Busto Arsizio

**Busto Arsizio** (Lombard: *Büsti Grandi*) is a ceety an *[[comune]]*, in the province o Varese, in the region o Lombardy, in northren Italy, 25&nbsp;km north o Milan, but anerly  frae its north-wastmaist commune o the ceety Legnano.  The economy o Busto Arsizio is mainly based on industrie an commerce.

## History
Despite repeatit claims by Lega Nord an her local allees aboot a Celtic heritage, recent studies seem tae show that the "*bustocchi*"'s ancestors wur Ligurs, cried ‘wild’ bi Pliny, ‘marauders an robbers’ bi Livy an ‘unshaven an hairy’ bi Pompeius Tragus. They wur guid at wirkin airn an hintle socht efter as mercenar sodgers. A vera remote Ligurie influence is perceptible in the local dialect, Bustocco, slichtly different frae ither Wastren Lombard varieties, accordin tae local expert Luigi Giavini, author o a vocabular.

Tradeetionally these first inhabitants uised tae set fire tae firths made o auld an young oaks an black hornbeams, which at that time, covered the whole Padan Plain. This slash-an-burn practice, kent as "debbio" in Italian, aimit tae create fields whaur grapevines or cereals such as foxtail, millet an rye wur grown, or juist tae create open spaces whaur stane huts wi thatched ruifs wur biggit.
Bi doin this they creatit a *bustum* (burnt, in Laitin), that is a new dounset which, in order tae be distinguisht frae the ither nearbi dounsets, wis assigned a name: *arsicium* (again "burnt", or better "arid") for Busto Arsizio, whose name is actually a tautologie; *carulfì* for nearbi Busto Garolfo, *cava* for Busto Cava, later Buscate.

The slow increase in population wis helpit athoot dout bi the Insubres, a Gaulish tribe who haed arrivit in successive waves bi crossin the Alps aboot 500 years BCE. It is said that they defeatit the Etruscans, who bi then controlled the aurie, leavin some geographical names ahint (Arno creek -no tae be ramfeeselt wi Florence's river - Castronno, Caronno, Biandronno, etc.)

Busto Arsizio's steid wis no chosen randomly: in fact, the dounset wis creatit on a aurie on the route frae Milan tae Loch Maggiore (cried "Milan’s road", an alternative route tae the existent Sempione), pairt o which, afore the creation o the Naviglio Grande, made
uise o the navigational watter o the Ticino River.

Housomeivver, naething is sur aboot Busto Arsizio's past till the 10t century, when the toun is first hintit at in documents, awready wi its present name: *loco Busti qui dicitur Arsizio*. A pairt o the powerful Contado o the Seprio, in 1176 its ceetizens are likely tae hae taken pairt (on baith sides) tae the famous Battle o Legnano, actually focht atween Busto's frazione o Borsano an nearbi Villa Cortese, when Frederick Barbarossa wis defeatit bi the Communal militia o the Lombard League. Frae the 13t century the toun became renouned for its production o textiles. Even its feudalization in later centuries unner several lairds, vassals o the maisters o Milan, did no stop its slow but constant growthe; nor did the plague, which hit haurd in 1630, tradeetionally being stoppit bi the Virgin Mary efter the *bustocchi*, aye a pious Catholic flock, prayed for respite frae the deadly epidemic.

Bi the hauf o the 19t century modren industrie began tae tak ower strangly: in a few decades Busto Arsizio became the so-cried "Manchester o Italy. In 1864, while the "bustocco" Eugenio Tosi wis the Airchbishop o Milan, it wis grantit ceety privileges bi keeng Victor Emmanuel II o Italy. The ceety kept on growin for mair nor a century, absorbin the nearbi Comuni o Borsano an Sacconago in 1927 on a major admeenistrative reform implementit bi the Fascist regime, an wis anerly marginally damagit even bi Warld War II (a single Alleed airdroppit bomb is said tae hae hit the train station). This respite wis gien, actually, bi the fact that the toun hostit the important Alleed liaison mission wi the pairtisans, the Chrysler mission, led by Lt. Aldo Icardi, later famous for his involvement in the Holohan Murther Case. Durin the conflict Busto Arsizio wis a major industrial centre o war production, an the occupyin Germans muivit thare the Italian naitional radio. The Italian resistance muivement resortit preferably tae strikes an sabotage than tae overt guerrilla, syne those willin tae fecht maistly teuk tae the Ossola muntains, but strenthened in time, sufferin grievous losses tae arrests, torturs an deportation tae the Nazi lager seestem. The names o Mauthausen-Gusen an Flossenburg concentration an extermination camps are sadly kent tae the *bustocchi*, as dozens o their fellae ceetizens dee'd thare. When, on 25 Apryle 1945, the partisans teuk ower, Busto Arsizio thus gave voice tae the first free radio channel in northren Italy syne the advent o Fascism.

Efter the war, the ceety turned in time increasinly on the richt o the poleetical spectrum, as its bigger industries in the Saxties an Seiventies decayed, tae be replacit bi mony familiar smaw enterprises an a new service-based economy. The day the toun represents a major stranghauld for baith Forza Italia an Lega Nord richt-wing poleetical pairties.

## Demographics

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## Main sichts

The maist important biggins o the ceety are the kirks. In Busto Arsizio thare are several o thaim, biggit in the last millennium. Mony o thaim are reconstructions o umwhile kirks.

### Shrine o ''Santa Maria di Piazza''
The maist remarkable biggin o the Renaissance period, indeed the anerly remainin, is the shrine o *Santa Maria di Piazza* ("Saunt Mary o the Square"), cried *shrine o the Beata Vergine dell'Aiuto* ("Blessed Virgin o the Help") an aw. The biggin stends in the ceety centre. It wis biggit atween 1515 an 1522. The veelage o Crespi d'Adda, biggit up for Cristoforo Benigno Crespi, is hame tae a smawer version o the shrine.

### Saunt John the Baptist's kirk
The kirk o Saunt John the Baptist, in the ceety centre, wis biggit atween 1609 an 1635, but the bell touer is aulder (atween 1400 an 1418). The façade, feenished in 1701 bi Domenico Valmagini, haes mony statues an decorations. In the interior are numerous o paintins bi Daniele Crespi, a celebratit penter born at Busto Arsizio, such as *Cristo morto con San Domenico*. The square in front o this kirk wis biggit ower the auncient cemetery.

### Saunt Michael Airchangel's kirk
The third biggest kirk in the ceety is the Kirk o Saunt Michael Airchangel (San Michele Arcangelo). Its bell touer, biggit in the 10t century, is the auldest biggin in Busto Arsizio; oreeginally it wis pairt o a Lombard fortification. The present kirk wis biggit bi the airchitect Francesco Maria Richini. In the kirk thare are some relics, the maist important o which is the bouk o San Felice Martire.

### Saunt Roch's kirk
Biggit up efter the 1485 bubonic plague an dedicatit tae Saunt Roch, invokit against the plague, it wis rebiggit frae 1706 tae 1713 thanks tae afferins made bi the lawyer Carlo Visconti. Inside the kirk thare are frescos bi Salvatore an Francesco Maria Bianchi (1731) an Biagio Bellotti.

### Museum o Textiles an Industry
The Museum o Textiles an Industry’s collections are evocative reminders o Busto’s economical history. They explain hou the ceety developit frae a smaw agricultural veelage tae a thrivin, industrial centre o manufacturin an commerce in a few decades.

## Tradeetional festivals

The patron saunts o the ceety are Saunt John the Baptist an Saunt Michael Airchangel, whose feasts are tradeetionally celebratit on 24 Juin an 29 September.

In recent times the toun cooncil haes given ceevic relevance tae celebrations that up tae nou wur amaist completely o a releegious kynd an aw. Durin winter it is an establisht tradeetion syne time immemorial the burnin o the Giöbia (alternative spellin: Giöeubia), a (uisually) female puppet, seembolizin the "chasin" oot o winter an its troubles, an on a mair sinister note, the chynge frae a matriairchal tae a patriairchal society in auncient times. Time ago each faimily prepared its simple puppet tae be burnt, an then its ashes wur dispersed tae fertilize the fields as guid omen. Nou the celebration is mair organisit an publicly supportit, but still hertily felt bi the populace.

## Muisic
Mina, an Italian pop starn wis born in Busto Arsizio. Ane o the best Italian violinists, Uto Ughi wis born an is livin in the ceety.

## Sport

Busto Arsizio is the host for the Federazione Italiana Sport Croquet, the lawns bein locatit at the "Cascina del Lupo" Sporting Centre juist ootside the toun.

Pro Patria Calcio fitbaa club plays in Busto Arsizio (at the Carlo Speroni Stadium).

Pro Patria A.R.C. Busto Arsizio is the athletic society.

Yamamay Busto Arsizio is the main volleybaa society o the ceety an plays in the first naitional diveesion.

## Internaitional relations

### Twin touns — Sister ceeties
Busto Arsizio is twinned wi:
* Domodossola, Italy
* Épinay-sur-Seine, Fraunce
* Nacfa, Eritrea

## References

## Freemit airtins

* Busto Arsizio official website