Monza is a city on the river
LambroThe Lambro is a river of Lombardy, northern Italy, a left tributary of the Po. In Latin its name meant “clear”, although today it is one of the most polluted rivers of Europe....
, a tributary of the
PoThe Po 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...
, in the
LombardyLombardy 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...
region of
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
some 15 km north-northeast of
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
. It is best known for its
Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
circuit, the
Autodromo Nazionale MonzaAutodromo Nazionale Monza is a motorsport race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. It is one of the most historic motor racing circuits in the world.-Overview:...
.
Since June 11, 2004 Monza has officially been designated the capital of the new province of
Monza and BrianzaThe Province of Monza and of Brianza is a province of Lombardy, Italy. It was officially created on May 12, 2004, but became effective with the elections of 6/7 June 2009.It has an area of 363.82 km² and a population of 783,749.The capital and most important commune is...
. This new administrative arrangement will come fully into effect in 2009, and until then it will continue to be treated for many purposes as a
comuneIn Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division of both provinces and regions, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.- Importance and function :...
within the
province of MilanThe Province of Milan is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Milan.It has an area of 1,620 km², and a total population of 3,116,576. There are 139 comuni in the province....
.
Monza is the third-largest city of Lombardy and the most important economic, industrial and administrative centre of the
Brianzathumb|250px|[[Lambro]] River at [[Truggio]] in Brianza.thumb|250px|The [[Corni di Canzo]].Brianza is a geographical area at the foot of the Alps, in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy.It is partly included in the province of Monza and Brianza....
area, supporting a
textileA textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands...
industry and a
publishingPublishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information – the activity of making information available for public view...
trade.
Monza also hosts a Department of the
University of Milan BicoccaThe University of Milan - Bicocca is a university located in Milan, Italy.The University of Milano - Bicocca was officially created in 1998, but did not at that time have an officially nominated teaching staff. Groups of professors and researchers from the same scientific fields chose to come and...
, a Court of Justice and several offices of regional administration.
Monza ParkMonza Park is a large walled park in Monza, Italy. Extending over an area of 688 acres, it is more than three times the size Central Park of New York and is considered larger in total then either Richmond Park in London or Phoenix Park in Dublin. The Villa Reale of Monza is located nearby....
is one of the largest urban parks in Europe.
Population
| Year | Population (Change) | Density |
|---|
| 1861 |
24.499 |
- |
| 1871 |
25.266 (+767) |
- |
| 1881 |
26.807 (+1,541) |
- |
| 1901 |
41.218 (+14,411) |
- |
| 1911 |
51.615 (+10,397) |
- |
| 1921 |
54.617 (+3,003) |
|
| 1931 |
61.516 (+6,899) |
- |
| 1936 |
65.062 (+3,546) |
- |
| 1951 |
73.114 (+8,082) |
- |
| 1961 |
84.445 (+11,331) |
- |
| 1971 |
114.327 (+29,882) |
- |
| 1981 |
123.145 (+8,818) |
- |
| 1991 |
120.651 (-2,494) |
- |
| 2001 |
120.204 (-447) |
- |
| December 31, 2004 |
189.263 (metro area) |
- |
| December 31, 2006 |
121.445 (+1,241 or +1.03%) |
3,676.81/km2 |
Climate
Monza has the typical sub
mediterranean climateA hi Mediterranean climate resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes most of the area with this climate type worldwide...
of the
PoThe Po 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...
valley, with cool, short
winterWinter is the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring.-Meteorology:Meteorological winter is the season having the shortest days and the lowest average temperatures. This corresponds to the months of December, January and February, which have the coldest weather and, especially in the...
s and warm summers; temperatures are very similar to
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
and vary from about 2°C in
JanuaryJanuary is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day...
, the coldest month, to about 23°C in July, the warmest.
Precipitation are abundant, with a slight maximum in
fallAutumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in March or September when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.The equinoxes might be expected to be in the middle of their seasons, but temperature lag Autumn (also known as...
and a slight minimum in
winterWinter is the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring.-Meteorology:Meteorological winter is the season having the shortest days and the lowest average temperatures. This corresponds to the months of December, January and February, which have the coldest weather and, especially in the...
and
summerSummer is one of the four temperate seasons, marked by the time of year with the longest days, and lies between spring and autumn. The seasons are popularly considered to start on different dates in different cultures based on astronomy and regional meteorology. When it is summer in the southern...
; despite this, normally, the area of the city doesn't suffer
droughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
in any season.
Origins in the Bronze Age
Late nineteenth-century finds of
funerary urnsAn urn is a vase, ordinarily covered and without handles, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
show that the human presence in the area dates back at least to the
Bronze AgeThe Bronze Age of a culture is the period when the most advanced metalworking in that culture utilised bronze. This could either have been based on the local smelting of copper and tin from ores, or trading for bronze from production areas elsewhere...
, when people would have lived in settlements of pile dwellings raised above the rivers and marshes.
The Roman period
During the third century BCE the
RomansAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
subdued the
InsubresInsubria is a historical-geographical region which corresponds to the area inhabited in the past by the Insubres, a Celtic people which dwelt in the 4th-5th century B.C. in the area of pre-Alpine lakes and Milan. Polybius claims the Insubres founded the city of Milan around 600 B.C...
,
GaulsThe Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France and Belgium, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
who had crossed the
AlpsThe Alps are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west....
and settled around
MediolanumMediolanum, the ancient Milan, was an important Celtic and then Roman centre of northern Italy. This article charts the history of the city from its settlement by the Insubres around 600 BC, through its conquest by the Romans and its development into a key centre of Western Christianity and capital...
(now Milan). A gallo-celtic tribe, who also seem to have been Insubres, then founded a village on the Lambro, of which the ruins of a bridge remain. Standing in a place where young people practised sports, the bridge was named ‘Arena’ and its remains can be seen near today’s
Ponte dei Leoni (Lions Bridge).
During the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
the town was known as Modicia.
The Lombards
The
LombardThe Lombards were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe who settled in the valley of the Danube and from there invaded Byzantine Italy in 568 under the leadership of Alboin. They established a Kingdom of Italy which lasted until 774, when it was conquered by the Franks...
invasion of Italy was an important event in Monza's history and the Lombard king Autari married
TheodelindaTheodelinda, queen of the Lombards, was the daughter of duke Garibald I of Bavaria.She was married first in 588 to Authari, king of the Lombards, son of king Cleph. Authari died in 590. Theodelinda was allowed to pick Agilulf as her next husband and Authari's successor in 591...
, daughter of the Bavarian ruler
Garibald IGaribald I was Duke of Bavaria from 555 until 591. He stands at the head of the Bavarian Dynasty.After the death of the Merovingian king Theudebald, Theudebald's successor Clotaire I married his widow Waldrada , daughter of the Lombard king Wacho. Clotaire's bishops objected, so he gave Waldrada...
.
The new queen ordered the construction near the River Lambro of an
oraculum, a sort of little church, that today is part of the basilica of Saint John.
Paul the DeaconPaul the Deacon , also known as Paulus Diaconus, Warnefred and Cassinensis, , was a Benedictine monk and historian of the Lombards.-Life:...
, an 8th century historian of the Lombards, tells us about this, writing:
"[...] Theudelinda regina basilicam costruxerat, qui locus supra Mediolanum duodecim milibus abest, [...]" ("Theodelinda built a queen basilica, whose position is twelve miles from Milan"). There is also an important legend that Theodelinda, asleep while her husband was hunting, saw in a dream a dove who told her : "Modo", Latin for "here", in order to say that she should build the oraculum in that place, and the queen answered "etiam", meaning "yes". So from the two words "modo" and "etiam", following the legend, would have derived "Modoetia", the medieval name of Monza.
Subsequent events
In the Middle Ages, the commune of Monza was sometimes independent, sometimes subject to Milan and the
ViscontiVisconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. Two distinct Visconti families are known: 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; the...
.
The first rail road built in North Italy was the Milan and Monza Rail Road opened for service on August 17,1840.
On the evening of 29 July 1900 King
Umberto I of ItalyUmberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death...
was assassinated in Monza by the anarchist
Gaetano BresciGaetano Bresci was an Italian American anarchist who assassinated Italian King Umberto I. He is still considered a hero by many anarchists and republicans...
.
Main sights
In the course of its history Monza withstood thirty-two sieges, but the Porta d'Agrate is all that remains of its original walls and fortifications. Nearby is the nunnery in which the nun of Monza was enclosed in
ManzoniAlessandro Francesco Tommaso Manzoni was an Italian poet and novelist.He is famous for the novel The Betrothed, one of the major works of Italian literature.-Biography:...
's
I Promessi Sposi.
Monza is famous for its
RomanesqueRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe, characterised by semi-circular arches, and evolving into the Gothic style, characterised by pointed arches, beginning in the 12th century...
-
GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Duomo of Saint JohnMonza Cathedral is the main religious building of Monza, near Milan, in northern Italy.-History:According to the legend, the church was commissioned by the Lombard Queen of Italy, Theodelinda. She had made a vow to build a church entitled to St...
. There Theodelinda's centrally-planned Greek-cross
oraculum ("chapel of prayer") of
ca 595 (its foundations remaining under the crossing of
naveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and
transeptFull descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.
For the periodical go to The Transept....
) was enlarged at the close of the 13th century by enclosing the former atrium within the building. The fine black and-white marble arcaded facade was erected in the mid-14th century by Matteo da Campione. The campanile was erected in 1606 to designs by
Pellegrino TibaldiPellegrino Tibaldi, also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini , was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter.-Biography:...
. In the frescoed Chapel of Theodelinda is the
Iron Crown of LombardyThe Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. It is kept in the Cathedral of Monza near Milan.-Antiquity:...
, supposed to contain one of the nails used at the Crucifixion. The treasury also contains the crown, fan and gold comb of Theodelinda, and, as well as Gothic crosses and reliquaries, a golden hen and seven chickens, representing Lombardy and her seven provinces. Though the interior has suffered changes, there is a fine relief by Matteo da Campione representing a royal Lombard coronation, and some 15th-century frescoes with scenes from the life of Theodelinda.
The historical centre also include:
- the church of Santa Maria in Strada, with a rich terra-cotta facade of 1393
- the Broletto or Arengario, the 14th-century palace of the civic commune, raised on an arcade of pointed arches, with a tall square machiolated tower terminating in a sharp central cone.
- the church of San Pietro Martire
- the memorial Cappella Espiatoria, built in 1900 in memory of the assassinated King Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death...
- Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (15ht century)
- Oratory of St. Gregory (17th century)
- church of Santa Maria al Carrobiolo (16th century)
Nearby, the royal villa (
Villa Reale) originally built by
Giuseppe PiermariniGiuseppe Piermarini was an Italian architect who trained with Luigi Vanvitelli at Rome and designed the Teatro alla Scala, Milan , which remains the work by which he is remembered...
in 1777 for the archduke Ferdinand of Austria, lies on the banks of the Lambro, surrounded by
Monza ParkMonza Park is a large walled park in Monza, Italy. Extending over an area of 688 acres, it is more than three times the size Central Park of New York and is considered larger in total then either Richmond Park in London or Phoenix Park in Dublin. The Villa Reale of Monza is located nearby....
, one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe.
Other villas includes the Mirabello, Mirabellino, Durini, Crivelli Mesmer, Prata, Archinto Pennati, Calloni and Carminati.
Theatres and cinemas
- Teatro Manzoni (Manzoni Theatre)
- Teatro Villoresi (Villoresi Theatre)
- Teatro Binario 7 (Binario 7 Theatre)
- Sala San Carlo
- AreaOdeon
Sport
Monza is known internationally for the
Autodromo Nazionale MonzaAutodromo Nazionale Monza is a motorsport race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. It is one of the most historic motor racing circuits in the world.-Overview:...
motor racing circuit, home to the
Italian Grand PrixThe Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
, and previously to the
Alfa RomeoDuring its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries and private...
team. The circuit is inside the "Parco di Monza", a park that is double the size of
New York'sNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
Central ParkCentral Park is a large public, urban park that occupies over a square mile in the heart of Manhattan in New York City. It is host to approximately twenty-five million visitors each year...
.
Monza is also known for the "Villa Reale", a Habsburg family residence built in 1777.
The professional
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
club
A.C. Monza Brianza 1912Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912 is an Italian football club, based in Monza, Lombardy. The club was founded in 1912. Monza currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, having last been in Serie B in 2000...
play, currently in
Serie C1Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
, at the
Stadio BrianteoStadio Brianteo is a multi-purpose stadium in Monza, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of A.C. Monza Brianza 1912. The stadium holds 18,568....
.
In 2006 Monza hosted the
World Cyber GamesThe World Cyber Games is an international e-sports event operated by Korean company and backed by Samsung and, since 2006, Microsoft. The official motto of WCG is "Beyond the Game," which is also the title of a documentary focusing on a legendary WCG rivalry.The World Cyber Games were set up in...
tournament.
In July 2005 and July 2008, Monza hosted the "International Gran Galà Marching Show Bands" at Stadio Brianteo (with the USA band Blue Devils, 11 times WMSB Champion of the World).
Transportation
Monza can be reached through the following motorways: A4-E64 (Turin-Milan-Venice), A52 (North Ring of Milan), A51 (East Ring of Milan). State road (SS.36 - Nuova Valassina) connect the city to
LeccoLecco is city of c. 47,000 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...
and
SondrioSondrio is an Italian town and comune located in the heart of the Valtellina. Sondrio counts approximately 22,600 inhabitants and it is the administrative centre for the Lombard Province of Sondrio.- History :...
. A 2 km long tunnel will be added by around September 2011 and will alleviate traffic problems that are happening in the city.
Every few minutes, trains travel between Monza and Milano via the Suburban Railway (Line S9) and via local trains that connected Monza to Lecco, Como/Chiasso (CH) and Bergamo/Brescia. Also some Eurocity trains stop in Monza. In the beginning of 2008 work will be started for the expansion of
Subway Line MM1The Line 1 was the first subway built in Milano.Works began in 1957, and the first part of Line 1 was opened in 1964 between Sesto Marelli and Lotto.Line 1 is also called Linea Rossa as it is visually identified by red signs....
from Milano/Sesto San Giovanni to Monza Bettola.
Notable people
- Theodelinda
Theodelinda, queen of the Lombards, was the daughter of duke Garibald I of Bavaria.She was married first in 588 to Authari, king of the Lombards, son of king Cleph. Authari died in 590. Theodelinda was allowed to pick Agilulf as her next husband and Authari's successor in 591...
, queen of Lombardy
- Carlo Amati (1776-1852), architect
- Emilio Borsa (1857-1931), painter
- Gerolamo Gaslini (1877-1964), olear industrialist and philanthropists
- Vittorio Brambilla
Vittorio Brambilla was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. His nickname was "The Monza Gorilla".-Career:...
(1937-2001), F1 racer
- Daniele Massaro
Daniele Massaro is a former Italian football forward. He was a member of the Italian squad that won the FIFA World Cup held in Spain in 1982....
(1961), footballer (soccer player)
- Andrea Galbiati"THE WOOD"(1970)World Champion Kickboxing,Professional Boxer
External links