Robbiate (Brianzöö: Rubiàa) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Lecco in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Milan and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Lecco. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 5,333 and an area of 4.7 square kilometres (1.8 sq mi).[3]

Robbiate
Rubiàa (Lombard)
Comune di Robbiate
Coat of arms of Robbiate
Location of Robbiate
Map
Robbiate is located in Italy
Robbiate
Robbiate
Location of Robbiate in Italy
Robbiate is located in Lombardy
Robbiate
Robbiate
Robbiate (Lombardy)
Coordinates: 45°41′N 9°26′E / 45.683°N 9.433°E / 45.683; 9.433
CountryItaly
RegionLombardy
ProvinceProvince of Lecco (LC)
Area
 • Total4.7 km2 (1.8 sq mi)
Population
 (Dec. 2004)[2]
 • Total5,333
 • Density1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
DemonymRobbiatesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
23899
Dialing code039
WebsiteOfficial website

Robbiate borders the following municipalities: Calusco d'Adda, Imbersago, Merate, Paderno d'Adda, Ronco Briantino, Verderio Inferiore, Verderio Superiore, Villa d'Adda.

History edit

The history of Robbiate may have ancient origins, dating back to pre-Roman times. The name Robbiate is first mentioned in 966.[4] Being a small provincial town, its destiny has always been connected with the fate of various peoples that dominated in a given historical period, in particular the Franks and Lombards.

In the Middle Ages, Robbiate was a fiefdom, either under the direct control of the nobility or under the control of church authorities.

 
The view from Mount Robbio in Robbiate

In the 13th century, it became part of the Duchy of Milan and followed its fate under French and Spanish rule until the end of the 18th century, when it became part of the Kingdom of Lombardo-Veneto.

After the Risorgimento and the outbreak of the wars of independence, Robbiate became part of the Kingdom of Italy, in the province of Como, district of Lecco, and consequently in the Republic of Italy in the province of Como. Since 1992 Robbiate is a town in the province of Lecco.

Origins of the name edit

The origins of the municipality's name are not certain, but there are several hypotheses:

  • Like many other toponyms of Brianza, Robbiate refers to the group of municipalities containing the adjectival suffix -ate of Latin origin, which usually indicates belonging to a person or geographic element. The German philologist Gerhard Rohlfs argued that the name may have been derived from the Latin nomen gentilicium of Rubius with the addition of the suffix -ate.[4]
  • According to Italian philologist Dante Olivieri, the etymon may have originated from the name of the hill under which the municipality stands, Mount Robbio, which may have the meaning of "red mountain" due to the red colour of the clay soil (rubeus, in Latin).[5][6]
  • Another version of an Italian cartographer Attilio Zuccagni-Orlandini and a philologist Francesco Cherubini is the etymology may have dated back to the Orobians,[6] an ancient pre-Roman population that settled in the area between the Ticino and Oglio rivers.[7][8]

However, there are no remains or documents attesting to the Orobic or Roman presence.

Demographic evolution edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.
  4. ^ a b "bartesaghi-verderio-storia". bartesaghiverderiostoria.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  5. ^ Olivieri, Dante (2001). Dizionario di toponomastica lombarda (in Italian). Lampi di stampa. p. 290. ISBN 978-88-488-0119-5.
  6. ^ a b Annalisa, Borghese (1992). Robbiate, in Il territorio lariano e i suoi comuni (in Italian). Milan: Editoriale del Drago. p. 380.
  7. ^ Zuccagni-Orlandini, Attilio (1844). "Corografia fisica, storica e statistica dell'Italia e delle sue isole". p. 76.
  8. ^ Cherubini, Francesco (1843). Vocabolario milanese-italiano (in Italian). Vol. IV (R-Z). Regia stamperia.

External links edit