Famiglia Legnanese

Famiglia Legnanese is a free, non-partisan, apolitical and non-profit cultural association founded on 27 February 1951 in Legnano, in the Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy. It operates in Legnano and is inspired by Christian values, the family and sociality directed toward the good of others. It functions as a meeting club, celebrates the spirit, works and traditions of Legnano, and promotes cultural, artistic, touristic, historical and recreational events. The association has its own foundation, recognized as a moral entity by decree of the Italian Minister of the Interior on 1 August 1996, which distributes scholarships every year. It also has its own press organ, La Martinella, a monthly information and culture magazine sent free to members and distributed in the city's main institutional venues. Within the association, cultural groups pursue a wide range of interests: chess, embroidery, theatre, philately, photography, history and art. Famiglia Legnanese is headquartered at Villa Jucker, a historic Liberty-style mansion in the city centre surrounded by a large park available to members. The villa's rooms can be used on request for cultural events or activities, and the same building houses the restaurant Dinner The Mode, with a summer terrace, open to the public as well. The idea of founding Famiglia Legnanese came at the end of 1950 to a group of authentic "Legnanesi" born and resident in the city, who gathered on the initiative of Giovanni Cozzi and decided to send a suitable number of Legnanesi a Christmas greeting card. The association was founded on 27 February 1951 in a building at corso Magenta 39 by a group of prominent local cultural and economic figures gathered around Giovanni Cozzi. One of its first and most important achievements was to restore, from May 1952, the Palio di Legnano, then called "sagra del Carroccio", which had been interrupted after the 1939 edition because of the Second World War. To this day, Famiglia Legnanese, together with the municipal administration and the college of captains and contrade, is part of the committee that manages the organization of the Palio, headed by the supreme magistrate, the mayor of Legnano. Among its other important achievements are the photographic competition named in memory of Giovanni Crespi, co-founder of the company of the same name, inaugurated in 1971; the awarding of more than a thousand scholarships, amounting to several million euros; and the international poetry prize "Giuseppe Tirinnanzi", launched in 1981, which has received the Silver Medal of the President of the Republic and the patronage of the Presidency of the Council and the Ministry for Cultural Heritage. The association has also produced several books on local history, including Immagini della vecchia Legnano (1974), Legnano e la battaglia (1976), Vita e opere di Giovanni da Legnano (1983), Profilo storico della città di Legnano (1984), Quando si dice lilla (1993) and Ciclismo a Legnano (1993). On 25 March 2013, the Presidency of the Italian Republic awarded Famiglia Legnanese the gold medal of merit for culture and art. According to its statute, Famiglia Legnanese has as its cornerstones the family and care for others according to the dictates of Christianity. The aim of the association is to preserve the memory of Legnano's traditions by organizing cultural, historical, artistic, touristic, recreational and sporting events, as well as conferences, debates, exhibitions and lectures in collaboration with the municipal administration and private parties. Alongside the president of the association is the office of ragiù, which in the local dialect indicates the patriarch of the ancient Legnano farming families and is known in Milanese dialect as regiù. The association's foundation was established in 1983, on the occasion of the sixth centenary of the death of Giovanni da Legnano, to recall one of the testamentary wishes of the famous medieval jurist.

The idea of founding Famiglia Legnanese emerged at the end of 1950 among a group of authentic "Legnanesi" born and resident in Legnano, who gathered on the initiative of Giovanni Cozzi. They decided to send a suitable number of Legnanesi a Christmas greeting card that read: "Carissimo nel 1951 al sorgere della 2° metà del secolo Legnano va riformata! Vogliamo esaltare spirito con opere legnanesi, se sei nato a Legnano sii orgoglioso! A presto la 'Famiglia Legnanese. Intanto auguri vivissimi' Legnano, 21 Dicembre 1950." The association was formally founded on 27 February 1951 in Legnano, in a building at corso Magenta 39, by a group of prominent local cultural and economic figures gathered around Giovanni Cozzi. It has always been free of political and party connotations. One of the first and most important goals achieved by the association was to restore, from May 1952, the Palio di Legnano, then called "sagra del Carroccio". The event, whose first edition dates to 1935, had been interrupted after the 1939 edition because of the war events linked to the Second World War. To this day, Famiglia Legnanese, together with the municipal administration and the college of captains and contrade, is part of the committee that manages the organization of the Palio, at whose top is the supreme magistrate, the mayor of Legnano. Among the association's other important achievements are the photographic competition named in memory of Giovanni Crespi (co-founder of the company of the same name), inaugurated in 1971; the awarding of more than a thousand scholarships, for an amount that has now reached several million euros; and the international poetry prize "Giuseppe Tirinnanzi", launched in 1981 and now boasting the Silver Medal of the President of the Republic and the patronage of the Presidency of the Council and the Ministry for Cultural Heritage. Famiglia Legnanese has also produced several books dealing with local history, such as Immagini della vecchia Legnano (1974), Legnano e la battaglia (1976; written on the occasion of the eighth centenary of the Battle of Legnano, opening with a message from President of the Republic Giovanni Leone and a preface by Giovanni Spadolini, then Minister for Cultural Heritage, with contributions by Augusto Marinoni), Vita e opere di Giovanni da Legnano (1983), Profilo storico della città di Legnano (1984; written on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the elevation of the comune of Legnano to city status, also with contributions by Augusto Marinoni), Quando si dice lilla (1993; produced on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of Legnano, with a message from Antonio Matarrese, then president of the FIGC, a message from Bruno Pizzul and a preface by Gianni Brera) and Ciclismo a Legnano (1993; written on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of Unione Sportiva Legnanese and the 75th anniversary of the Coppa Bernocchi). On 25 March 2013, the Presidency of the Italian Republic awarded Famiglia Legnanese the gold medal of merit for culture and art. According to its statute, Famiglia Legnanese has as its cornerstones the family and care for others according to the dictates of Christianity. The aim of the association is to preserve the memory of Legnano's traditions by organizing cultural, historical, artistic, touristic, recreational and sporting events, as well as conferences, debates, exhibitions and lectures in collaboration with the municipal administration and private parties. Alongside the president of the association is the office of ragiù, which in the local dialect indicates the patriarch of the ancient Legnano farming families and is known in Milanese dialect as regiù. The association's foundation was established in 1983, on the occasion of the sixth centenary of the death of Giovanni da Legnano, to recall one of the testamentary wishes of the famous medieval jurist. It is a moral entity recognized in August 1996 and distributes scholarships every year. Within Famiglia Legnanese there are also recreational and cultural groups with a good degree of organizational autonomy, such as the folklore and dialect group "I Amìs" (founded in 1987), the astronomy group "Antares" (1975), the photographic circle (1951), the philatelic group (1955), the chess group (1982), the "Amici del Museo" group (1984), which collaborates with the Guido Sutermeister civic museum, and the embroidery group (1995). The seat of Famiglia Legnanese has also hosted other Legnano cultural associations, such as the Associazione Artistica Legnanese, founded on 30 May 1947 to bring together artists and art enthusiasts of the area, promoting artistic and cultural events. A youth group is also active within Famiglia Legnanese. The association's press organ is La Martinella, a monthly information and culture magazine sent free to members and distributed in the city's main institutional venues. The first seat of Famiglia Legnanese was the Galleria del Grattacielo by Enzo Pagani, at piazza San Magno 9 in Legnano. The association later moved to a building at via Roma 17, then to palazzo Leone da Perego. Famiglia Legnanese obtained a permanent seat on 19 December 1976, when it settled inside Villa Jucker, a residential mansion built in 1906 by the Cotonificio Cantoni. This manor villa was purchased by Famiglia Legnanese on 29 December 1980; on 30 October 1983 a new wing of the building was opened to the public.

• 2013

  On 25 March the Presidency of the Italian Republic awards the gold medal of merit for culture and art.

• 1996

  The foundation is recognized as a moral entity by decree of the Minister of the Interior on 1 August.

• 1983

  The association's foundation is established; on 30 October a new wing of Villa Jucker opens to the public.

• 1981

  The international poetry prize "Giuseppe Tirinnanzi" is launched.

• 1980

  On 29 December Villa Jucker is purchased by Famiglia Legnanese.

• 1976

  Publication of Legnano e la battaglia; on 19 December the association settles at Villa Jucker.

• 1974

  Publication of Immagini della vecchia Legnano.

• 1971

  The photographic competition named after Giovanni Crespi is inaugurated.

• 1952

  From May, the association helps restore the Palio di Legnano (then "sagra del Carroccio").

• 1951

  Famiglia Legnanese is founded on 27 February in Legnano, at corso Magenta 39.

• 1950

  Giovanni Cozzi writes a Christmas greeting card proposing the creation of Famiglia Legnanese.

A non-profit, apolitical cultural association and meeting club dedicated to preserving and promoting the spirit, works and traditions of Legnano, inspired by Christian values, family and sociality.

• Palio di Legnano

  Historic local event restored by the association from May 1952; the association is part of its managing committee.

• La Martinella

  Monthly information and culture magazine, the association's press organ, sent free to members.

• Fondazione Famiglia Legnanese

  Foundation established in 1983, recognized as a moral entity in 1996, distributing scholarships every year.

• International poetry prize "Giuseppe Tirinnanzi"

  Prize launched in 1981, with the Silver Medal of the President of the Republic.

• Giovanni Crespi photographic competition

  Photographic competition inaugurated in 1971.

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3. 3Famiglia Legnanese - Wikidatawikidata.org
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