Alto Milanese | |
|---|---|
 Alto Milanese in the area of Origgio | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Lombardy |
| Area | |
| • Total | 235 km2 (91 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 700,000 (2,007) |
| Time zones | UTC+1 |
| UTC+2 | |
| Northwestern part of the Metropolitan City of Milan, southern part of the province of Varese and some municipalities in the southwestern part of the province of Como | |
The term Alto Milanese (Alt Milanes in Lombard), also called Altomilanese, is used to refer to the territory of Lombardy that includes the northwestern part of the metropolitan city of Milan, the southern part of the province of Varese and some municipalities in the southwestern part of the province of Como. It largely corresponds with one of the Italian provinces planned in the past: the province of Seprio.[1] The Alto Milanese can be divided into four zones having their respective major cities as their main centers: the Bustese, Legnanese, Gallaratese and Saronnese. The major rivers of the Alto Milanese are the Olona and the Ticino, while among the noteworthy streams are the Arno, the Tenore, the Bozzente, the Lura, the Rile, and the Strona.
The core of the Alto Milanese consists of the Olona conurbation, i.e. the urban area including, from north to south, the cities of Gallarate, Busto Arsizio, and Legnano.[2][3] Alto Milanese, which is one of the most industrialized and densely populated areas in Italy, has a population of about 700,000 inhabitants spread over an area of 235 square kilometers.[4] The primary communication network consists of the Autostrada dei laghi (A8 Milan-Varese, A9 Lainate-Como-Chiasso and A26 Gallarate-Gattico branch road), Sempione state road 33, state road 233 Varesina, from state road 527 Bustese, and from the Domodossola-Milan, Luino-Gallarate and Gallarate-Varese railway lines (operated by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) and the Saronno-Novara line with its Sacconago-Malpensa Aeroporto branch line (operated by Ferrovienord).
The territory, which features waterways and a temperate climate, was the scene of the development of settlements since ancient times. During the Early Middle Ages, the Alto Milanese was divided between the counties of Seprio (with the capital Castelseprio) and Burgaria (probably linked to Parabiago), two counties dependent on the march of Lombardy; between the 13th and 15th centuries, with the dissolution and disappearance of the two counties, the Alto Milanese began to distinguish itself as an area of influence of Busto Arsizio, Legnano and Gallarate. In the Late Middle Ages the Alto Milanese was the scene of the Battle of Legnano and the Battle of Parabiago. The Alto Milanese is home to the western Lombard dialect, a local variant of the Lombard language, a Romance language derived from Latin having Celtic substratum and Lombardic superstratum.
Noteworthy among the events organized in the Alto Milanese are the Palio di Legnano and the Busto Arsizio Film Festival. The Palio di Legnano is a traditional festival that has been held annually in Legnano since 1935 to commemorate the battle of the same name where a historical parade and a horse race among Legnano's eight historic contrade (districts) find their place, closing the event. The Busto Arsizio Film Festival is a film festival of national importance whose goals are to promote high-quality Italian productions. Sports competitions held in the Alto Milanese include the Campaccio and Cinque Mulini cross-country races (both included in the World Athletics Cross Country Permit international circuit), the Coppa Bernocchi bicycle race, which is part of the Trittico Lombardo, and the San Giorgio su Legnano chess tournament. The Alto Milanese was home to the 2006 European Cross Country Championships and the 2012 European Fencing Championships, with the former being held in San Giorgio su Legnano and the latter in Legnano. Originating in the Alto Milanese area are bruscitti, a main course made from finely chopped beef cooked long.