Varese

Industrial town and capital of Varese province in Lombardy region, northern Italy, 45 km/28 mi northwest of Milan; population (1990 est) 88,000. Products include machinery, shoes, textiles, and clothing, and Varese has one of Italy's largest electrical consumer goods factories. Commerce is important, based on the town's proximity to Milan and Switzerland, as is tourism, drawn by the nearby lakes. There is a 16th-17th-century basilica and an 18th-century palace.

The artist Gian Battista Grandi (1638-1718) and the sculptor Giuseppe Grandi (1843-1895) were born here.