Contrade of Legnano

[6] There are two contrade in Milan that have an additional title in the name; San Magno also has the term "noble" in its name, which derives from the territory of the contrada, which includes the historic center of Legnano, and from the fact that since ancient times, within the confines of the contrada, there are several families of noble lineage,[7] while La Flora has as title "sovereign", attribution that was officially granted by the House of Savoy, ruling dynasty in Italy from 1861 to 1946.

[4][13] The various rooms preserve the costumes of the past and present, while weapons and flags are placed in the racks installed on the walls; the display cases instead house the jewels and ornaments during the parade, as well as the gifts received by the contrade over time.

[20] On the occasion of the elections, which take place in a social assembly called "session", his deputy, the directors of the executive, the auditors and the arbitrators are also voted.

[23] The contrade of Legnano also operate in the social context, helping the disabled, families in difficulty and the elderly hospitalized in the centers of the area, to which they also provide moral support by making periodic visits.

[25] The meaning that today is associated with the colors of the contrada is instead the following: red indicates courage, ardor, strength and tenacity, while blue chivalrous loyalty.

[25] Another popular legend tells that Frederick Barbarossa was defeated in the battle of Legnano due to a glittering cross shown by the goddess Flora, who frightened the emperor and forced him to flee.

[25] The goddess Flora is very present in the popular beliefs of the place: according to tradition this mythological figure appeared every year in early spring to scatter flowers on the fields of the contrada.

The legend tells that the hidalgo don Pedro de Torquemada, living in Legnarello, used to wear half-red and half-yellow clothes in combat.

Despite the high visibility of the garments, his enemies never managed to hit him and so the Spanish nobleman decided to hoist a red flag with a yellow sun on his house, symbols that were then taken over by the Legnarello contrada.

The historical fact is instead connected to Donna Consuelo of the Melzi D'Eril; the Spanish noblewoman died of plague in 1621, and as a legacy she established that in her home in Legnanello the yellow-red banners of the governor of Córdoba, Spain, should have been kept.

Immediately after the first swing shaken by the aggressor, the bells began to ring by themselves and this attracted the attention of some passing knights, who intervened by rescuing the girl.

[29] The contrada proposes in its banner, in addition to the white and red colors, the reference to a radiant eight-pointed sun and a trigram with Gothic characters bearing the writing Nbs (Latin abbreviation corresponding to "Noster Bernardinus Sanctus"; in English it is translated as "our saint Bernardino").

[31] Wanting to tie the colors of the contrada to this legend, the green symbolizes the shade of the fields, while the white the bones of the soldiers perished in the battle.

At a certain point, during the night, the ghost appeared, which explained to the friar that he was the Germanic soldier Rudolf Himmer, who was left buried by the battle of Legnano.

[33] The symbol of the contrada, that is a dog with a torch in its mouth, as well as being connected to the first narrated legend, also has a religious explanation: it derives from the order of the Dominicans, who were called the "greyhounds of the Lord", that is to say the bearers of the light of faith.

The most famous and well-known legend, among those that narrate the origin of the colors of the contrada, tells that an Austrian oak was erected long ago in today's Piazza San Magno.

[34] On the day of the patron saint, on November 5, a farmer began to contemplate the tree admiring its ability to withstand frost and snow.

At that moment Saint Magnus appeared, who offered to satisfy man's desire by giving him the strength, the recklessness and the power of a lion.

According to another legend, white and red are associated with the blood left on the snow by saints Sebastian and Roch, who had gone to Legnano to contemplate the frescoes in the basilica of San Magno.

The nobleman, to thank him, allowed the woodcutter to use the white cross in a blue field as a symbol of his family: subsequently the vassal had the emperor's ratification ratified.

A second legend tells of a young shepherd who lost himself in the countryside around the ancient church of San Martino, later replaced by the homonymous religious building.

[36] Legend has it that once a year, in a February night, a yellow-skinned demon used to wander the streets of the neighborhood dressed in an old greenish tunic, with the intention of going to the church of Sant'Ambrogio to carry out thefts.

Another explanation, this time of an historical nature, comes from the discovery of the body of the Archbishop of Milan Leone da Perego, who died in Legnano in 1257 in the homonymous palace,[37] under the portico of the church of Sant'Ambrogio; this finding occurred in 1650 during the enlargement of the religious building.

[39] Still according to the accounts of Agostino Pozzo, to find his treasure, which was believed buried in the church of Sant'Ambrogio and which was said to be composed of gold and bronze objects, he continued to dig, but in vain.

[40] Considering the historical event linked to the discovery of the archbishop's body, the meaning of yellow and green is connected, respectively, to the gold and bronze of the treasure of Leone da Perego.

The crow, symbol of the contrada, originates from a legend linked to the Legnanese ancient convent of Santa Caterina and located chronologically just before the battle of Legnano, around the year 1000.

[41][42] It is said that from this monastery, at some point, food began to disappear, and therefore the abbot, Bernardo Paletta, decided to establish a guard service to control the pantry.

The following morning the friar on guard, Fra' Camillo, saw a crow in the window come in such a black and shiny plumage that it looked bluish.