Battaglia di Legnano
In the Middle Age, one of the most relevant battles that have ever taken place in the Italian territory occurred: the historical battle of Legnano. It is the reason why, every year, the Municipality of Legnano (located in the District of Milan) sets up an incredible historic remembrance, in order to celebrate the famous clash.
Many associations seating in the territory take part into this interesting and peculiar event. Thanks to their participation, like magic, imperial troops, once leaded by the Emperor Frederick the I Hohenstaufen, and the troops once belonged to the Lombardy League, which had been founded to fight Barbarossa’s descent in Italy, come back to life.
It is an interesting historical remembrance of the battle of Legnano, where the many visitors, more and more every year, can attend to all the phases of the clash: from the first moments of the battle, to admire the fierce charges of the cavalry, and to reach, finally, the most moving moment of the entire battle. This is the moment when the scarce and worn-out left strengths of the League, laying at the defence of the Carroccio, in a last ditch effort to resist to impending imperial forces.
Moreover, as the history remembers, despite the clear numerical inferiority of the militias of the League, in the end they won the battle, upholding the defeat of Barbarossa, and becoming, for the centuries to come, an icon of inexpressible value.
Battaglia di Legnano
Festa del Lago di Lecco
As every year, towards the end of June, Lecco, a Lombardy Municipality, enlivens to appraise and celebrate at its best its lake, the absolute protagonist of this traditional festival.
The Lecco Lake Festival, which occurs exactly at the end of June, always shows an interesting and various agenda, a schedule that includes the long-awaited fireworks performance and the blessing of the lake. Amongst the many events that come in succession during the traditional Lecco Lake Festival, has to be remembered also the classic swim cross through the Lake.
Festa del Lago di Lecco foto laprovinciadilecco
Palio degli Zoccoli
The most ancient commemorations of the Battle are dated back to 1277, the same year when, by the Ottone Visconti’s will, on the 21st of January, a public feast day was proclaimed for the entire Municipality of Milan.
The Palio of the Clogs, in its current edition, dates at 1989. In June, every year, an exhibition occurs, in which the eleven neighbourhoods take part – inspired to the guilds that most likely existed at the time in Borgo di Desio, located in the District of Monza e Brianza.
The neighbourhoods form an historic parade, composed by more than five hundreds walkers-on who, wear wonderful historic dresses, go through the town roads. Once the parade ends, the race starts, consisting in a relay race where each neighbourhood is represented by two “contradaioli”, two people from the same contrada and that develops through the alleys that flank the Basilica of the Most Saints Siro and Materno.
The peculiarity of this race lies in the footwear worn by the athletes: wooden clogs worn on bare feet. In fact, the tradition claims that at the time of the Torriani, the population were forbidden to wear wooden clogs, since they were quite noisy and made the wild animals run away, while aristocrats were hunting them.
Festa Del Lago Di Varenna
Varenna is an enchanting location in the District of Lecco, inhabited by little more than seven hundreds inhabitants and overseeing the Lake Como.
The Varenna Lake Festival is also a moving remembrance of an historical event. In fact, it aims to remind the time when the inhabitants of the Comacina Island escaped from the destruction of the island, occurred in 1169, by Barbarossa and his allies from Como.
The inhabitants ran to Varenna, where they were expecting them to give some help. During the entire day, Varenna enlivens with interesting exhibitions that reach their peak with the traditional evening fireworks performance.
