Lambrate
Encyclopedia
Lambrate is a district ("quartiere
") of Milan
, Italy
, located within the Zone 3 administrative division, 6 km north-east of the city centre. It owes its name to the Lambro
river that traverses the area. Lambrate houses one the major railway station of north-eastern Milan, the Stazione di Milano Lambrate. The district is also well known for Parco Lambro, a large urban park established in 1934. The famous Lambretta
motor scooter was manufactured in Lambrate, and named after this district.
vicus
. The Romans conquered the area in 222 BC, after a long siege of Milan (then Mediolanum), where Romans fought against the local Insubres
and Boii
as well as their ally Hannibal. Pliny the Elder
mentions mansio ad Lambrus (Lambrate) in his Naturalis historia
as a supply station; it is also likely that Lambrate served as a river port for Mediolanum. The Romans largely developed the area, both for agricolture and for navigation on the Po River
basin. Finds of the old Roman settlement of Lambrate, including a marble sarcophagus
, have been revealed in 1905 and are now exposed at the Sforza Castle museum. The small chapel in the centre of Lambrate was supposedly one of the first places of Christian worship in the area.
In the 8th and 9th Century, two monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict
were built in Lambrate. In 1162, when Milan was demolished by Frederick I Barbarossa
, Lambrate was proclaimed an "imperial borgo"; many Milanese refugees found a new home here.
During Spanish rule (in the 16th Century), a war factory called "Polveriera" was built in Lambrate, which played a major role in the development of the area. The Spanish transformed Lambrate into a feif, a condition that lasted until Lombardy fell under the Napoleonic Empire, when Lambrate became a free comune
. A few decades later, Lambrate was annexed to Milan by the French viceroy.
In 1816, during the Austrian rule, Lambrate was again an autonomous comune, to be annexed to Milan once again in 1923. In the first half of the 20th Century, the Martinitt
corporation was based in Lambrate.
After World War II, the Innocenti
machine factory began producing in Lambrate the famous motorcycle Lambretta
, that owes its name to Lambrate.
rather than Christian origin). The history of the chapel is entertwined with the lives of Saints Charles Borromeo
and Federico Borromeo
. According to Alessandro Manzoni
's scholars, an implicit reference to the chapel is found in The Betrothed
when the main character Renzo Tramaglino travels from Milan to Trezzo d'Adda.
During World War II, on 13th August 1943, the chapel was hit by a bomb that knocked down part of the roof and landed on the altaer, without exploding; an event that the local population saluted as a miracle.
Quartiere
A quartiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word is from quarto, or fourth, and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods. The English word "quarter" to mean a neighborhood A quartiere (plural: quartieri) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The...
") of Milan
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...
, located within the Zone 3 administrative division, 6 km north-east of the city centre. It owes its name to the Lambro
Lambro
For the river in Cilento, see Lambro . For the genus, see Lambro .The Lambro is a river of Lombardy, northern Italy, a left tributary of the Po....
river that traverses the area. Lambrate houses one the major railway station of north-eastern Milan, the Stazione di Milano Lambrate. The district is also well known for Parco Lambro, a large urban park established in 1934. The famous Lambretta
Lambretta
Lambretta can refer to:* Lambretta, a petrol-powered scooter made by Innocenti* Lambretta , a clothing brand* Lambretta , a Swedish rock band* The Lambrettas, a British mod revival band...
motor scooter was manufactured in Lambrate, and named after this district.
History
Lambrate originated as a RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
vicus
Vicus (Rome)
In ancient Rome, the vicus was a neighborhood. During the Republican era, the four regiones of the city of Rome were subdivided into vici. In the 1st century BC, Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into 14 regions, comprising 265 vici. Each vicus had its own board of...
. The Romans conquered the area in 222 BC, after a long siege of Milan (then Mediolanum), where Romans fought against the local Insubres
Insubres
The Insubres were a Gaulish population settled in Insubria, in what is now Lombardy . They were the founders of Milan . Though ethnically Celtic at the time of Roman conquest , they were most likely the result of the fusion of pre-existing Ligurian, Celtic and "Italic" population strata with Gaulish...
and Boii
Boii
The Boii were one of the most prominent ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul , Pannonia , in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul...
as well as their ally Hannibal. Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
mentions mansio ad Lambrus (Lambrate) in his Naturalis historia
Naturalis historia
For Naturalis historia, the natural history by Pliny the Elder see Natural History .For Historia naturalis palmarum by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius see Historia naturalis palmarum....
as a supply station; it is also likely that Lambrate served as a river port for Mediolanum. The Romans largely developed the area, both for agricolture and for navigation on the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
basin. Finds of the old Roman settlement of Lambrate, including a marble sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
, have been revealed in 1905 and are now exposed at the Sforza Castle museum. The small chapel in the centre of Lambrate was supposedly one of the first places of Christian worship in the area.
In the 8th and 9th Century, two monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
were built in Lambrate. In 1162, when Milan was demolished by Frederick I Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
, Lambrate was proclaimed an "imperial borgo"; many Milanese refugees found a new home here.
During Spanish rule (in the 16th Century), a war factory called "Polveriera" was built in Lambrate, which played a major role in the development of the area. The Spanish transformed Lambrate into a feif, a condition that lasted until Lombardy fell under the Napoleonic Empire, when Lambrate became a free 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:...
. A few decades later, Lambrate was annexed to Milan by the French viceroy.
In 1816, during the Austrian rule, Lambrate was again an autonomous comune, to be annexed to Milan once again in 1923. In the first half of the 20th Century, the Martinitt
Martinitt
The name Martinitt refers to a historical boy orphanage of Milan, Italy, that was established in the 16th Century, now part of Pio Albergo Trivulzio, a public Milanese institution that provides aid to needy orphans, elders and other people experiencing social difficulties. The name comes from...
corporation was based in Lambrate.
After World War II, the Innocenti
Innocenti
Innocenti was an Italian machinery works originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920.After World War II, the company was famous for many years for Lambretta scooters models such as LI125, LI150, TV175, TV200, SX125, SX150, SX200, GP125, GP150 and GP200.From 1961 to 1976 Innocenti built...
machine factory began producing in Lambrate the famous motorcycle Lambretta
Lambretta
Lambretta can refer to:* Lambretta, a petrol-powered scooter made by Innocenti* Lambretta , a clothing brand* Lambretta , a Swedish rock band* The Lambrettas, a British mod revival band...
, that owes its name to Lambrate.
The Chapel
One of the prominent monuments of Lambrate is the old chapel located in the centre of the district, at the corner of via Bertolazzi and via Dardanoni, which existed since Roman times (possibly having a paganPaganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
rather than Christian origin). The history of the chapel is entertwined with the lives of Saints Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo was the cardinal archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He was a leading figure during the Counter-Reformation and was responsible for significant reforms in the Catholic Church, including the founding of seminaries for the education of priests...
and Federico Borromeo
Federico Borromeo
Federico Borromeo was an Italian ecclesiastic, cardinal and archbishop of Milan.-Biography:Federico Borromeo was born in Milan as the second son of Giulio Cesare Borromeo, Count of Arona, and Margherita Trivulzio...
. According to 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 scholars, an implicit reference to the chapel is found in 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....
when the main character Renzo Tramaglino travels from Milan to Trezzo d'Adda.
During World War II, on 13th August 1943, the chapel was hit by a bomb that knocked down part of the roof and landed on the altaer, without exploding; an event that the local population saluted as a miracle.
Related topics
- LambrettaLambrettaLambretta can refer to:* Lambretta, a petrol-powered scooter made by Innocenti* Lambretta , a clothing brand* Lambretta , a Swedish rock band* The Lambrettas, a British mod revival band...
- Parco Lambro
- MartinittMartinittThe name Martinitt refers to a historical boy orphanage of Milan, Italy, that was established in the 16th Century, now part of Pio Albergo Trivulzio, a public Milanese institution that provides aid to needy orphans, elders and other people experiencing social difficulties. The name comes from...
- Stazione di Milano Lambrate