Canzo (; , ; locally: ) is a comune (municipality) of the Italian province of Como. It is the last town north of the historical Brianza region of Lombardy, capital of the Lake Como Triangle community and a regional tourism destination.
It has 5,192 citizens and an area of , a density of 445 persons/km2 (1,100/sq mi).
Its history began in the 5th century BC, when it was founded by Celts and Gaulish Insubres. Prehistoric settlements date to the Mesolithic period and the Copper Age. The name of the town comes from the Latin Cantius, itself from the Celtic root meaning edge.A Latin origin has also been suggested in the past, when studies on Celts in southern Europe were less advanced. This holds that "Canz" would come from the cognomen of a man or from the word cantus (chant, song), referring to the abundance of singing birds.For another example of the Celtic root cant, see Kent.
It is known in Lombardy for its mountains, particularly the Corni di CanzoEscursioni e passeggiate nel Triangolo lariano: ai Corni di Canzo . Passolento.it.Il giro dei Corni di Canzo . Rifugi-bivacchi.com.Vie Ferrate. www.vieferrate.it.Foreste di Lombardia . Forestedilombardia.it.La Pinnetta: Triangolo Lariano – Corni di Canzo e Rifugio SEV da VALMADRERA invernale. Lapinnetta.blogspot.com.Trekking Ai Corni Di Canzo (Lc) | Universosport . Universosport.it.:. ERSAF – Ente Regionale per i Servizi all' Agricoltura e alle Foreste:Regione Lombardia .:. Ersaf.lombardia.it.Tourenberichte und Fotos. Hikr.org (10 September 2013).Tennis, ciclismo, sci, nuoto, sport americani: tutte le competizioni e gli sport, i risultati e i live. Come non ne parla nessuno. Outdoorblog.it (5 July 1975).Home. Montagna Forum (27 August 2010).. (Canzo's Horns) and the Cornizzolo.Paragliding Club (www.cornizzolo.com) based in Suello (CO), Cornizzolo Flying Club (www.cornizzolo.it) based in Rovellasca (CO), Cornizzolo Environmental Defence CommitteeCornizzolo Running Trophy, Cornizzolo is "the most famous mountain of High Brianza" (www.altabrianza.org), Cornizzolo's permanent webcam onlineParagliding infos portal. www.airecornizzolo.com.Cornizzolo Coordination Committee. The surroundings are rich in watercourses and springs. Lago del Segrino is a glacial lake fed by underground springs."Lago del Segrino" Official website. Parcolagosegrino.it.Informations portal (with pictures gallery). Lagodelsegrino.com.Segrino Beach . Canzo hosts BIOFERA, one of the main organic farming events in Italy.Biofera Historic site . Biofera.altervista.org. BIOFERA. Biofera.org.Article on. Universofood.net.News and picture gallery by Ecoinformazioni (Ecologic Information). Ecoinformazioni.wordpress.com (22 September 2013).Chamber of Commerce. Calendar of trade fairs and exhibitions in Italy: BIOFERA.
According to a statistic of the major financial newspaper of Italy,Il Sole 24 Ore 2014: Borghi felici/Happy Burgs . Canzo is a leader place of hobbies and security and the 1st borough for social vitality in the Italian mountains.
History
Founding and pre-Christian period
The first settlements were between Cornizzolo, Mount Raj and Segrino Lake. This site remained inhabited until the 1950s, under the later names of Canza and Sitt di Budracch. The later Celtic and first Roman foundation were transferred to the valley under the Corni di Canzo (Canzo's Horns), formed by the course of the river Ravella.
The ancient town was on the right side of this river. The oldest extant streets are: Lunaa (from a Celtic root meaning "swampland" was nearest to the river); Casargh (probably from Casearium, place for production of cheese and milk-derivatives) was where people lived and Sumbich (summum vicum – the elevated camp) was where the Roman cohorts settled.
The presence of Roman soldiers and their integration within the Insubric/Lepontian (partially Orobic) population is still evidenced by toponyms such as Castelmarte ("the Castle of Mars", the Roman god of war) and Martesana (possibly the root of the cult of St. Michael, as in the lazzaretto near to the springs of the river Valett). Evidence of pre-Roman cults is found at mountain sites, including stones dedicated to propitiatory fertility rites and to female divinities of the waters (see water sprite).
4th to 10th centuries
A legend says that the Church of Milan was founded by St. Barnabas. This is commonly rejected by historians (because apparently St. Barnabas never left Cyprus after St. Paul's departure), archaeological proof of a Christian presence in Milan during apostolic times has been found. The conversion of rural areas came after that of the cities: missionaries were sent into the country where they founded religious colleges called pieve that supplied priests and deacons for the countryside.
From the 3rd to the 5th centuries, Christianity was consolidated across Canzo. A church was dedicated to St. Stephen. Another product of this period was widespread veneration of St. Maternus, one of the bishops under whom the area had been converted. During the 3rd century, Bishop Monas organized the diocese.
At this time Canzo probably belonged to Incino's pieve, but later the Curtis Casalensis (or Canzo's Team) confederation was established and retained relative political autonomy throughout the Middle Ages. This pieve or confederation of communes comprised the villages of Caslino, Castelmarte, Proserpio, Eupilio, Longone and some frazioni (hamlets) of the current commune of Erba, with Canzo as its capital.
The Old Town of Canzo preserves the sites of the ancient communal and pieval system: the seat of the governor and of the federal jails were in the street later named Cuntrada dal pretòri; the communal assembly was in a place that gave its name to the Cuntrada dal cuèrc (street of the porch); a fort, later occupied by the Spanish rulers in their first phase, was probably not far from the pretòri, in the street now known as Turèta (little tower street); another tower was on an elevated site looking toward Crann and the little valley in front of it.
The coat of arms of Corte di Casale was similar to others of the zone (such as pieve Vallassina), with diagonal white and red stripes, forming peaks with the top upward and the imperial eagle at the top.
11th to 14th century
During these centuries the rule of Corte di Casale continued. On 27 April 1162, in an act signed in Pavia, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, recognized that the possessions of St. Peter's Abbey (built on the east side of mount Cornizzolo) included some fields in Canzo. Contemporaneous documents attest that other acreages formally belonged to Monza's chapter; one of them was rented by Nicola Prina. Most of the toponyms remained unchanged until modern times, such as Gèpp longh and Ravèl(a). The documents testify to the limitation of the feudal power of the dukes and archbishops of Milan in favour of the communal autonomy of the Corte di Casale, until 1414. This is the reason why this pieve had a different name from the others of western Lombardy: "corte" is the term for a system of families, farms and possessions established from below, rather than a district established by a superior power.
In the 14th century Canzo's history was dominated by the life of the Blessed Mir, a hermit and pilgrim recognized as a saint by the population of Canzo and by those he visited during his travels. He was born in Canzo, in the mountainous frazione of Segunt Alp, to the family of Paredis (meaning relatives), probably a hybrid of Welsh with the local people who settled on Canzo's Horns and still widely present. After the death of his elderly parents, he was educated by an older hermit who lived in the frazione named Scarenna. In Canzo he served as a spiritual father and peacekeeper, living in the mountains near the springs of the River Ravella, where a church was posthumously dedicated to him. He dedicated a long period to a walking pilgrimage in total poverty to Rome, where he is said to have visited the Pope and (possibly) Saint Bridget of Sweden. He then returned to Canzo, passing by the Lomellina region near Pavia, where he worked his first attested miracle, summoning rain by his prayers. He worked the same miracle in Canzo when he started toward the north side of Lake Como (where his mother was born). He died in Sorico, where another church was dedicated to him. He may have belonged to the newborn movement of St. Francis of Assisi.Vicini wrote a hymn whose lyrics are: Nacque Miro nel Trecento / dalla madre sospirato / nel silenzio inviolato / d'un sperduto casolar. / Giovinetto il nostro Santo / al Signor donò la vita; / la rinuncia fu un incanto / e suggello alla virtù... (= Mir was born in the Trecento, / longed for by his mother, / in the virgin silence / of a lonely hamlet. / Even young, our Saint / gave his life to the Lord; / his renunciation was glorious / and a seal of his virtue...).
Renaissance and Spanish rule
On 7 July 1414, Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan, brought the former Corte di Casale under the temporal jurisdiction of the Archbishop, and it ceased to be an autonomous authority. This happened with the consent of the men of Canzo, who swore fidelity to the legitimate Archbishop, Giovanni Visconti and provided him a refuge after he was forced to flee by a pretender to his office. Thus Canzo became the seat of the Archbishop and his court for at least five years.
Canzo's economy had been based on wool weaving, but under its vassalship to the Negronis family, nicknamed "Missaglia", it became the official source of iron for the Duchy of Milan's army, enriching the town. Two schools were established. In this period the commune devised a coat of arms (which had previously used that of the Corte di Casale): a blue field (also found in Prina's coat of arms) with golden stars and hooves for iron transformation, shaped like beehives.
While Leonardo da Vinci was painting The Last Supper in Milan, the artistic wave of the Renaissance was represented in Canzo by wood carver Giovanni da Canzo and his colleagues Giovanni Ambrogio da Longone, Cristoforo da Proserpio and Francesco Vignarca. They were employed in the construction of the pipe organ for the Duomo of Milan. Other wood artists of the former Squadra di Canzo were the Contis from Mariaga and Stefano de Bernardi from Caslino.
The wealth of Lombardy attracted the armies of France and Austria into a lengthy battle there in the late 15th and early 16th century. In this period Niccolò Pelliccione, the Canzese captain of a free company, fought under the sight of Francesco Sforza and Gian Giacomo Medici. In 1526 Canzo was the theatre of a clash between his company and the arquebusiers sent by Antonio de Leyva. After the decisive Battle of Pavia, the Duchy of Milan became a possession of the Habsburgs. Canzo became part of "the empire where the sun never sets" (after the conquest of the Americas). The new rulers did little to improve the economy, instead imposing taxes to support their wars. Spanish soldiers had a base in Canzo. Three tales of rebellion against Spanish rule by Canzo's population have been handed down from this period. One tells about a man who became a hero, Mornerin, whose name is preserved as the name of a street in the Old Town.
18th and 19th centuries