | |
Patron saint | St. Magnus | |
Saint day | November 5 | |
Website | Official website |
Legnano [leɲˈɲaːno] (Lombard: Legnan) is an Italian town and comune with 60,313 inhabitants in the north-westernmost part of the Metropolitan City of Milan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from central Milan. It is crossed by the River Olona, and it is the 13th town for inhabitants in Lombardy.
Thanks to the historic Battle of Legnano, Legnano is the only town, in addition to Rome, named in the Italian national anthem. Every year Legnanesi remember this battle with the Palio di Legnano.
Legnano is along the River Olona. The ground is mainly composed of pebbles, gravel, sand and clay. It was once covered by a thin layer of humus, unsuitable for the growing of woods, so it was mostly heathland.
The most ancient proofs a settlement in Legnano dates to pre-historic times, to the so-called Remedello culture (21st–19th centuries BC). Later it was a Celtic centre, conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC.
In the Middle Ages, Legnano was the location of the battle in which Emperor Frederick I was defeated by the Lombard League (1176).
From 1820 to 1915, with the introduction of numerous textile and mechanical companies, the town grew from an agricultural to an industrial centre. Most of the textile industries closed in the 1960s: today the services sector is the most thriving one.
The town is served by Legnano railway station.
Together with Rome, Legnano is the only other city mentioned in the Italian national anthem by Goffredo Mameli.