San Donato Milanese
Encyclopedia
San Donato Milanese is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Milan
in the Italian
region Lombardy
, located about 10 km southeast of Milan
.
was founded here by the army of Grimoald I
, Duke of Benevento. After a period under the Milanese family De Advocati, the town was a possession of the archbishops of Milan until the 16th century.
A series of notable abbeys were founded in the area by Bernard of Clairvaux
during the 11th century. Later Frederick Barbarossa resided here after his destruction of Milan
, while the Visconti
and the Torriani fought here (1278) for the possession of the duchy of Milan. The battle of Marignano
was also fought nearby, Francis I of France
setting his headquarters here after the battle.
Today San Donato is a modern industrial and services centre. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on December 30, 1976.
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:...
(municipality) in the Province of Milan
Province of Milan
The Province of Milan : /) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Milan. The provincial territory is highly urbanized, resulting in the third highest population density among the Italian provinces with more than 2,000 inhabitants/km2, just behind the provinces of...
in the Italian
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...
region 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...
, located about 10 km southeast 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 ,...
.
History
Although the area was settled since very ancient times, the origins of San Donato dates back to the 7th century, when a pievePieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
was founded here by the army of Grimoald I
Grimoald I of Benevento
Grimoald I was duke of Benevento and king of the Lombards .Born probably before 610 to Duke Gisulf II of Friuli and the Bavarian princess Ramhilde, daughter of Duke Garibald I of Bavaria, he succeeded his brother Radoald as duke of Benevento...
, Duke of Benevento. After a period under the Milanese family De Advocati, the town was a possession of the archbishops of Milan until the 16th century.
A series of notable abbeys were founded in the area by Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
during the 11th century. Later Frederick Barbarossa resided here after his destruction 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 ,...
, while the Visconti
House of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
and the Torriani fought here (1278) for the possession of the duchy of Milan. The battle of Marignano
Battle of Marignano
The Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...
was also fought nearby, Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
setting his headquarters here after the battle.
Today San Donato is a modern industrial and services centre. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on December 30, 1976.