Greco (district of Milan)
Encyclopedia
Greco is a district of Milan
, Italy
, part of the Zone 2
administrative division, located north-east of the city centre. Before being annexed to the city of Milan (in 1923) it was an independent comune
, named Greco Milanese. As "Greco" is the Italian word for Greek, it has been suggested that the name refer to an old Greek settlement in the area; nevertheless, scholars tend to believe that the place was actually named after the Greco family that used to live here (at least until the 12th Century).Dante Olivieri. Dizionario di toponomastica lombarda, Milano, La Famiglia Meneghina Editrice [1931], pagine 280-281, voce "Greco".
The architecture and urban layout of Greco still reveal its origins as a small rural "borgo
". Several old "cascine
" (the typical country house of Lombardy
) are still in place and have been restored to meet modern standards while retaining their original overall style.
times. In the middle ages
Greco was an independent comune; the place is mentioned in Alessandro Manzoni
's The Betrothed
as a small group of cascine
. In 1753, Greco merged with Segnano
. The resulting comune was named "Greco Milanese" in 1863. In 1923 Greco was annexed to Milan along with 12 other comunes. The boundaries of Greco changed over time; the train station of Greco Pirelli, for example, has this name because in 1910, when it was built, it was inside the boundaries of the Greco Milanese comune; nowadays, it is considered part of the Bicocca district rather than the Greco district.
(soprano
) and Adriano Celentano
(actor, singer, showman) were born in Greco.
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, part of the Zone 2
Zone 2 of Milan
The Zone 2 of Milan is one of the 9 administrative zones of Milan, Italy. In the "sunburst" geometry of the zones of Milan, Zone 2 is the slice that connects the centre to the periphery in the north-east direction....
administrative division, located north-east of the city centre. Before being annexed to the city of Milan (in 1923) it was an independent comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
, named Greco Milanese. As "Greco" is the Italian word for Greek, it has been suggested that the name refer to an old Greek settlement in the area; nevertheless, scholars tend to believe that the place was actually named after the Greco family that used to live here (at least until the 12th Century).Dante Olivieri. Dizionario di toponomastica lombarda, Milano, La Famiglia Meneghina Editrice [1931], pagine 280-281, voce "Greco".
The architecture and urban layout of Greco still reveal its origins as a small rural "borgo
Borgo
Borgo is an Italian word , cognate with English borough, German Burg, French bourg, that now usually means the new town outside the walls of an old town...
". Several old "cascine
Cascina
Cascina is a comune in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 60 km west of Florence and about 13 km southeast of Pisa....
" (the typical country house of Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
) are still in place and have been restored to meet modern standards while retaining their original overall style.
History
A settlement in Greco is reported at least since Julius CaesarJulius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
times. In the middle ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Greco was an independent comune; the place is mentioned in Alessandro Manzoni
Alessandro Manzoni
Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Manzoni was an Italian poet and novelist.He is famous for the novel The Betrothed , generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature...
's The Betrothed
The Betrothed
The Betrothed is an Italian historical novel by Alessandro Manzoni, first published in 1827, in three volumes. It has been called the most famous and widely read novel of the Italian language....
as a small group of cascine
Cascina
Cascina is a comune in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 60 km west of Florence and about 13 km southeast of Pisa....
. In 1753, Greco merged with Segnano
Segnano
Segnano is a district of Milan, Italy. It is an area located within Zona 9 of the city....
. The resulting comune was named "Greco Milanese" in 1863. In 1923 Greco was annexed to Milan along with 12 other comunes. The boundaries of Greco changed over time; the train station of Greco Pirelli, for example, has this name because in 1910, when it was built, it was inside the boundaries of the Greco Milanese comune; nowadays, it is considered part of the Bicocca district rather than the Greco district.
Notable people
Clara PetrellaClara Petrella
Clara Petrella was an Italian operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, an outstanding singing-actress nicknamed the "Duse of Singers"....
(soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
) and Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
(actor, singer, showman) were born in Greco.
External links
- http://www.ilponte.it/martesana%202004/cascine.htmlThe rural borgoBorgoBorgo is an Italian word , cognate with English borough, German Burg, French bourg, that now usually means the new town outside the walls of an old town...
of Greco] (in italian)