 It has also been suggested that the name may be derived from the "cydonia" apple, or the "melo cotogno", a variety of quince, both common in this region.In 1441, after long jurisdiction by the bishops of Lodi, the settlement was sold to the Venetian family Fagnani by Filippo Maria Visconti, the Duke of Milan and subsequently, in 1450, to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio under whom it was granted the status of "borgo" ("burg", a fortified town) by Francesco I Sforza.During this time, Codogno had developed a thriving commercial life, and having a fiercely autonomous spirit, they wished to be independent of Trivulzio.