Province of Varese | ||
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Province | ||
Villa Recalcati, the provincial seat.
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Map highlighting the location of the province of Varese in Italy |
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Country | Italy | |
Region | Lombardy | |
Capital(s) | Varese | |
Comuni | 139 | |
Government | ||
• President | Nicola Gunnar Vincenzi (Democratic Party - Popular Alternative) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 1,198.11 km2 (462.59 sq mi) | |
Population (31 July 2015) | ||
• Total | 889,410 | |
• Density | 740/km2 (1,900/sq mi) | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Postal code | 210xx, 21100 | |
Telephone prefix | 02, 0331, 0332 | |
Vehicle registration | VA | |
ISTAT | 012 |
The province of Varese (Italian: provincia di Varese) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Varese (population of 80,857 inhabitants), but its largest city is Busto Arsizio. The headquarters of the AgustaWestland, the company merged into Leonardo since 2016, the world's largest producer of helicopters, is based in Samarate, a comune of the province. As of 2015, it has a population of 889,410 inhabitants over an area of 1,198.11 square kilometres (462.59 sq mi). The provincial president is Nicola Gunnar Vincenzi.
In Roman times, the fortified settlements of Castelseprio and the port of Angera were of high importance in the region. The House of Visconti conquered the region in the 13th century and completely destroyed Castelseprio. The House of Visconti used the land for agricultural purposes and as part of the territories of Milan. During this Visconti rule, Varese became prosperous due to high levels of trade in the region, but remained small. Prior to his appointment as Duke, Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena lived in the region during the 18th century. While the unification of Italy was initiating, Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi attempted to install anti-Austrians in Varese; in response to this, the Austrians attempted to invade in 1859, and a battle occurred in Varese. Umberto Bossi was born in 1941 near Varese, who believed that the region of Lombardy should have a degree of independence; in 1986, he founded the Lombard League which became a component of the Lega Nord (North League).