Castano was initially a Roman village that subsequently came under the Burgaria of
Parabiago. It was converted to a military fortress by the Counts of
Biandrate, passing eventually to the
House of Visconti. During internal struggles within the House of Visconti, Castano was pillaged. The fortress was rebuilt in the 14th century and ownership passed to the Archbishop. Various periods of struggle and domination by the Visconti followed until, in 1447, Castano came under the control of the
House of Sforza who gave it as fiefdom to a family favourite. In the 16th century the war between the French and Spanish waged around the town but remained it under the control of the Viscount of Brignano until 1717. By 1604 the population of Castano was around 1500 people. On 22 June 1636 Castano was nearly destroyed in the battle fought by the Spanish and Austrians against the French. With the end of the Brignano family, Castano came under Portuguese rule passing through the hands of various noble families, then was eventually conceded to the Austrians. From 1786 to 1791 Castano was part of the Province of
Gallarate. With the end of Napoleonic rule, Castano again came under Austrian control. In 1848 much of the population emigrated to the nearby Province of
Piedmont to escape the repressive rule of the
House of Habsburg. Following the
Battle of Magenta in June 1859, Castano became part of
Lombardy. ==Name==