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History of Cuggiono

Notworthy dates in the history of Cuggiono

The list below chronicles the highpoints of the history of the village of Cuggiono.

• The name of the town, Cuggiono, is of Celtic origin and means "village near a forest," due to the fact that, in ancient times, the area was covered with dense forest.
• The very first historical artifacts pertinent to Cuggiono consist of a Roman necropolis that dates to 222 BC, when the area was under the Roman Empire, as part of the Cisalpine Gaul. The necropolis was found in the area between Cuggiono and Castelletto di Cuggiono.
• Sixth Century, AD - The very first village of Cuggiono is founded.
• Eleventh Century, AD - Cuggiono becomes a feud of the Crivelli family, nobles that ruled the area.
• 26th November, 1185 - Umberto Crivelli becomes the 172nd Pope, with the name Urban III. He will eventually die on October 19th, 1187 and is buried in the Cathedral of Ferrara.
• Thirteen Century, AD - The old Church dedicated to the virgin Mary is built in Cuggiono (that church no longer exists).
• Fifteen Century, AD - the Renaissance: Cuggiono first comes under the control of the Visconti family, and then passes to control of the Sforza family.
• 1544 - The first wooden bridge on the Naviglio canal is built. The Naviglio canal stems from the Ticino River, and was dug to allow for the transportation of goods into the city of Milano by using barges. The locks, now used on most canals across the world, including the Panama Canal, were invented by Leonardo da Vinci during the construction of the Naviglio Grande canal.
• 1575 - The wooden bridge is replaced with a stone bridge, still standing after several renovations the last of which was recently concluded.
• 1606 - Beginning of the construction of the St. George Basilica (San Giorgio di Martire), which is still in use today as the main church in Cuggiono.
• 1633 - Inauguration of the St. George Basilica. The first Arch-priest of Cuggiono (Archipretto) was father Melchiorre Galizia.
• 1661 - Beginning of the construction of what today is the Parish House of Castelletto, then a friar's convent.
• 1664 - The families Clerici and Piantanida become the heads of the community of Cuggiono.
• 1713 - After the treaty of Utrecht begins the Austrian domination of the region, and Cuggiono becomes a border territory with the kingdom of Savoy.
• 1758 - The Marquis Antonio G. Clerici donates the body of St. Benedict to the city of Cuggiono. St. Benedict's body is now preserved in the Basilica of Cuggiono.
• 1780 - The cemetery of Cuggiono is built on the site of an earlier leprosarium.
• 1796 - The French invade the region and found the Cisalpine Republic. Franz Margharita, from Cuggiono, will take part in the military campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• 1809 - Construction of Villa Annoni - now a city park and historical building.
• 1814 - The Austrian empire defeats the French and regains control of the area.
• 1825 - Construction of the first Hospital in Cuggiono, mostly with money bequeathed by Benedetto Gualdoni and Gertrude Beolchi.
• 1853 - In Milano begins the revolutionary uprising against the Austro-Hungarian empire. Brothers Luigi and Camillo Piazza from Cuggiono take part in the insurrection, but they will be captured and hung to death on February 8th, 1853.
• 1859 - Volunteers from Cuggiono take part in the second Independence War, with the "Cacciatory delle Alpi" (Alpine Hunter) brigade of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
• June 4th, 1859 - The Battle of Magenta. It is said that the order to charge on the French was given from the bell tower of Cuggiono. The color Magenta takes its name from this battle, due to the amount of blood that was spilled.
• September 11th, 1859 - Annexation of Cuggiono to the Kingdom of Italy.
• 1860 - Giuseppe Garibaldi undertakes his famous expedition of 1000 to unify Italy - Franz Margarita from Cuggiono is part of it.
• 1880 - Inauguration of the railroad between Cuggiono and Milano, then known as the 'Gamba de Legn' (literally translated from the local dialect as 'wooden peg leg,' due to the slow pace of the early trains).
• 1899 - the Electric Power Plant of Castelletto is inaugurated, as well as the first textile firm. Industrialization has reached Cuggiono.
• Twentieth Century - at the turn of the twentieth century the emigration from Cuggiono to the USA reaches its peak.
• 1915-1918 - First World War: Cuggiono has its share of fallen soldiers, with about 600 soldiers from Cuggiono dying during the War.
• 1922 - The beginning of the Fascist era brings a many clashes, often bloody, to Cuggiono.
• 1940 - Beginning of the Second World War - the death toll for Cuggiono will be similar to the that of the First World War, with about 600 deceased.
• 1943 - Beginning of the Resistance against the Fascists and the German Occupation.
• 1944 - In order to punish the local resistance to the Fascists and the Germans, the Fascists capture and execute Carlo Berra and Giovanni Gualdoni, both from Cuggiono.
• 1945 - Giovanni Rossetti also becomes a victim of the German invaders.
• April 26th, 1945 - Cuggiono and its surroundings are liberated from the German invaders, and on April 30th the American liberation forces arrive in Cuggiono.
• 1945 - the first Mayor of Cuggiono after the Liberation is elected, Dr. Angelo Pagani.

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