Magenta

Magenta, a town of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Milan, 16 m. by rail W. of Milan city, 364 ft. about sea-level situated in the midst of rice-fields. Pop. (1901), 8012. It manufactures silks and matches, and is famous for the battle (1859) in which the allied French and Piedmontese defeated the Austrians (see ITALIAN WARS). A memorial chapel and a monument were erected on the battle-field in 1862. A crimsonpurple aniline dye, discovered about the time of the battle, was given from it the name of "magenta,"