Ronchetto sul Naviglio
Ronchetto sul Naviglio is a district ("quartiere") of Milan, Italy, part of the Zone 6 administrative division of the city. Before being annexed to Milan (in 1923), it has been an autonomous comune until 1870, and a frazione of Buccinasco between 1870 and 1923.
Ronchetto sul Naviglio | |
|---|---|
Quartiere of Milan | |
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | Lombardy |
| Province | Milan |
| Comune | Milan |
| Zone | 6 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Ronchetto is probably named after an ancient cascina (farmhouse) by that name; in turn, the name of the cascina is derived from the Lombard word ronch, which refers to different types of cultivated areas.[1]
The original structure of the once rural settlement of Ronchetto is almost completely unrecognizable in the modern district, which has experienced a massive urbanization process in the 20th century and is now seamlessly connected to the urban agglomeration of Milan. A landmark of Ronchetto is a modern, 700-metre-long (2,300 ft) bridge that crosses both the Naviglio Grande canal and the Milan-Mortara railway, connecting Ronchetto to the Giambellino-Lorenteggio district.
The district has been experiencing a long period of decay and is often described as a degraded area.[2] The Duomo Connection trial of the late 1980s revealed the extensive activity of the Mafia in the district.[3]
Ronchetto sul Naviglio is also remembered as the scene of a battle between Italian partisans and the German army, occurred on 25 April 1945, i.e., the very day when Italy proclaimed its liberation from the German rule.
Footnotes
- See P. Boselli, Toponimi lombardi, SugarCo, Milan 1977, p. 242; and F. Cherubini, Vocabolario milanese-italiano, volume 4, Regia Stamperia, Milan 1843, p. 73
- Il degrado ambientale nel quartiere Barona-Ronchetto sul Naviglio (in Italian)
- See P. Colaprico and L. Fazzo, Duomo Connection, Sisifo, Siena 1991
