Trezzo sull'Adda (
Milanes
Milanese (endonym in traditional orthography , ) is the central variety of the Western dialect of the Lombard language spoken in Milan, the rest of its metropolitan city, and the northernmost part of the province of Pavia. Milanese, due to t ...
e: ) is a ''
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' (municipality) in the
Metropolitan City of Milan
The Metropolitan City of Milan (; , ) is a Metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city (not to be confused with the Milan metropolitan area, metropolitan area) in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is the second most populous metropolitan ci ...
in the Italian region
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, located about northeast of
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
on the
Adda River.
The
Naviglio Martesana canal starts from the Adda in Trezzo's territory.
Trezzo sull'Adda borders the following municipalities:
Cornate d'Adda,
Bottanuco,
Capriate San Gervasio,
Busnago,
Grezzago,
Vaprio d'Adda.
Trezzo received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on 8 July 2008.
Main sights
Trezzo's main attraction is the
massive castle which belonged to the
Visconti family in the 14th century. Protected by the Adda on two sides, it had a high square tower on the third one. Its fortified bridge (see
Trezzo sull'Adda Bridge) was long, the longest bridge span for several centuries, built on three different levels, passing over the waters.
Due to its strategic position, the castle was contested first by Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March 115 ...
and
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, in the 12th century, and later by the Visconti and the
Torriani families. The castle was destroyed or burnt several times, but was rebuilt on each occasion. The last reconstruction dates from 1370. It was commissioned by
Bernabò Visconti
Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman who was Lord of Milan. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he ...
, who was later imprisoned there until his death.
On 23 October 1404, the castle was captured by
Paolo Colleoni, father of the important
condottiere
Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...
Bartolomeo Bartolomeo or Bartolommeo is a masculine Italian given name, the Italian equivalent of Bartholomew. Its diminutive form is Baccio. Notable people with the name include:
* Abramo Bartolommeo Massalongo (1824–1860), Italian paleobotanist and ...
. The Visconti general
Francesco Bussone recaptured it, partially demolishing it and starting its decline. In the 19th century it was used as a quarry for the construction of the
Arena di Milano.
In the ''
frazione
A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...
'' of Concesa is the Sanctuary of the Divine Maternity of Mary, built by Cardinal
Cesare Monti from 1641.
Another attraction is ''Villa Gina'', a 17th-century villa built on the Adda with fine terraced gardens. Today it is the seat of the
Adda Nord Regional Park.
Churches and Monasteries
In Trezzo Sull'adda, beyond the
St. Gervaso and Protaso's Provost church, that was built in 1362 but with clear references to the Romanesque style; there are other important places of prayers. In effect there are:
-Cappella dei morti delle cave (The chapel of the Death in the Quarries )
It is considered a consecrated building for locals. During the terrible epidemic of 1629, this place was adapted as a lazaretto to shelter the sick and to bury those who did not recover. This building, now in precarious condition, has a quadrangular chamber, added in 18th century to the smaller and lower original chapel, along with the altar. On the simple façade it is possible to notice some parts of an eighteenth-century fresco representing the death in an allegory of vanitas of worldly goods.
-Abbazia di San Benedetto ( Saint Benedict's abbey )
This place wasn't an enormous convent, but it was only a simple and pretty abbey. Even long centuries of neglect and dereliction did not destroy the original features of this ancient monastic buildings. In fact, it is possible to see them even though rustic buildings were added to the boundary wall and in the interior of the large garden at different times. The chapel of the ancient Benedict's abbey is a nearly quadrangular chamber with two lateral wings like transeat. The romantic relief over the small door is very important.
-Chiesa di San Rocco ( Saint Rocco's Church )
Compared to other churches in Trezzo, that of Saint Rocco overcame all the storms of history, including the urban reshuffle that recently took place around it. Its origin isn't sure and seems is very ancient, its history is very confused. It was founded in 1285. This small church had a lot of transformations due to its various functions: one example is the hospitality of the naked parishioners who died far from the town, who stop waiting the funeral rite in the parish church. It is a small religious building with only one naves.
The power-station Taccani
The new hydro-electric power station in Trezzo, built in order of
Cristoforo Benigno Crespi, owner of the textile factory in Crespi d'Adda, had to become a part of the existing landscape without generating audacious contrasts. For this reason the architect Gaetano Moretti and the engineer Adolfo Covi realized a unique building of its kind which combined technological innovations with a redefined decorative language rich in references to modern style and eclectic architecture. This research itself of the "fine aspect", demonstrate that Taccani Power Station is one of the best efforts combining engineering and architecture, art and technique. It was inaugurated in 1906. Unlike other similar plants, the power station in Trezzo has absolutely specific aspects, for instance the lack of the penstock.
[il fiume e la centrale, 2002, p. 39-43]
Twin towns
Trezzo sull'Adda is
twinned with:
*
Cevo, Italy
References
External links
Official websitePage about the castlePage about monuments in Trezzo
Cities and towns in Lombardy
{{Milan-geo-stub