Merate
Encyclopedia
Merate is a municipality of 14,872 inhabitants in the province of Lecco
, Lombardy
(northern Italy
).
During the fighting between the Torriani and the Visconti families for the supremacy of Milan
, Merate (in particular the castle) suffered considerable damage. It recovered during the 17th century after being decimated by the plague
; finally becoming one of the richest towns of the region, after Lecco
.
At the beginning of the 16th century an academic institute was constructed: at the end of the 18th century the young writer/poet Alessandro Manzoni
studied at this school, and after his death the school took on his name.
After the unification of Italy
Merate grew as an industrial centre with the development of the banking and textile industries. At the end of the 19th century it became one of the first Italian towns to have electricity, gas and piped drinking water.
The interwar period
saw considerable development of the mechanical and textile industries.
In 1926 the astronomical observatory was constructed, and in the same year the municipality was
enlarged, incorporating many neighbouring communities.
Industry continued to increase after the Second World War. The population passed to 9,000 inhabitants in 1951, and is 14,000 today. Merate received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1991.
from Milan
disturbed the activities of the Brera astronomical observatory. However, the idea to construct a new observatory outside the City was not realized until the 1920s with the acquisition of the villa San Rocco: this used to be a Capuchin
monastery before becoming a private villa and then a psychiatric clinic following the First World War.
Today Brianza
is one of the most densely populated regions of Italy
and the light pollution
is considerable. Nonetheless, the observatory is still used for research activities (leader in the production of X-Ray
optics), as well as course- and thesis-work for the students of Milan University.
Province of Lecco
The Province of Lecco is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecco.On 1 January 2001 the province had a population of 311,452 on a surface of 816 km² divided in 90 communes...
, 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...
(northern 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...
).
History
The name Melatum appeared for the first time in the 4th century; it may be derived from the Greek for black/gloomy/dark because of the presence of woods, or from the Italian for apple (mela): an important fruit from the region.During the fighting between the Torriani and the Visconti families for the supremacy 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 ,...
, Merate (in particular the castle) suffered considerable damage. It recovered during the 17th century after being decimated by the plague
Pandemic
A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
; finally becoming one of the richest towns of the region, after Lecco
Lecco
Lecco is a town of c. 47,760 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan, the capital of the province of Lecco. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como...
.
At the beginning of the 16th century an academic institute was constructed: at the end of the 18th century the young writer/poet 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...
studied at this school, and after his death the school took on his name.
After the unification of 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...
Merate grew as an industrial centre with the development of the banking and textile industries. At the end of the 19th century it became one of the first Italian towns to have electricity, gas and piped drinking water.
The interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
saw considerable development of the mechanical and textile industries.
In 1926 the astronomical observatory was constructed, and in the same year the municipality was
enlarged, incorporating many neighbouring communities.
Industry continued to increase after the Second World War. The population passed to 9,000 inhabitants in 1951, and is 14,000 today. Merate received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1991.
Main sights
- Palazzo Prinetti (18th century), with a high cylindrical tower
- Villa Confalonieri (late 19th century)
- Villa Gaslini
- Villa Belvedere
- Villa "Il Mombello"
- Villa "Il Subaglio"
- The Santctuary of Madonna del Bosco (17th century), housing a Deposition by Domenico Campi.
The Astronomical Observatory
Starting from the end 19th century light pollutionLight pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
from 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 ,...
disturbed the activities of the Brera astronomical observatory. However, the idea to construct a new observatory outside the City was not realized until the 1920s with the acquisition of the villa San Rocco: this used to be a Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
monastery before becoming a private villa and then a psychiatric clinic following the First World War.
Today Brianza
Brianza
thumb|250px|The [[Corni di Canzo]].Brianza is a geographical area at the foot of the Alps, in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy.-Geography:...
is one of the most densely populated regions of 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...
and the light pollution
Light pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
is considerable. Nonetheless, the observatory is still used for research activities (leader in the production of X-Ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
optics), as well as course- and thesis-work for the students of Milan University.
Mayors of Merate from 1860 (from municipality website)
- 1860 - 1861 Federico Sala
- 1861 - 1864 Berengario Barbiano di Belgiojoso
- 1864 - 1870 Luigi Prinetti
- 1870 - 1886 Carlo Cornaggia
- 1887 - 1893 Vitale Bianchi
- 1893 - 1899 Antonio Baslini
- 1900 - 1905 Giambattista Colombo
- 1905 - 1920 Carlo Baslini
- 1920 - 1922 Mario Bevilacqua
- 1922 - 1923 Alessandro Tettamanti
- 1924 - 1925 Carlo Baslini
- 1926 - 1943 Carlo Baslini (podestà)
- 1945 - 1946 Gerolamo Bonfanti Palazzi
- 1946 - 1946 Alessandro Tettamanti
- 1946 - 1960 Mario Sala
- 1960 - 1964 Enrico Ferrario
- 1964 - 1975 Luigi Zappa
- 1975 - 1985 Giuseppe Ghezzi
- 1985 - 1990 Giacomo Romerio
- 1990 - 1995 Mario Gallina
- 1995 - 2004 Dario Perego
- 2004 - 2009 Giovanni Battista Albani
- 2009 - .... Andrea Ambrogio Robbiani