Legnano

Legnano lies on the Olona northwest of Milan. It is remembered for the battle of 29 May 1176, when the Lombard League defeated the army of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The town's castle and the older Cotta stronghold recall its place in the conflicts of the medieval communes.

In the Renaissance, noble families including the Lampugnani and Visconti held influence in Legnano, and new residences enriched the town. The Visconti castle replaced the older Cotta fortress as the principal fortification of the borough. Plague epidemics in 1529 and 1540 severely reduced its population; in 1549 it counted 576 inhabitants in 184 households. The surrounding countryside produced grain, grapes and mulberries, the last used in the raising of silkworms. Livestock and crafts also supported the inhabitants of the Olona valley.