Cantello is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 km northwest of Milan and about 4 km east of Varese, on the border with Switzerland. On 31 December 2004, it had a population of 4,409 and an area of 9.1 km2. The municipality of Cantello contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Gaggiolo and Ligurno. The town was called Cazzone until 1895. Lombard people never knew vulgarity before the Unification of Italy but, after that, vulgarism arrived from the Southern regions, and that name had to be changed. Cantello borders the following municipalities: Arcisate, Cagno, Clivio, Malnate, Rodero, Stabio (Switzerland), Varese, Viggiù.

Demographic evolution