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Vimercate (; , ) is a comune (municipality) in the province of Monza and Brianza, in the Italy region of Lombardy. It is from Milan and from Monza.
Its name (whose first finding dates back to the year 745) derives from the Latin Vicus Mercati, which later became Vicus Mercatum and then Vimercato, the ancient form of Vimercate, used up until the 19th century. It means "Marketplace Vicus", since Vimercate was an active trade center.
The city was founded by the Ancient Rome on the banks of the river Molgora, and it originally was a Roman Castra (a military camp). The ancient castrum was destroyed in the Middle Ages during the various invasions of the Italian peninsula. Yet, given that since the Roman age the city has kept on growing and evolving, several monuments and artifacts have been built over the course of history and are present to these days, starting from the ancient San Rocco Bridge, originally built by the Romans in the 3rd century, to the Collegiate church of Saint Stephen, consecrated in 1272, and the more recent Villa Gallarati Scotti of the 17th century.
In 1950 Vimercate received the title of "Città" and in 2009 the city was awarded with the "Medaglia d’argento al merito civile" for the role played during the resistance against Fascism.
In one of the frescoes in the convent is an ornament (circa 1311) showing the coats of arms of the Visconti and Della Torre families. The date is the time when a truce between the two families was signed on Epiphany of that year. The truce between the two Milanese families was guaranteed by Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1456 Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, provided a special grant with an annual offering of fifty florins, founding the Cappellania di San Francesco (Chapter of the Chapel of Saint Francis) in the church.
In 1798 the monastery, suppressed by the Cisalpine Republic, was purchased in 1799 by the Feudal Mayor of Vimercate, Dr. Giuseppe Banfi. He conceded the use of the monastery to the six remaining friars, supporting them for life. Afterwards he transformed the monastery into a residence. Since then the Banfi family has owned the site.
In different areas of the monastery there are some fragments of frescos, which, even if quite small, make it possible to distinguish two subsequent attempts at decorating the church during the first half of the fourteenth century, evidence of the prestige of the monastery in that period.
The area of Oreno has maintained its medieval look with an 11th-century monastery, Saint Michael's Church and the stately homes Villa Gallarati Scotti and Villa Borromeo.
The town has more new developments such as the Torri Bianche skyscrapers which host a 16 screen cinema, a shopping arcade and many county offices plus the new Central Bus Station in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi designed by Mario Botta in 1998, which serves the area and has many facilities.
On the east side of the city rises the "Centro Scolastico Omnicomprensivo", a scholastic centre, which is known for the quality and high standards of the "Licei" (High Schools). Particularly renowned is the Scientific and Classic Liceo "Antonio Banfi". Within the communal borders there are many parks, used for concerts and shows.
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