Castellanza

Castellanza is a town and comune in the province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy, situated near Milan. The name "Castellanza" refers to defensive territorial units centered around castles in the historical county of Seprio. The Olona river divides the town into two main boroughs: Castellanza proper and Castegnate. The town is known for its private University Carlo Cattaneo (LIUC), founded in 1991, and the Church of San Giulio, located in Paolo VI Square. As of 2019, the population was approximately 14,516. Since the late 19th century, Castellanza has been a significant industrial center in the province of Varese, which is home to 23,000 manufacturing and craft industries exporting over 30% of their products globally. Castellanza was granted the honorary title of city by presidential decree on January 4, 1974. Its coat of arms features a tower symbolizing Castellanza and a chestnut tree representing Castegnate; it originally had two crowns but was later simplified to one. Notable landmarks include the Enzo Pagani Museum of Modern Art, which has been closed since 2013 due to funding issues, and the Brambilla-Carminati Palace, built in 1789, housing the town hall. The local football club, USD Castellanzese, founded in 1921, plays at the Giovanni Provasi municipal stadium. Prominent figures include Marco Simone, an international footballer and coach. The town has several schools, including public and private primary schools, a secondary school named after Leonardo da Vinci, and a foreign language high school, Enrico Fermi. Administratively, Castellanza has been led by various mayors since 1972, with Fabrizio ...