The nameMelatum appeared for the first time in the 4th century; it may be derived from the Greek for black/gloomy/dark because of the presence of woods, or from the Italian for apple (mela): an important fruit from the region.
During the fighting between theTorriani and the Visconti families for the supremacy ofMilan, Merate (in particular the castle) suffered considerable damage. It recovered during the 17th century after being decimated by theplague; finally becoming one of the richest towns of the region, afterLecco.
At the beginning of the 16th century an academic institute was constructed: at the end of the 18th century the young writer/poetAlessandro Manzoni studied at this school, and after his death the school took on his name.
After the unification ofItaly Merate grew as an industrial centre with the development of the banking and textile industries. At the end of the 19th century, it became one of the first Italian towns to have electricity, gas and piped drinking water.
Theinterwar period saw considerable development of the mechanical and textile industries.
In 1926 theastronomical observatory was constructed, and in the same year the municipality wasenlarged, incorporating many neighbouring communities.
Industry continued to increase after theSecond World War. The population passed to 9,000 inhabitants in 1951, and is 14,000 today. Merate received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree in 1991.
Starting from the end 19th centurylight pollution fromMilan disturbed the activities of the Breraastronomical observatory. However, the idea to construct a new observatory outside the City was not realized until the 1920s with the acquisition of the villa San Rocco: this used to be aCapuchin monastery before becoming a private villa and then a psychiatric clinic following theFirst World War.
TodayBrianza is one of the most densely populated regions of Italy and the light pollution is considerable. Nonetheless, the observatory is still used for research activities (leader in the production ofX-ray optics), as well as course- and thesis-work for the students ofMilan University.
