Seven hundred years ago Vigonzino was a simple farmstead. It stood among the fields of the Milanese countryside. Vigonzino nestled beside Zibido San Giacomo to the north. Badile and Lacchiarella bordered it to the east. Binasco and Conigo lay to the south. Mandrugno marked its western edge.
Vigonzino was a small farming community. In 1751 only 102 people called it home. But Vigonzino grew. By 1805 its population had doubled reaching 220. Napoleon’s influence reshaped Italy. In 1809 the Italian government dissolved Vigonzino’s municipal status. They annexed it to Mandrugno a nearby village. This didn’t last. Mandrugno joined Binasco in 1811. However in 1816 Vigonzino regained its independence. The restored Kingdom of Lombardy-Veneto placed it under the province of Pavia.
Life in Vigonzino continued its slow pace. It was the life of a rural village. In 1841 Austrian rule expanded Vigonzino’s jurisdiction. Badile and Moirago became part of Vigonzino. This brought the population to 692 in 1853. By 1859 this number increased to 765. That year saw Savoy restore Vigonzino to the province of Milan. The area flourished. But change was coming.
On June 9 1870 a decree from King Victor Emmanuel II ended Vigonzino’s existence as an independent entity. With its 768 residents Vigonzino was absorbed into Zibido San Giacomo. The charming little farming village lost its autonomy. Yet its history continues to echo. Its legacy lives on. Vigonzino became part of a larger town. But its unique story remains. It reminds us of a simpler time in the Milanese countryside. A time when life revolved around the seasons and the land. Vigonzino may be gone. But it will never be forgotten.