Vedano Olona
Vedano Olona: History and Traditions
If you're looking for a destination that offers an extraordinary cultural and historical panorama, then Vedano Olona is the place for you! This small town in the province of Varese, located on the banks of the Olona river, is rich in history and traditions that deserve to be discovered.
Roman era
The Roman presence in the municipality has been documented by several archaeological findings. The privileged position of Vedano, located between two Roman roads, the "Via Mediolanum-Bilitio" and the Como-Varese, suggests that this was an agricultural settlement of that era.
Medieval era
The future town was born from the aforementioned agricultural settlement. The existence of Vedano during the Middle Ages is proven by numerous documents. In 1121, for example, the inhabitants of the municipality came to the aid of the neighboring town of Binago, attacked by the Como adversaries.
In the 10th century, the Romanesque church of San Pancrazio was built. Moreover, in the same era, there was the presence of two houses of Umiliati, religious and wool workers, whose name became synonymous with good cloth.
From the 17th to the 19th century
During the Spanish occupation, the municipality of Vedano was enfeoffed, whose lands passed to the Arrigoni family. However, the feudal concession, in the Spanish era, allowed the lord to own the entire fiefdom. Thus, the Odescalchi family began to buy the entire property of Vedano, until becoming over time the major landowners in the area.
The palace, which was the residence of the powerful family, was renovated in 1933 and is now the seat of the Municipality. The predominant figure of the family was Benedetto Odescalchi, who became Pope with the name of Innocent XI and was beatified in 1956.
Starting from the end of the 19th century, Vedano was also affected by industrial development. In 1873, in fact, two spinning mills and three factories were opened along the Olona river. However, most of the inhabitants worked in the factories of Varese and the Olona Valley, emigrating to Switzerland and Germany to escape poverty.
20th century
Associativism
The first type of workers' and peasants' mutual aid association to include workers and peasants under one roof was the "Society of Mutual Aid among Workers and Peasants" founded in 1883. Subsequently, many socialist-inspired initiatives such as the Consumer Cooperative, founded in 1898, the League of Masons opened in 1903, and the cooperative for Popular Housing Construction established in 1909 all joined together.
After the end of World War I, Catholics also became involved in the social field, giving birth to the Work Office, promoted by the priest Don Perego.
Conclusions
Without a doubt, Vedano Olona is a place that cannot be ignored if you are visiting Lombardy. Its history is rich and fascinating, and there are countless places that deserve to be visited. Dive into the fascinating Roman period, learn everything about the medieval era, relive the era of the Odescalchi, and then jump to the 20th century to discover the first forms of workers' associativism. These are all aspects that make this small town the right destination for your holidays.
