A district called Figino. What does it mean?
Figino is a district of Milan. It’s part of Zone 7. The district lies north-west of the city center. It sits within the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano nature reserve. Before 1869, Figino was its own comune. It was called Figino di Milano then.
The name “Figino” might come from Latin. The word “figulinum” means “potter”. Some say it’s from “ficus” or “ficulinus” that means fig tree. Others suggest “fageus” for beech.
Figino maintains a rural feel. This is despite being part of Milan. The district’s west side borders Rho. This area belongs to the Parco dei Fontanili. This nature reserve has many water springs. These springs are called “fontanili”.
Figino’s history goes back to the Middle Ages. A document from 1257 mentions it as a comune. Milan was divided into pieves. Figino was part of the pieve of Trenno. It stayed there until the 18th century.
Under Napoleon, Figino joined Settimo Milanese. Later, it regained autonomy. This happened with the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1859, Figino had 589 people. The first census in 1861 counted 607. In 1862, it became “Figino di Milano”.
In 1869, Figino stopped being a separate comune. It became part of Trenno. Then, Milan annexed Trenno in 1923.
Let’s not forget the Coperto dei Figini. This Renaissance building stood in Piazza del Duomo. Construction started in 1467. Giunoforte Solari designed it. Pietro Figino ordered its construction. It was a popular spot for Milanese people for over 400 years. Shops sold drinks like turbolin and barbajada. Some shops became famous cafes. One was an early Caffè Campari.
The Coperto dei Figini was demolished in the 1860s. This was due to redesigning the piazza. Angelo Inganni painted it before demolition. Some photos also exist. Iginio Ugo Tarchetti set his novel “Paolina” there. The novel is called “Misteri del Coperto dei Figini”.
As of December 31, 2021, Figino had 1,638 residents. There were 811 males and 827 females. 192 residents were between 0 and 14 years old. 1,041 were between 15 and 64. 405 were 65 or older. 1,317 residents had Italian citizenship. 321 had foreign citizenship.
Figino: a small district with a long history. It connects rural past with Milan’s urban present.