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MONZA AND ITS PROVINCE MONZA AND ITS PROVINCE

A PROVINCETO BE EXPLORED

The art, nature and cultureof Brianza

MONZA AND ITS PROVINCE

Four itineraries explore architecture, nature, stately homes and gardens scattered across

the 55 towns and cities in the new Province of Monza & Brianza. A journey through

the history and traditions that have marked the roots and identity of an area at the centre of one of

Europe’s most highly industrialised zones.

A PROVINCE TO BE EXPLORED

Monza Coperta Ita.qxp:Layout 1 20-05-2009 17:07 Pagina 1

Monza Coperta Ita.qxp:Layout 1 20-05-2009 17:07 Pagina 2

A PROVINCETO BE EXPLORED

The art, nature and cultureof Brianza

MONZA AND ITS PROVINCE

Andrea Spiriti – Laura Facchin

Monza 001-035:Layout 1 20-05-2009 17:34 Pagina 1

DIREZIONE CENTRALETURISMO E AGRICOLTURA

Viale Piceno 6020129 [email protected]

General Director Tourism and Agriculture Pia Benci

Tourism Monica GiudiciRoberto BarelliColette PernaAnna ZettiElena Gomiero

Press Office Giuseppe Baselice

HEAD OFFICEMONZA AND BRIANZA PROJECT

Piazza Diaz 120052 Monzawww.provincia.milano.it/monzabrianza

General Director - Monza and Brianza Pr ojectGiuseppe Valtorta

Project director – society and culture Monza and Brianza Erminia Zoppè

Cultural and visitor events pr omotion for Monza and BrianzaGianpiero BoccaCarmen La MalfaGiulia PradaAlex Tonello

Communication and Press Office Marta Caratti

TextsAndrea SpiritiLaura Facchin

Editorial production Bolis Edizionivia Emilia 25, 24052 Azzano San Paolo (BG)www.bolisedizioni.it

Editing, pagemaking and photolithoStudio editoriale Selmi – Twister, Milano

CartographyLS International

English versionStudio Queens, Milano

We would like to thank the municipal administration and officials, P ark managers and Pro Loco organisations of the new province of Monza and Brianza for their help

Cover photos Front cover: top, Villa Reale in Monza; bottom left, the Basilica of Ss. Pietro e P aolo in Agliate; bottom right, frescoes by the Zavattari brothers in the T heodolinda chapel in the Duomo in Monza. Back cover: top left , the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Monzaracetrack; top right, the former Casa del Fascio (house of fascism) by Giuseppe Terragni in Lissone; bottom, Palazzo Arese Borromeo in Cesano Maderno. Flap: top left, Vimercatetown centre; top right, Bellusco castle; b ottom, Grugnotorto Villoresi Park

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Farms and agriturismo centres providedby: Centro di Assistenza Agricola - Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori Mi-Lo, Sede di Zona di Vimercate, 20059 Vimercate - Via Cavour 101, www.cialombardia.org

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Foreword

P ublishing a guidebook today is a challenge that tests our understanding ofthe degree to which our post-modern times are willing to own up to theirpast and the cultural assets that – to the delight of some, the irritation of

others and the indifference of many – form the connective tissue of Italian society .Italy has such a wealth of art but is so poor at investing in it. Its immense heritage isin a deplorable state, partly b ecause people do not see it as a collective asset to b epreserved for them and their descendants. Who would b et a penny on the future ofa civilisation that has no love for its own past? Publishing a guideb ook to encouragepeople to visit the cultural heritage is, therefore, a gamble, especially if it does not sim-ply address the monumental dimension but attempts a global approach in which pain-ting sits alongside gastronomy, architecture alongside botany. One concerns the en-vironment and the other the impact humans have made on it over the centuries, thatis to say how it has been shaped to suit our aims and wishes or, at least, how we ha-ve tried to strike a balance with it. If, then, the guidebook is on the province of Mon-za and Brianza, this all also coincides with its recognition as a Province before the na-tional community. It is a new entity that, in order to survive, must show itself to b ecompetent and to possess distinguishing features: the geographical (southern Brian-za has always been drawn to Milan) and historical (fruit of preferential strategic de-velopment to the north) ones are obvious but the artistic one is also crucial.

This is a zone of dense but now almost invisible Romanisation and Monza saw remarka-ble Longobard commissions, epitomised in the treasure of the kingdom. In Romanesque ti-mes, the area formed part of the great circuit of basilicas with the striking example of A glia-te, followed in the Middle A ges by the major episode of S. Stefano in L entate and then adense array of castles and hunting lodges, right on down to the gem that is Oreno in Vimer-cate. The sumptuous Renaissance construction of S. Vittore in Meda marked the start of aseries that ended with the reconstruction of the s anctuary of S. Pietro Martire in Seveso atthe height of the 17th century. The core focus of the 17th and 18th centuries was, however,the construction of palaces and villas, with the inescapable European-wide paradigm of Pa-lazzo Arese Borromeo in Ces ano Maderno. This rich succession continued into the 19thcentury with the prominent poles of Vimercate and Monza, but also Cavenago, Arcore, Ma-cherio and Varedo. The financial opulence of the 19th-century and then the presence of theSavoy court in Monza translated into an impressive fabric of villas and churches (in additionto the continuity of Monza’s Villa Reale, suffice to mention the neo-Gothic Villa Traversi Tit-toni in Desio, ahead of its times in Europe). N or did the 2 0th century lack great achieve-ments, starting with Giuseppe Terragni’s formidable designs in Lissone and Seveso.

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6 From the Lombards to the Year 20009 Monza26 The Monza Autodromo 28 Parks in Brianza33 Brugherio

36 Western Brianzaits stately homes and its monasteries

39 Lazzate41 Misinto42 Cogliate44 Ceriano Laghetto45 Barlassina47 Lentate sul Seveso49 Meda52 Seveso55 Cesano Maderno59 Bovisio Masciago61 Limbiate 63 Varedo66 Nova Milanese69 Desio 72 Seregno

74 Central Brianza Romanesque and Neoclassical

77 Veduggio con Colzano79 Briosco81 Renate83 Besana Brianza87 Carate Brianza90 Giussano

Contents


Contents


93 Verano in Brianza95 Triuggio98 Correzzana99 Albiate101 Sovico103 Macherio104 Biassono107 Vedano al Lambro109 Lissone111 Muggiò

114 Eastern Brianza and the noble villas117 Vimercate128 Villasanta130 Concorrezzo132 Agrate Brianza134 Burago di Molgora135 Cavenago di Brianza137 Ornago138 Bellusco140 Mezzago142 Sulbiate144 Aicurzio146 Bernareggio148 Ronco Briantino149 Carnate151 Usmate Velate153 Camparada154 Lesmo156 Arcore159 Caponago160 Cornate d’Adda163 Roncello164 Busnago

165 Index of places



Monza is manifestly the barycentre of the area (with its name includ-

ed in that of the province) and the urban centre with the most visi-

ble and complex development, clearly illustrating the historic successions

from the early Middle Ages to contemporary times. This sets it apart from

the rest and it is this same continuity, dotted with fine individual accom-

plishments, that makes its history and documentary worth so important. The city developed basically in a circle with the Duomo at its core;

next comes the part inside the medieval walls and then the area that hasgrown up outside the walls, dominated to the north by V illa Reale andthe adjacent park, so vast that has become a major urban attraction al-so for neighbouring towns. Theodolinda’ s foundation of a royal basilicathat would immortalise the Lombard conversion to Catholicism and thepassage from an elective to a hereditary monarchy were crucial eventsin Italian history that were translated into an outstanding architectural andartistic enterprise. Today, the earliest phases of the cathedral complexsurvive in the legendary Tesoro, dominated by the Iron Crown and con-taining one of the world’ s most important collections of early medievalgoldsmithery. The building’s later evolution is almost a resumé of the his-tory of Lombard art from the 14th to the 19th century: Campione’s Goth-

MonzaFrom the Lombards to the Year 2000

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Monza


ic church, the silver altar, the Zavattari brothers’ frescoes and then thoseby Luini, the great mannerist, baroque and rococo painted cycles andAndrea Appiani’s Neoclassical altar mark the passages of a quest last-ing many centuries, always dictated by the highest quality standards. Atthe same time, the Tesoro was constantly acquiring new pieces.

The second section, the old city centre inside the walls, is of com-pact urban design and enriched by the Lambro River and features a de-lightful sequence of building styles ranging from Gothic to eclectic: thecivil (Arengario) and religious (S. Maria in Strada, S. Pietro Martire, S. Maria al Carrobiolo) Middle Ages; the century chang es to thosesame churches; and the major refurbishments and palatial constructionsof the 19th and 20th centuries (Palazzo Comunale, Palazzo degli Stu-di, Palazzo di Giustizia) that created a fabric in which even “minor” hous-ing featured a still clearly visible noble continuity .

The third section comprises a dense network of villas – older ones,indeed, but most importantly Villa Reale, the three periods of major splen-dour of which are condensed in the names of Ferdinand of Habsburg,Napoleon I Bonaparte and Humbert I of Savoy , whose assassination inMonza (1900) lay behind the remarkable complex of the Cappella Espia-toria. The V illa, and its perpetuation in the legendary racetrack, alteredthe whole urban layout of the north of the city, bringing wide avenues andpark’s green spaces (the highest green/urban ratio in Lombardy).


Monza


By car: from Milan, Viale Fulvio Testi towards Monza, then SS36 towardsLecco, Monza Villa Reale exit; from Turin and Venice, A4 Torino-Venezia mo-torway, Cinisello-Sesto San Giovanni exit, then SS36 towards Lecco, Mon-za Villa Reale exit. From Bologna, A1 Firenze/Bologna-Milano motorway, Tan-genziale Est then Tangenziale Nord towards Como, Monza Centro exit. Info: www.autostrade.it

By air: from Linate (approx. 20 km from Monza), tel. 0274852200 (callcentre), www.sea-aeroportimilano.it/linate, 73 bus and shuttle to Milan-Stazione Centrale, info 026690351; from Malpensa (approx. 50 km fromMonza), tel. 0274852200 (call centre), www.sea-aeroportimi-lano.it/malpensa Malpensa Express to Milan.

By train: Monza is on the FS Milano-Bergamo, Milano-Como/Chiassoand Milano-Lecco railway lines. Info: www.trenitalia.it, tel. 892021

By coach: Autobus AGI Brianza Trasporti z223 (Milano-Cinisello-Mon-za railway station, celere) from M2/M3 Stazione Centrale, Autobus AGIBrianza Trasporti z221 (Milano-Sesto railway station M1-Monza-Carate-Mariano C.) from M1 Sesto metro station.

Getting there

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MonzaMunicipal website: www.comune.monza.mi.it

Iat Monza e Brianza: piazza Giosuè Carducci 2Tel. and fax: 039323222 E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Milan: 17 km. Map reference: E 4

Visits to Monza can be split into four itineraries.The first two are theme tours and explore artis-

tic and cultural attractions dating from the MiddleAges to modern times in the section of the city in-side the walls; the third takes a look outside thewalls; and the fourth visits Parco Reale (Royal Park)and the villas.

Inside the city walls: Medieval and Renaissance times

Roman and early medieval Modicia/Modoetia isnow but a distant memory save for the Roman re-mains of the L eoni bridge and the precious com-plex of the Duomo of S. Giovanni Battistawith theMuseo e Tesoro del Duomo (Duomo treasure andmuseum), the significance of which dates from itsLombard foundation by Theodolinda to celebrate

The Duomo (top right, aerial photo) and, right, a detail of the rose window



the conversion to Catholicism and the beginningsof her dynasty.

The priceless collection, recently expanded andrearranged in modern museum spaces, comprisesmaterial of the highest level, making it the most im-portant body of early medieval art in the world: theenigmatic Iron Crown, Theodolinda’s possessions(ampullas from the Holy Land , terracotta medallionof the Annunciation, Theodolinda’s Crown, Agilulf ’sCross, Adaloald’s Cr oss, Theodolinda’s Evangeliary,Mother hen with chicks), those of Berengario I (thediptychs from late-antiquity known as those of thePoet and Muse, of Stilicone and of David and Gre-gory, the Reliquary of John the Baptist’s tooth andBerengario I’s Cross). The sculpted plutei, tombs andsarcophagus in the basilica and the adjacent towerare the only architectural and sculptural remains ofthe period.

The basilica was reconstructed by Matteo daCampione, starting in 1300. Of that period it retainsthe basic structure, the Gothic façade with a lunetteover the doorway, sculptural features (pulpits and the

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famous Imperial coronation slab), numerous piecesof goldsmithery (including a sumptuous silver altarand G iangaleazzo Visconti’s c halice). E storre Vis-conti’s mummy is a rare anthropic specimen. T he15th-century late-Gothic style reached a peak in theTheodolinda chapel (1444), frescoed by the Zavat-tari brothers with a famous cycle on the Queen’s life.The Renaissance period commenced with the rosewindow by Stefano de’ F edeli (recomposed in the

It is because of its religious importanceand special link that the Iron Crown isconserved on a special altar in the Duo-mo, where it can be viewed. Tradition hasit that this precious diadem was used ina large number of coronations. As well asthe Lombard ones, in the Middle Agesalone, these included the hugely impor-tant ones of Charlemagne and FrederickI, Barbarossa.Information and visits: Museo e Tesoro delDuomo di Monza, tel. 03932638, web-site: www.museoduomomonza.it

The Iron Crown is kept on the altar of theTheodolinda chapel and is one of themost important pieces in the history ofthe Christian W est. Miraculously con-served to the present day, it consists ofsix gold segments adorned with preciousstones, roses and enamels. Inside is ametal band – which gives the crown its“Iron” name – that according to traditionis made of one of the nails used in theCrucifixion of Jesus. The relic is thoughtto have been found by St. Helena in 326and she had it inserted into the diademof her son, the Emperor Constantine. Re-cent historical investigations claim theCrown, the present form of which stemsfrom alterations made between the 5thand 9th centuries, is a royal Ostrogoth in-signia passed to the Lombards and even-tually come down to the Carolingian sov-ereigns, who had it restored and donat-ed it in or around the 11th century to theDuomo of Monza. Since then, the histo-ry of the Crown has been inextricablylinked to that of this city.

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Details of the interior of the Duomo, showing the organ and frescoes in the presbytery


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museum) and comprises three millefiori tapestriesand a fresco by Bernardino Luini ( St. Gerald).

A stone’s throw from the Duomo, a 13th-centu-ry tower-gate leads to the Leoni bridge. The paral-lel S. Gerardo bridge , built in 1215 and repeatedlyrevamped, takes its name from the nearby hospitalof S. Gerardo, the city’s main hospital since 1174 andlinked to the saint. The oratory of S. Gerardino con-serves Luini-style frescoes. T he old Arengario is arare example of civil architecture with a ground-floorportico and salon on the first floor; it was erected inthe second half of the 13th century and completedaround 138 0 with a parlera (rostrum for speakers)and, shortly afterwards, a crenellated tower . On theother side of piazza Carducci, Casa Gualtieri retainsmuch of the original 15th-century brick construction.

The city’s north-south axis (now via Italia and via

TheodolindaTheodolinda, daughter ofBavarian Duke Garibaldo,was the Lombard sovereignand Queen of Ital y fro m589. In that year, she mar-ried King Autari who diedsuddenly (perhaps poi-soned) just over a year af-ter t heir m arriage. I n t hesame autumn of 590, shemarried the Duke of T urin,Agilulf. A Catholic who ini-tially supported the schism,she later sought a rap-prochement with the churchof Pope Gregory the great.Agilulf died in May 616 leav-ing the title to his sonAdaloald, still a minor , andTheodolinda became re-gent. She increased hersupport of the CatholicChurch and worked to findlasting agreement with theEmperor.She died in 627, a year af-ter her son was dethroned,and she was buried along-side her husband in theDuomo in Monza, which shehad had built.

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The Theodolinda chapel, the Zavattari frescoes


Monza


Carlo Alberto) features two major examples of me-dieval architecture: the church of S. Maria in Stra-da (constructed by Ambrosolo da Milano from 1348on), with a heavily restored brick façade; and thechurch of S. Pietro Martire, the hub of the 14th-cen-tury Dominican complex, with Gothic architecture,the remains of frescoes and a 16th-century woodenCrucifixion.

The nearby S. Maria del Carrobiolo alle Umilia -te (indication of the Humiliati’s substantial presencein Monza) has a 14th-century bell tower but the con-struction (commenced in 1232) has repeatedly beenaltered. The city’s walled design can b e perceivedfrom the ring road, divided in two by the aforemen-tioned thoroughfare and the L ambro River, whic hruns parallel to it.

Inside the walls: Manne rismto the present day

While remaining true to its medieval urban de-sign, Monza spent an uninterrupted period b e-tween the mid-16th and late-18th centuries embel-lishing its historic buildings, such that their appear-ance was radically altered. One glaring example isthe Duomo of S. Giovanni Battista as the layoutof nave and two aisles and its Gothic façade wereretained but the interior was substantially changedwith a Mannerist presbytery (to a design by Pelle-

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The church of S. Pietro Martire, founded in the 14th century

Historical paradeThe bell tower in piazzaDuomo and the old Monzacity centre provide the set-ting for the historical pa-rade, a traditional period-costume event – part of theJune celebrations – thattakes the city back everyyear t o r elive a m ajor h is-toric moment in which itplayed a central part. Thisreturn to the past enjoyshuge public consensus andthe increasingly lively partic-ipation of numerous groupsof characters in period cos-tume from various parts andneighbouring villages in par-ticular come together in fullcollaboration and in the spir-it of the new province ofMonza and Brianza.


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grino T ibaldi), a large cycle in the transept byGiuseppe Arcimboldo, Giuseppe Meda and Gio-vanni Mauro della R overe, baroque c hapels withpaintings by Moncalvo and the Nuvolone family,17th-century frescoes in the presbytery (the workof the Montalto family, Ercole Procaccini theYounger, Carlo Cane), a cycle on the building inthe nave (the work, among others, of F ilippo Ab-biati and Sebastiano Ricci) and a grandiose trompel’oeil programme coordinated by Castellino andcompleted with figures by Gilardi, Borroni, Bor-toloni, Sassi, Porta and Carloni – all making it themost complete repertoire of the L ombard 18thcentury. The J ohn the Baptist tapestries in theTesoro are valuable examples of Mannerism, fol-lowed by many pieces of goldsmithery and a ric hpicture gallery. The Neoclassical conclusion to the

The foundation of the Basilica, a painting bySebastiano Ricci in the nave of the Duomo

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The stained-glass rose window in the counterfaçade of the Duomo, (late 19th cent.)


Monza


Duomo came in the form of a main altar by An-drea Appiani (1793-1798).

The Mannerist and baroque refurbishmentswere extended to the churches of S. Maria in Stra-da and S. Pietro Martire and, most importantly,thanks to the presence of the Barnabites, the

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The Sagra di S. Giovanni (feast of St.John) is held over the fortnight preced-ing 24 June, the saint’ s day, and com-prises a number of cultural, sports andfolklore events that end with a breath-taking fireworks display in the gardensof Villa Reale. The festival is of age-oldorigin and commemorates the construc-tion of the Duomo dedicated to St.John by Queen Theodolinda. Everyyear, a Historical Parade (see box on p.13) and a li vestock f air, on the park’sformer race course, are held in conjunc-tion with the festival.

After the Sagra di S. Biagio (feast of St.Blaise), on 3 February , the Sunday fol-lowing 25 March, on the day dedicatedto the Annunciation of the V irgin Mary,they hold the Sagra della Madonna delleGrazie (feast of the Madonna of Grace)with stalls set up around the Sanctuaryof the Madonna delle Grazie selling lo-cal handicrafts, a whole array of goodsand firun, a Monza sweetmeat consist-ing of baked chestnuts threaded onstrings to form chains.Every 6 June they celebrate the Festa diS. Gerardo (feast of St. Gerard) to re-member the anniversary of the saint’ sdeath. This religious festival includes aceremony that begins the evening be-fore the anniversary with the laying ofthe statue of the saint at the side of theLambro River, at San Gerardino, to com-memorate one of his miracles: the saintwanted to take food to families living onthe other side of the Lambro River dur-ing the famine; not having a raft or boat,he laid down his mantel loaded with pro-visions and was ferried across the river.

Monza Celebrations

Participants in the Historical Parade

The 18th-century façade of the church of S. Mariaal Carrobiolo

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church of S. Maria al Carrobiolo, which conservesa precious series of Mannerist paintings (OttavioSemino, Simone Peterzano, Moncalvo) and 18th-century frescoes by Andrea Porta, dating from thesame time as the nearby experience of S. Margheri-ta. At the side, the convent is entered through an18th-century doorway by Elia Vincenzo Buzzi andGiovanni Ruggeri. In or around 1 736, the churchof S. Maurizio was erected over the 13th-centurymonastery of S. Margherita to a design attributedto Giacomo Antonio Quadrio.

The city’s 19th-century (Napoleonic and Aus-trian) design was marked by the destruction of oldcomplexes such as the R occa Viscontea and nu-merous interventions: Contrada Ferdinandea (nowvia V ittorio Emanuele I I) built for F erdinand ofHabsburg in the late 18th century and developedin the mid-19th century with muc h housing; theconversion of the convent of S. Francesco to aSeminary (now Palazzo degli Studi) in 1830-1833by Giacomo Moraglia; the new Leoni bridge(1842); Collegio Bosisio in via Zucchi (1843) andthe coeval Casa Scanzi facing S. Pietro Martire; and19th-century houses with wrought-iron balconiesin via Carlo Alberto.

Following Italian Unification, the second halfof the 19th century brought major restorationworks (the refurbishment of S. Pietro Martire, thenew façade of S. Maria in Strada by Carlo Macia-chini in 1870) and the beginning of the Fascist con- Th

The Nun of MonzaMarianna De Leyva (Milan,1575-1650) belonged to aprominent family of Spanishorigin that held important po-sitions in the State of Milanand was the feudatory ofMonza. Her mother, VirginiaMaria, was the daughter ofa powerful Genoese banker,Tommaso Marino. In 1591,she entered the Monza con-vent of S. Margherita, whichno longer exists (the churchof S. Maurizio stands in itsplace today), with the nameof Sister V irginia. In 1598she embarked on a dramat-ic relationship with the no-bleman G ian P aolo O sio,whose home adjoined themonastery, which ended in aprominent trial.Sister Virginia was arrestedin Monza on 15 November1607 and was transferredto Milan, where she wassentenced, in 1608, to life-long confinement to awalled cell in house of theConvertite di S. V aleria,near S. Ambrogio, in Milan.Osio was condemned todeath. In 1622, the nun ob-tained a pardon but decidedto remain in the S. V aleriaretreat, where she stayeduntil her death. In The Be-trothed (Promessi Sposi ),Alessandro Manzoni usedthe figure of the “nun ofMonza” but changed thenames of the protagonists –Virginia became Gertrudeand her lover was calledEgidio – and moved the sto-ry a few decades forward intime (1628-1630).

Palazzo di Giustizia


Monza


version of the Pratum Magnum whic h includedsome demolitions (the church of S. Michele) andthe creation of the large nucleus of piazza Trentoe Trieste and piazza Carducci , and the work onthe City Hall (1928-1938) and the Monumento aiCaduti (War memorial, Enrico Pancera, 1932). Tothe northeast, the city’s redesign culminated withPalazzo di Giustizia (1934). After the war, numer-ous buildings were restored and the Duomo has re-cently been given a new museum.

Outside the walls: the royalstation and a religious route

South of the city, in Borgo di Porta Milano, therailway station (1884) conserves the royal waitingroom built for King Humb ert I and QueenMargherita of Savoy, who came to V illa Reale fortheir summer breaks (1884-1900). It is decoratedwith stuccowork and eclectic boiseries; the vault-ed ceiling features a painting by Mosè Bianchi por-traying The Savoy Genius (1883-1884).

Not far away, in via Guarienti, stands the oratory of S. Gregorio, designed in the late 17th cen-tury by Gerolamo Quadrio. Inside it conservesbaroque and rococo furnishings. During the 19thcentury, the church was incorporated into the build-ing design of the new city cemetery .

To the northeast is Borgo S. Gerardo and, in thestreet of the s ame name, the church of S. Gerardo

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Gerardo de’ TintoriSan Gerardo de’ T intori(Monza, ca 1134-1207) isthe patron saint of Monzaalong with St. John the Bap-tist. When his father died,he used his inheritance t ofound a hospital to care forthe sick and destitute. It wassituated on the left bank ofthe Lambro River, near thebridge today known as thatof S. Gerardino and wherethere is a small church ofthe same name. The hospi-tal remained in operation un-til the 18th century. In 1946,the city’s administration de-cided to commemorate hiswork by naming the 19th-century c ity h ospital a fterhim. He was buried at thechurch of S. Ambrogio (to-day S. Gerardo al Corpo).The most famous miracleshanded down by local tradi-tion include crossing theLambro River on his ownmantel after the bridge link-ing his hospital to the citywas destroyed and his giftof a basket of cherries, of-ten pictured with the saint,in mid-winter to the canonsof the Duomo in Monza,who had allowed him to stayand pray after the church’ sclosing time.


Monza


al Corpo, reconstructed in Neoclassical style over theprevious c hurch of S. Ambrogio ad N emus (10thcent.), the bell tower of which survives. It has a Lat-in-cross structure with a dome. The old 15th-centu-ry apse, today the right-hand chapel of the transept,conserves the remains of St. Gerald (12 07) in a sil-ver urn.

Farther north, on the road to Lecco, between viaMontecassino and the L ambro River, stands theSanctuary of S. Maria delle Grazie . The c hurchoriginally formed part of a 15th-century Franciscanconvent built over an earlier (1131) c hapel dedicat-ed to the Virgin Mary and has a late -Gothic façadeto which a porc h was later added. T he bell towerdates from the 15th century. On the polychrome-marble main altar is a muc h venerated painting ofthe Annunciation.

Nearby is a bridge with three spans known asthat of the Grazie Vecchie (1683), built for the Duri-ni and Casati families.

Outside the walls: Parco Reale and the Villas

Monza Park is an important European historicpark and the largest of those enclosed within walls.

Aerial view of Villa Reale inMonza and, below, thefaçade

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It was created for Eugène de Beauharnais andNapoleon Bonaparte in 18 05-1806, incorporatingan area north of the city crossed by the L ambroRiver and comprising the arc hitectural and land-


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scape nucleus of Villa Mirabello and Villa Mirabelli-no as well as the wooded area known as the “BoscoBello”. The Napoleonic government wanted thesite to serve leisure purposes of relaxation and hunt-ing but also be of public utility, promoting the rear-ing of plants and animals. During the 19th centu-ry, the architects who succeeded each other, Lui-gi Canonica and his pupil Giacomo Tazzini firstand then, in the second half of the century, headgardener Luigi Villoresi, sought to blend the exist-ing architectural features with the landscape. T hepark was opened to the public in 1919, the year inwhich the park and V illa R eale b ecame stateowned. In 19 20, it was passed to a consortiummade up of the municipal authorities of Monzaand Milan plus the Società Umanitaria. Authorisa-tion to build the Autodromo Nazionale (racetrack)was granted in 1922.

Recent major regeneration work on the parkincludes the recovery of the Vedano hill landscape,the reinstatement of the Villa Reale optical tele-scope and the architectural restoration of the 19th-century Cascina Fontana, the central s alon in Vil-la Mirabello, the neo-Gothic doorway in the Giar -dini Reali and the positioning, near Cascina Casalta,of the Lo scrittore (The Writer) sculpture by Gian-

Villa Reale, the grand ballroom

Monza in Napoleonic Times After his mother Giuseppinamarried Bonaparte, EugéneBeauharnais (1781-1824)joined the General’s retinuein Italy. With the advent ofthe Empire, he subsequent-ly became Prince Français,Grand State Chancellor andViceroy of Italy , residing inMilan. He strove to form anarmy and reorganise the ad-ministration, promulgatedthe Napoleonic code andhad major public works car-ried out. After the disas-trous expedition to Russia,he tried to defend the King-dom of Italy against Austri-an attack, also securing avictory on the Mincio River.After the insurrection of Mi-lan, he sought refuge in Mu-nich, with Augustus ofBavaria whose daughter ,Amalia Augusta, he hadmarried in 1800.

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carlo Neri (2005) and, between Cascina Cernuschiand the Valle dei Sospiri, the La voliera per Umaniinstallation by Giuliano Mauri (2006).

The building of the greatest arc hitectural andhistoric portent in the park, preceding its creation,is Villa Reale , constructed b etween 1777 and 1780

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Queen MargheritaMargherita of Savoy Genoa(Turin, 1851-Bordighera,1926) was the first Queenof Italy from 1878 to 1900.Daughter of Fer dinand,Duke of Genoa, the secondson of V ictor Emmanuel II,and Elisabeth of Saxony ,she married her cousin, thehereditary prince Humbert,later King of Italy (HumbertI) in Turin on 22 April 1868.In 1869, she became themother of Victor Emmanuel,future King of Italy.

sovereign was leaving the pavilion wherethe event had been held in an open car-riage and without the protective steelmail he usually wore beneath his waist-coat because of the heat, to the ap-plause of the crowd and with the bandplaying the royal march. Gaetano Brescileapt forward holding a pistol and fired

three shots in rapid suc-cession. Humbert was hitin a shoulder, lung andheart and died soon after-wards. He was buried inthe Pantheon (Rome).Bresci was tried on 29 Au-gust and sentenced to lifeimprisonment. He wasclosed in the prison ofSanto Stefano where hewas found hanged in hiscell in May 1901.

Humbert of Savoy was born in T urin on14 March 1844. He succeeded his fatherwith the name of Humbert I in 1878. Af-ter two failed attempts, the first by Gio-vanni Passannante in Naples in 1878 andthe second by Pietro Acciarito in Romein 1897, he was assassinated in Monzaon 29 July 1900 by the anarchist Gae-tano Bresci, who wantedto avenge the repressionof the popular uprisings in1898. The king and queenhad arrived in Monza for aholiday on 21 July. On 29,Humbert was asked tohonour the closing cere-mony of the athletic com-petition organised by theForti e Liberi sports asso-ciation with his presence.Around 10.30pm, the

Humbert I and the Regicide

Villa Reale in Monza, detail of the main block


Monza


The Villa Reale Roseto The V illa Reale Rose Gar-den was created in 1963 ina space in front of the villaoriginally g iven over to thecultivation of citrus fruit atthe wishes of the industrial-ist after whom it is nownamed, Niso Fumagalli.Every year in May, the Rose-to is the venue for a leadinginternational competitionthat has since 1965 award-ed prizes to the best roses,divided into several cate-gories. The Roseto is opento visitors and boasts impor-tant specimens of old rosesincluding the famous “Belladi Monza ” created in theearly 19th century, the “Chi-nensis” rose, introduced in-to Europe from China andthat gave roses the previ-ously unseen orangey-redcolour, and the first Tea ros-es, thus named because tra-ditionally said to have beenbrought to Europe on boardships transporting tea.Info: Associazione italianadella Rosa – Roseto “NisoFumagalli”, tel. 039320994;www.a i rosa. i t ; e -mai l : [email protected]

The Niso Fumagalli Roseto and the Villa Reale courtyard, where the entrance is situated

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to a project by Giuseppe Piermarini as a holidayhome for Archduke Ferdinand, son of the EmpressMaria Theresa and Governor of Habsburg L om-bardy. The structure, in monumental Neoclassicalstyle, has the traditional horseshoe layout endingin avant-corps which flank a ceremonial courtyard.The avant-corps on the left houses a c hapel dedi-cated to the Virgin Mary, decorated with works byGiocondo Albertolli and Giuliano T raballesi; theone on the right contains the riding sc hool. Neo-classical alterations most notably include the dec-oration of the Rotonda, frescoed by Andrea Appi-ani with a cycle on Cupid and Psyche. The complexretained its function during the French occupation,housing first Napoleon himself and then V iceroyEugène Beauharnais. F urther additions were thework of Luigi Canonica, designer of the Teatrinodi Corte , constructed in the outhouses, originallyintended to house the sta bles and kitc hens andwhich also contained the Serrone, now an exhibi-tion space. Adjacent to these is the Roseto, namedafter Niso Fumagalli, created in the old citrus gar-den in 1963. After Italian Unification, the Villa be-came King Humbert I’s favourite residence.

The interiors conserve the apartments of theKing and his consort Margherita and ref lect theneo-baroque taste favoured by the sovereigns, whorequested refurbishments entrusted to the arc hi-tects Luigi Mainoni, Achille Tarantola and Villama-rina. After the king’s assassination (1900), the roy-al family abandoned the building, which is now thefocus of a regeneration plan.


Monza


Open Day in theVillas of Brianza Villas in Brianza open theirdoors to visitors for an ex-traordinary day spent ex-ploring this area’s artisticand architectural treas-ures. The local villas, gar-dens, churches and castlesprovide Brianza with an at-tractive and sometimes stilllittle-known heritage thatlays bare the innermostsoul of what is today oneof the most developed in-dustrial zones in Italy. In re-cent years, “Ville Aperte”has become quite anevent, an unmissable datethat takes people back tothe roots of the newProvince’s identity. Everyyear, thousands of attend-ing visitors confirm thesuccess of this event, aprestigious cultural eventfor the new Province thatalso benefits from the HighPatronage of the Presidentof the Italian Republic.Info: www.villeaperte.info

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The façade of Villa Mirabello

Relaxing in Monza Park, the great ‘green lung’ of the province

The villa complex includes the Giardini R eali(royal gardens), separated from the rest of the parkby a wall built with material salvaged from the ru-ins of the Visconti castle. Based on the “English gar-den” model, the gardens were enriched with grot-tos, small watercourses, a Doric-style templet b e-side a small lake, an artificial hill with paths and aneo-Gothic Visconti tower.

Leaving Villa Reale behind you, on the left sideof the large avenue that forms its monumental en-trance you will see the Cappella Espiatoria (1910),erected to a design by Giuseppe Sacconi on thespot where Humbert I was assassinated by the an-archist Gaetano Bresci on 29 July 1900. On the topof the structure is a tall stele embellished with theroyal symbols. Above the entrance to the c hapelis a Pietà by Ludovico Pogliaghi.

Leave the gardens and proceed along thepaved road in front of the gate and you will cometo Viale Mirabello, which leads to the villa of thesame name.

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Villa Mirabello was constructed by the Durinifamily, on what is thought to have b een the siteof the De Leyva castle, to a design by GerolamoQuadrio b etween 1656 and 16 75. In or around1768, Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini asked for thebuilding – with horseshoe plan and two squaretowers – to be redesigned and enriched with fres-coes, with the aim of creating a place of refinedentertainment for prominent figures and men ofletters. Guests included Giuseppe P arini (whodedicated an ode, La gratitudine, to the cardinal)and Metastasio. In Napoleonic times, his govern-ment incorporated it into the park. It now con-tains some habitation.

special point of sale open from 8.30amto 12.30pm. It also organises courseson e nvironmental s ubjects, g ardeningand ornamental plant management.

The Società Agricola Colosio Giuseppe Lu-ciano e Sergio , situated in Monza Park(via Molino S. Giorgio 17, tel. 039302480) produces milk and organiccheeses. There is a milk booth for directsales to the public and school studentscan visit the animals by appointment. The Scuola A graria d el P arco d i M onza(Viale Cavriga 3, tel. 0392302979, fax 039325309, [email protected],www.monzaflora.it, d irector A ntonellaPacilli) is within the park boundaries andfocuses on fruit and vegetables, bee-keeping, nursery gardening and com-posting. Barley, honey and ornamentalplants can be purchased directly at the

Farming in the park

Out of interest

The Neoclassical Mulino del Cantone

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The wooded banks of the Lambro River in the Parco Reale di Monza

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Villa Reale seen from the Giardini Reali

Monza Park, Cascina Mulini Asciutti

The Park: numbers and info

Park IDSurface area: Villa Reale: 35 haPark: 685 haGrassy areas: 137 haWoods: 295 ha

Points of entry: 5Surrounding walls: 13 kmDate of birth: 14 September 1805

Forest trees: 110,000Bridges: 4Stately villas: 3Farms: 13Mills: 3Visitors/day: 60,000(source P.I.M. May 1996)

Info PointFor any information regard-ing your location or thepark’s history, you can visitthe Cascina Bastia (Porta diMonza entrance, V iale Bri-anza), open every day from10am to 5.30pm. Info-line:0392300009

On the left side of the central block is the Rid-ing Centre. To complete the Villa Mirabello sce-nario, Cardinal Durini had a second structure builton a natural terrace in 1776, Villa Mirabellino, de-signed by Giulio Galliori and linked by a hornbeamwalk, of which some specimens have survived.

Along Viale Mirabellino you will encounter theRationalist RAI TV broadcasting complex, with itslarge aerial, designed by Gio P onti in 195 2. Con-tinue along this avenue past Cascina S. Fedele ,visible to the right on high; built to a design byCanonica in 1805, it incorporated sculptures fromthe destroyed c hurch of S. Maria in Brera in Mi-lan. The building is one of a large number of cascine(farm complexes) built between the late 18th cen-tury and the early decades of the 19th century thatenrich the park’s heritage, along with some mills,the only one still in operation being that of CascinaMulini Asciutti.



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The Autodromo, owned by the cities of Mon-za and Milan, was constructed in just 110days in the year 19 22 by a team of 3,5 00

workers at the request of the Automobile Clubdi Milano for the 25th anniversary of its founda-tion (1897). S IAS SpA (Società Incremento Au-tomobilismo e Sport), federated to the Automo-bile Club d’Italia, was founded for the purposeand still manages the trac k. The architect Alfre-do Rosselli and engineer Piero Purricelli’s designwas for a structure that could serve both compet-itive races and car and motorcycle testing.

The Autodromo was officially opened on 3September 1922; it hosted the Gran Premio Mo-tociclistico delle Nazioni on the following 8 Sep-tember and the second Italian Grand Prix on 10September. Since then, except during the war pe-riod and in a few other years (Livorno 1937; Mi-lan 1 947; Turin 1 948; I mola 1 980), the I talian

The Monza Autodromo

Bird’s eye view of theracetrack and the Formula 1racing cars


The MonzaAutodromo


Grand Prix has always b een raced on the Mon-za circuit.

The whole structure has b een repeatedlymodernised, mostly from WWI I to the presentday, to make sure it is at the cutting edge and oneof the most demanding but also s afest tracks fordrivers. The Autodromo comprises a Grand Prixcircuit (5793 m), a Junior circuit (2 405 m) and ahigh-speed circuit (4 250 m). Its crowd capacityis approx. 135,000 spectators, with approximate-ly 75,000 seats.

It also comprises a large centre for leisure ac-tivities and non-motor sports. Every year it holdsnumerous track, cycling and other sports eventsas well as art and automobile/motorcycle fairs.It also offers spaces for meetings and musicevents. When not being used for testing or races,the track is open to visitors in cars or on motor-cycles, bicycles (for hire), foot and roller-skates.Safe-driving courses run by professional instruc-tors are of special social importance.

Existing amenities include an 18-hole golfcourse, a riding school and an indoor Olympionicswimming pool. The racetrack’s camping site ishugely popular and situated in a clearing in thecentre of the north section of P arco Reale. Infoat: www.monzanet.it

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Monza PlusAs everyone awaits theFormula 1 Grand Prix, nu-merous side events ani-mate the city centre, al-ways attracting thousandsof visitors and spectators.Motors are the core focusthroughout the week inthe Area Cambiaghi andpiazza Castello with quadshows, safe-driving cours-es and the Go Kart, MiniAuto and Mini Mototracks. The programmeincludes much music anddancing and caters for amixed public in piazzaDuomo and piazza Carro-biolo. Concerts by Italianand foreign artists andcabaret and theatrical per-formances brighten upthe evenings in the citycentre.Ample space is given overto sport with 15 disciplinesrepresented and numer-ous events held in the Vil-laggio dello Sport in pi az-za Cambiaghi, with theparticipation of the sportsassociations from the sur-rounding area.Art, history and culturelovers can join guidedtours to Monza attrac-tions and attend the nu-merous book and photo-graph exhibitions withsports themes. Info:www.monzapiueventi.it

Spectators watching thestart of the Italian Grand Prix



In the 19th century, the abundance of greenspaces in Brianza and the printed pictures illus-

trating its scenery earned the region the name“the garden of Lombardy”. Despite the very denseindustrialisation and urbanis ation th at affectedthe area in the 20th century, it conserves remark-able nature areas, now organised into the Parchidi Monza e Brianza system. T his is a “network”along the lines of those already created in otherparts of Europe in which several bodies work to-gether to promote nature, culture and tourism inprotected areas. T he system offers all potentialusers a map of the environmental resources andnumerous initiatives promoted by the governingbodies, a single ticket to all the parks and an easyguide for nature -loving visitors. T he “system”

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Parks in Brianza

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comprises two regional parks, the Valle del Lam-bro Park, which includes Monza’s famous ParcoReale (Royal Park), and the Groane Park, plusother important spaces of municipal and intermu-nicipal importance.

Regional Parks Groane Park. The Groane is a zone of enormousgeological and botanical interest with woods andvast heathlands as its main features. T he clayeyterrain favoured the establishment of quarries andfurnaces and some vie del mattone theme routeshave b een signposted to b oth quarries and oldfurnaces. The huge area is home to numerousstately homes (17th-19th cent.). See p. 38 for in-formation.

Valle del Lambro Park. This stretches for approx-imately 25 kilometres from Monza to Erba alongthe Lambro River. The crucial role played by theriver is demonstrated by the presence of 31 oldmills. The park area features hugely different habi-tats that do, however, share a strong imprint leftby humans and their work. T here are importantwoods of false acacia, hornb eam, common oak,alder and ash trees. Thanks to the variety of habi-tats, fauna is highly diversified, especially as con-cerns birds. The park also comprises Monza Park(the largest walled park in Europe, spread over 685ha), which embraces several Brianza centres in-cluding, as well as Monza, Biassono, Vedano alLambro, Villasanta and Lesmo.

The Oasi Lipu inCesano Maderno

The Lipu (Ital-ian league forthe birds pro-tection) Oa-

sis was established in 1997thanks to the joint collabo-ration of Lipu, the city ofCesano Maderno and theConsorzio Parco delleGroane and extends over asurface area comprising ap-proximately 100 ha ofwoods, moorland and wet-lands set close to a highlyurbanised and industri-alised area. A network ofpaths indicated by stonesand Lipu signs and apedestrian-cycle path takevisitors through the threeareas that constitute theOasis. A raised observa-tion point and specially con-structed hides along theroutes allow birdwatching.Since 2003 it has featuredthe Centro di Formazioneed Educazione Ambientale,an educational centre ded-icated to the ecologist AlexLanger and an example ofsustainable architecture allin timber and with solar andphotovoltaic panels forheating. The centre offersdisabled access and con-tains a conference room,educational workshopsand a space set aside foran environmental library.The centre organises nu-merous activities, fromtraining courses for lectur-ers and environmental op-erators to educationalroutes for school visits andrecreational pastimes foryoung children. For furtherdetails visit: www.oasicesanomaderno.it

A cycle path in the Groane Park


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Established in 1805-1806 by Napoleon Bonapartefor his stepson, Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais, itcomprises valuable landscapes, V illa Reale, V illaMirabello and V illa Mirab ellino, an importantbody of farm complexes and mills and the famousAutodromo. See pp. 25 and 76 for information.

Extramunicipal parks Brughiera Briantea Park. This lies between Me-da and Como and has one of the largest forestson the L ombard plain. Its clayey ground led tothe development of an industry to extract andprocess the clay . The abandoned quarries nowcontain several small lakes.

Brianza Ce ntrale Park. A city park that runsaround the city of Seregno and is nearly all farm-land. T he park has several green spaces, thelargest being the Meredo F arming Park and the2 Giugno alla P orada Park, covering 7 0 and 5 0hectares respectively.

Colli Briantei Park. This lies b etween the Valledel L ambro and Molgora parks and comprisesthe first hilly reliefs (pianalti) in eastern Brianza.It is a major link in the provincial eco network.

Valletta Park. Lying between the Montevecchiaand Valle del Lambro parks, this features charm-ing scenery peculiar to the upper Lombard plain,notably morainic hills dating from the Quaternary

New woods in the BrianzaCentrale Park

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Children and animals in the Grugnotorto Villoresi Park


Parks inBrianza


age f ormed b y t he A dda g lacier. T he p ark i snamed after both the feature of its lowlying areaand an irrigation ditch of the same name (a trib-utary of the Bevera) that runs through it fromnorth to west. T he presence of several habitatsattracts quite a variety of animal species.

Molgora Park. The protected areas in the Mol-gora Park, which now extends over approximate-ly 1,000 ha, have a steeply vertical developmentgiven its close relationship with the River Mol-gora that f lows through the northeast Milanesearea from north to south. T he park is run by aconsortium of all the concerned municipalities.As well as safeguarding and promoting nature,the park also fosters knowledge of the area andits historical, cultural and scenic value.

Rio Vallone Park. This is spread over a total sur-face area of 480 ha along the river it is named af-ter, the Rio Vallone. The vegetation is extremelyrich and the fauna diversified, with 13 species ofmicromammals, including the dormouse and har-vest mouse.

Grugnotorto Villoresi Park. This acts as a link be-tween the N ord Milano, Groane and V alle delLambro parks and alternates cultivated fields andworking farms with green spaces. It has a lake,split in two with one half used for angling and

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the other as a habitat for moorhens, ducks, geese,wild swans and herons.

Cavallera Park (in preparation). Established byArcore, Concorezzo, Monza, V illasanta andVimercate, this occupies an area of 65 0 ha andtakes its name from the old Cascina Cavallera, inthe park. It features a strong farming vocation andthe presence of numerous evenly distributed ru-ral cascine (farms) of very old origin.

Media Valle del Lambro Park. Established in2002, this has a surface area of 114 ha and is onthe territory of Brugherio and Cologno Monzese.

Parco Est delle Cave (in preparation). This ex-tends over a surface area of 573 ha, predominant-ly farmland, and is spread over the Milanese mu-nicipalities of Carugate, Cernusco sul Naviglio,Cologno Monzese and Vimodrone, and Brianza’sBrugherio. There is a large presence of quarries,one of which, that of the Increa Park, has beenregenerated for leisure purposes.

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www.parcomolgora.it; e-mail: [email protected] Vallone ParkHeadquarters c/o Cavenago Brianza,Cascina S. Sofia 1 (open Mondays andThursdays 4-6pm); tel. 0295335235;website: www.parcoriovallone.it; e-mail:[email protected] ParkAssociazione Amici della Valletta, web-site: www.lavalletta.org; e-mail: [email protected] Briantei ParkHeadquarters c/o Camparada municipal-ity, piazza Municipio 1, tel. 039698541;website: www.parcocollibriantei.it; e-mail:[email protected] ParkHeadquarters not yet established.Website: www .parchivimercatese.brianzaest.it; e-mail: [email protected]

Brianza Centrale ParkHeadquarters c/o Seregno mu nicipal-ity, via Umberto I 78; tel. 0362263308,0362263332; website: www .parcobrianzacentrale.it; e-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Briantea ParkHeadquarters c/o Lentate sul Seveso mu-nicipality, via Matteotti 8; tel. 0362515203; website: www .parcobrughiera.it; e-mail: [email protected] Villoresi ParkHeadquarters c/o Town Hall, via Gran-di 15, Paderno Dugnano; tel. 0291004369; website:www .comune.paderno-dugnano.mi.it/grugnotorto/;e-mail:[email protected] ParkHeadquarters c/o via Roma 5, BuragoMolgora; tel. 0396612944; website:

Park details

The Valletta Park



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BrugherioWebsite: www.comune.brugherio.mi.it

Pro Loco Brugherio: via Vittorio Veneto 13Distance from Monza: 5 km. Distance from Milan: 16 km

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This town lies southeast of Monza, to the left ofthe road to Vimercate, and is now a major indus-

trial settlement known thanks to its electrical-appli-ance production. The place name stems from “ bru-go”, a heather-like shrub that appears in the Brughe-rio coat-of-arms and adapts well to the clayey ter-rain typical of the area. The oldest written record onthe area is found in St. Ambrose’s “Martiriologio”(374 AD). T he seat of a prominent Benedictinemonastery of early medieval foundation and madethe fief of the Seccoborella family in the 15th centu-ry, it became a municipality in 1866 with the annex-ation of the Bindellera, Casecca, Gelos a, Increa andOcchiate farm complexes and the villages of S. Dami-ano, Cascina Baraggia and Moncucco, previously au-tonomous territorial bodies and with partially differ-ent histories.

Old places of worship abound in the municipal-ity. The parish church of S. Bartolomeo, consecrat-ed by St. Charles Borromeo in 15 78 and repeatedlyaltered, conserves relics of the Three Kings that aredisplayed on the Epiphany every year. It was strong-ly remoulded in the 18th century and in the middleof the next century with the intervention of Giaco-mo Moraglia, who designed its dome.

The Relics of the Three Kings The relics were initially tak-en to Constantinople by St.Helena. Constantine latergave them to ArchbishopEustorgio of Milan and theywere conserved in a citybasilica named after him.Removed by Frederick IBarbarossa in 1164 and tak-en to Cologne, only in the20th century were some ofthe relics returned. Accord-ing to tradition, St. Ambrosegave the relics of three pha-lanxes belonging to theWisemen to his sister Mar-cellina who owned propertyin the Brugherio area. Onher death, they were givento the Milanese diocese. ABenedictine convent wasfounded on this site, namedafter St. Ambrose, and con-served the holy remains,which were then moved tothe parish church of S. Bar-tolomeo at the request ofArchbishop Federico Bor-romeo in 1613.

The parish church of S. Bartolomeo


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The internal decoration dates from the finaldecades of the 19th century and the first half of the20th century and is the work of Giovanni Valtorta ofMilan, E nrico M ariola o f P iedmont a nd VittorioGranchi of Milan. The Cascina S. Ambrogio, linkedtraditionally to St. Marcellina, sister of St. Ambrose,became a monastery of Benedictine nuns after the10th century, flanked by a church that is still stand-ing. Despite some alterations, the structure of theCascina was never radically altered. T he presentchurch of S. Ambrogio was restored in 18 86. Thebrick façade is in L ombard Romanesque style andthe building contains fine works of art and two 14th-century frescoes.

The church of S. Anna , in the hamlet of SanDamiano, formed part of the now lost Villa Viganoni-Benaglia, and dates from 853 AD. The present build-ing is an 18th-century construction. The church ofS. Margherita, in the hamlet of Baraggia, is also ofold foundation but baroque in appearance, like theoratory of the Beata Vergine of Cascina Guzzina andthe church of Cascina Increa.

Noteworthy civil buildings include PalazzoGhirlanda Silva, now the home of the town libraryand an example of 18th-century N eoclassical archi-tecture. A stately residence owned by Count Scotti,it has been in existence since the 16th century. Aftercoming into the ownership of Marquis Silva, it passed

Brugherio Celebrates The Festa Paesana di S. Dami-ano (town fête of St. Dami-an) is organised in June bythe traders’ association withthe backing of the localcouncil office for t rade. Itfeatures jugglers, a bandconcert and markets offer-ing opportunities to taste lo-cal dishes and have fun atthe evening dances.The second or third Sundayin September brings the tra-ditional Festa delle Occhiate(Occhiate Festival) at theCascina di Occhiate with as-sorted entertainment for thepublic and a chance to tastewholesome culinary special-ities in keeping with the tra-dition of the Cascina (farm)and the mill it serves.On t he s econd S unday i nOctober the Festa Patronaledella Madonna del SS. Rosarioe di S. Bartolomeo (Feast ofthe Patron Saint of theMadonna of the HolyRosary and St. Barthole-mew) comprises religiouscelebrations, local cu linaryspecialities, markets and afun fair sponsored by theBrugherio office for trade.

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The chapel of S. Lucio, beside Villa Sormani


Brugherio


to the Ghirlanda family in Milan, members of whichsold it in 18 72 to the town of Brugherio, whichturned it into a school and municipal offices.

The hamlet of Moncucco features the 18th-cen-tury Villa Bolognos Sormani Andreani . A round1820, at the recommendation of Giocondo Albertol-li, Count Gianmario Andreani had some Renaissancearchitectural structures of an oratory threatened withdemolition transported from Lugano and these arenow the chapel of S. Lucio. A considerable under-taking for the times, Alb ertolli completed the con-struction with a pronaos and a f light of steps.

Villa Fiorita was founded in the 18th-century onpre-existing outbuildings by Count Scotti and passed,in 1778, to Gaspare Ghirlanda b efore later b eingturned into a clinic for nervous disorders. The painterFilippo De Pisis lived there, using the conservatoryannexed to the complex as his studio.

The Museo Galbiati is spread over three f loorsand conserves a collection of approximately 150 bi-cycles dating from 1790 to 1950; a collection of 250barrel organs and accordions; a collection of morethan 250 phonographs and gramophones; more than10,000 records in a vast array of types; and 400 “mys-terious objects” and work tools.

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The Mulino di OcchiateThis structure is one of theoldest in the province ofMilan and was built in oraround the year One thou-sand. It is a cereal mill withtwo wheels, one wood andthe other metal. It employswater from the Molinara orMornera irrigation ditch,generated by the LambroRiver and then returned toit, which just touches theCologno Monzese area.Today, it serves education-al purposes.

Villa Bolognos Sormani Andreani viewed from the garden

The Villa Fiorita Park



Until the mid-17th century the western section of what is today’s provin-

ce presented features typical of many parts of Lombardy: a dense me-

dieval network of religious buildings; early 16th-century embellishments;

a systematic restyling commenced in the late 16th century; and the gra-

dual conversion of medieval fortresses and houses to 16th-century man-

sions. The most salient moments in this long history are the amazing 14th-

century frescoes in S. Stefano in Lentate sul Seveso and the remains of

those (now in Brera) of the nearby and coeval Mocchirolo; the 15th-cen-

tury Crucifixion in Villa Clerici, also in Lentate; the Renaissance frescoes

in S. Damiano in Cogliate; the large 15th-16th century complex of S. Vit-

tore in Meda, with a Pietà by Andrea da Milano, the huge frescoed cycle

and the 17th-century altarpiece by Cerano; the Luini-style fresco in Bar-

lassina; the 16th-century cycle of Ss. Rocco e Sebastiano in Seregno;

and the 16th-17th century reconstruction of the sanctuary of Lazzate.

The reconstruction of Palazzo Arese (later Borromeo) in Cesano Ma-

derno commenced in 1652 was a crucial achievement in Lombard art: the

huge palazzo belonging to Bartolomeo III Arese, president of the Senate

in Milan and of the Consejo de Italia in Madrid, constitutes a microcosm

in which political needs, cultural development trends and the latest artistic

fashions came together in the name of a strong scientific and naturalistic

Western Brianzaits stately homes and its monasteries

Monza 036_073:Layout 1 21/05/09 13:43 Pagina 36

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interest and close links with the Roman classicism mediated by the Ambro-

siana Academy in Milan. The organisation of the mansion regenerated the

whole city with its garden and wide driveway marked by buildings. A model

capital, Cesano became a paradigm for dozens of other buildings in the Sta-

te of Milan, built for the members of the Arese guild, and specific spaces

such as the Sala dei Fasti Romani, the Galleria Sapienziale and the

nymphaeum remained models for decades. The religious world of this mo-

ment saw the reconstruction, at the request of Arese, of the sanctuary of

S. Pietro Martire al Faro in Seveso: this place of worship on the site of the

martyrdom of the Dominican inquisitor became a classicist churchAfter Cesano, the culture of the villa characterised the area: the 18th-

century examples of Villa Volta Sannazzaro in Lentate (with frescoes bythe Tiepolo-style artist M. Bortoloni) and Villa Crivelli al Mombello in Lim-biate; the Functionalism of V illa Agnesi in Varedo, home of the scientistM. Gaetana and under renovation; the Neoclassical episodes of Villa An-tona Traversi in Meda and V illa Traversi Tittoni in Desio, later convertedto one of the very first neo-Gothic complexes in Europe; the Italian Libertystyle of Villa Bagatti Valsecchi in Varedo and Villa Ponticelli in Nova Mi-lanese; the Rationalism of Villa Bianca in Seregno, by G. Terragni. On thereligious front came significant episodes: the neo-Romanesque Benedic-tine complex in Seregno; the neo-Renaissance solemnity of the basilicain Desio; and Spirito Maria Chiappetta’s passage from the neo-Gothic sty-le seen in S. Stefano Nuovo in Cesano Maderno to the Rationalism of S.Valeria in Seregno.


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Parco delle GroaneThe Groane Park extends over a surface area of approximately 3,400 haand cuts vertically across 16 municipalities, northwest of the city of Milan.The area is served by a dense network of foot and cycle paths (running tomore than 35 km), picnic areas and nature trails. Headquarters: Solaro, viadella Polveriera 2 (open Mondays and Wednesday-Friday 9am-noon; Tues-days 2.30-4.30pm); tel. 029698141; website: www .parcogroane.it; e-mail: [email protected]

Istituto per la Storia dell’Arte Lombarda (ISAL)Established in 1967, this is a non-profit free cultural association that pro-motes, furthers and backs research into the Lombard figurative and archi-tectural production, circulating the results with conferences and publica-tions. The operational base of the institute is in the Neoclassical wing ofPalazzo Arese Jacini, also the Town Hall: piazza Arese 12, tel. 0362528118;website: www.istitutoartelombarda.org

Università San RaffaeleFollowing an agreement drawn up between the Università Vita-Salute SanRaffaele and the town of Cesano Maderno, Palazzo Arese Borromeo nowhouses the teaching activities of the Faculty of Philosophy, including a de-gree course in philosophy and a specialist degree course in philosophy ofthe mind and person, city and history. Info: www.unisr.it

To learn more

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LazzateMunicipal website: www.lazzate.com

Pro Loco Lazzate: via Volta 8. Website: www.prolocolazzate.it E-mail: [email protected] Distance from Monza: 21 km

Distance from Milan: 29 km. Map reference: C 2

Crossed by the Guisa River, this town lies on thewesternmost edge of the province of Monza

and adjoins Lentate sul Seveso. The site is thoughtto have b een a holiday area of the patricians inRoman times. T he first written document men-tioning it is, however, the 13th-century Liber noti-tiae Sanctorum Mediolani by Goffredo da Bussero,which records the existence of the church of S.Lorenzo, rebuilt in 1758 and then extended againin the 2 0th century, like the other important re-ligious construction in Lazzate, the Sanctuary ofthe Beata Vergine di Caravaggio. Modern docu-ments record the successive passages of the feud

Lazzate celebrates The third week in Septem-ber brings the Sagra dellaPatata e Mercatino d’Autunno(Potato Festival and Au-tumn Fair), an event organ-ised by the local counciland the “Borgo in Festa”association and based on arespect for and promotionof traditions and a passionfor the fruits of the earth.It is held in the streets ofthe old town centre andthe central piazza Giovan-ni XXIII; the Sagra dellaPatata restaurant is set upbeneath a tensile structureand welcomes guests fortastings of an array of po-tato-based dishes. The finefood i s a ccompanied b ymusic performances andcabaret.

The church of S. Lorenzo


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from the Missaglia to the Biraghi families, the lat-ter having, in the late 15th century, constructed aresidence that is still standing (private property)but radically restyled in the 18th century . It wasthen passed on to the Carcassola family whic h,from 16 26, shared the seigniory with the Aresefamily, whose presence is commemorated in themunicipal coat-of-arms, featuring the bird’s rightwing that comes from the arms of this leading no-ble family.

A painting in vicolo Madonna commemoratesa brutal cholera epidemic in the 19th century. Af-ter Italian Unification, L azzate was incorporatedinto the district of Monza and lost its municipalautonomy when it was annexed to Misinto. It be-came an autonomous municipality once more in1905. It recently embarked on a major regenera-tion project in the via Volta and piazza GiovanniXXIII area that supplements aesthetic improve-ments such as the construction of a fountain fea-turing plays of water and an artificial lake and riv-er along the perimeter of the square evoking theold irrigation ditch, with technological ones. Partof the municipal territory falls within the P arcoNaturale Regionale delle Groane (Groane park)and this green space can be explored on foot, cy-cle and equestrian paths. T he itineraries includeone to the so-called Roccolo di Lazzate, an oldbird hunting spot now a wood of oak, hornbeamtrees and extensive moorland.

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Not far from the parishchurch in Lazzate standsthe house that AlessandroVolta (1745-1827) inherit-ed from his relatives of theStampa family . A plaquecommemorates the scien-tist’s sojourns and the tra-dition that says it was herethat he invented the elec-tric battery (1800), whichappears in the centre ofthe municipal coat-of-arms. Documents statethat Volta conducted ex-periments in the presenceof the local country peo-ple. The aforementionedplaque also says that thescientist introduced thecultivation of a certain va-riety of potato on his re-turn from a stay inSwitzerland.

Lazzate, the house where Alessandro Volta stayed

Alessandro Volta,an illustrious guest



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MisintoMunicipal website: www.misinto.info

Pro Loco Misinto: via Rovellasca 2. E-mail: [email protected] Distance from Monza: 22 km. Distance from Milan: 29 km

Map reference: C 2

The Roman origins of this municipality, part ofwhich falls within the P arco Naturale R egionale

delle Groane (Groane park), have been confirmed bythe discovery of Roman coins at Fornace and vasesand amphoras dating from the first centuries afterChrist at Cascina Nuova (1961). The centre is men-tioned in a document dated 926 AD. In moderntimes, it was the feud of the Carcassola family, whichthen shared the seigniory with the Arese family(1626). Local nobles include the Birago, Solaro andVimercati families. The 17th-century parish churchof S. Siro (1610-1640) was extended in 1894, whenthe crypt dedicated to the Crucifix was also con-structed. Inside, it conserves a Neoclassical marble al-tar (1796) sculpted by Nazaro F ossati di Ar zo andsome 17th-18th century paintings from the BreraGallery. In the old town centre, see Palazzo Maggi,now the Town Hall, of 14th-15th century origin andpurchased by Carlo Ambrogio Maggi in 1810 fromErmenegildo Vimercati, who sold all his property, in-cluding large estates. The Maggi family was respon-sible for the decorations in the building. Villa Rivawas probably built by the Solaro family, recordedfrom the 16th century. In 1793, ownership passed toAntonia Francesconi, wife of Zaccaria Riva. In 1947,the complex was purc hased by the L anzani familyof Seveso and the park was subsequently opened tothe public. The Parco delle Rimembranze featuresa splendid Pietà by Mauro Conconi.

The hamlet of Cascina Nuova is home to thelate-16th century church of S. Bernardo . The nu-merous foot and cycle paths in the park area notablyinclude those between Cascina Nuova and CascinaS. Andrea, where the so-called Boschi di S. Andrea,abounding with Scots pine trees, are situated.d

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CogliateMunicipal website: www.comunedicogliate.it

Distance from Monza: 20 km. Distance from Milan: 27 km Map reference: D 2

C ogliate lies in the west of the province of Mon-za. Unlike other towns in the area, no archaeo-

logical artefacts from Roman times or previous ti-mes have b een discovered here. T he first writtendocument recording its existence dates from 9 96AD. At the time, “Colliate” was a settlement of Be-nedictine nuns named after St. Dalmazio. Farmingwas its primary activity and a document dated 1184states that the tithes were paid in fruits of the earthsuch as pulses, wine, linen, turnips, walnuts, c hest-nuts and lupins. In the second half of the 15th cen-tury, the c hurch of the Benedictine convent, bythen in decline, was rebuilt, named after St. John theBaptist and conferred with the title of parish chur-ch. From 1538 to 1734, Cogliate was the feud of theCarcassola family. Subsequently, like Ceriano, it wasinherited by the Castellani-Varzi family. The Bene-dictine convent was suppressed during the Napo-leonic occupation and the complex was purchasedby a certain Isimbaldi of Ceriano, who turned it in-to a farm estate, although a small chapel was retai-ned on the site. Subsequently, the assets passed tothe Fatebenefratelli charitable institution. In the la-te 18th century, the mulb erry growing silkworm

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Inside the church of S. Damiano

S. Damiano, detail of thefrescoes in the apse


Cogliate


breeding, already recorded in Sfor za times, werefurther augmented and became distinguishing localbusinesses. In 186 9, Cogliate was united with themunicipalities of Solaro and Ceriano, becoming au-tonomous again in 1919.

The church of S. Damiano, south of the town,dates from at least the 14th century . It conservesfrescoes dated to the 15th and 16th centuries inthe apse and the decoration of the c hapel of theMadonna dates from the 16th century. The cha-pel of the Sacra Famiglia has a 17th-century struc-ture and stuccowork from the following century .The figures of St. Anthony and St. Sebastian at thesides of the main altar, painted by the artist DeMicheli of Saronno, date from 1832. Not far fromthe building is the Foppa di S. Damiano , a smallpool of rainwater.

The area forms part of the P arco Naturale Re-gionale delle Groane and this green space can b eexplored on foot, cycle and equestrian paths. T henortheast features oak woods and southeast of thetown there are pine groves and farmland. T hemoorland landscape extends towards Barlassina(centre-north). Inside the park, along via Piave, isthe Fornace Pizzi , active from 19 24 to 19 71 andnow an industrial archaeology complex serving foreducational purposes.

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S. Damiano, frescoes in the chapel of the Madonna



Ceriano LaghettoMunicipal website: www.comune.cerianolaghetto.mi.it

Pro Loco Ceriano Laghetto: via Cadorna 10. Tel.: 0296469011Website: www.prolococerianolaghetto.it E-mail: [email protected] from Monza: 18 km. Distance from Milan: 25 km. Map reference: D 2

The town centre is crossed by the Guisa River andlies west of the P arco Naturale R egionale delle

Groane. The presence of a village with the namesof Cerollianum and Cerellianum is recorded in thearea at least from 1033. In the 13th century, the Hu-miliati order founded a convent here. In 15 38 thetown was given in feud to the Carcassola familywho built their home here. During the 1 7th centu-ry, feudal rights were shared with the Arese familyand the local lords in the 18th century includedMarchese Fagniano and the Pusterla family. In 1869,it was united with the towns of Solaro and Cogli-ate, not becoming autonomous again until 1919. Inthe second half of the 19th century factories produc-ing paints, bric ks, wheels and artificial silk devel-oped in the area. In 19 44, Ceriano’s railway andpowder magazine were subjected to heavy machine-gun fire. The Tur is one of the oldest buildings in Ce-riano and its entrance bears the date 1570. Villa Car-cassola, the Town Hall, also dates from the 16thcentury. The parish church of S. Vittore was rebuiltin the early 2 0th century and consecrated in 19 09;the old church, dating from the 13th century, wasdemolished in 1914. The aisles were added in 1934.

North of the lake that gives its name to the town,on a clayey plateau, is an oak wood that surroundsa large orc hard of pear trees. T his is home to im-portant bird species such as the honey buzzard andthe ordinary buzzard. The area south of the lake isdotted with pools and continues to feature oak treesand a pine grove. F arther south it b ecomes moor-land where the former powder magazine stands,now the park headquarters. The area is crossed byfoot and cycle trails and an equestrian path.

The last week in Augustbrings the St. V ictor’s Day ,packed with events, reli-gious celebrations, a fire-works display and eveningdancing.The second week in Sep-tember is the turn of the St.Michael’s Day, in the hamletof Dal Pozzo. On the firstSunday in May they holdthe Straceriano non-com-petitive foot race.

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BarlassinaMunicipal website: www.comunebarlassina.it

Distance from Monza: 17 km. Distance from Milan: 25 km Map reference: C 3

B arlassina stands on the right bank of the SevesoRiver. A former feud of the Arese family, it then

passed to Count Rezzonico and the Porro family. Un-til the mid-19th century the town kept gaining im-portance and becoming the main town in a districtcomprising also Desio and Seregno. After Italian Uni-fication it lost its autonomy, whic h was regained in1901. For more than a century now, it has b een in-ternationally renowned for its craft production in thefurniture sector.

The parish church of S. Giulio d’Orta, original-ly dating from the 12th century, was rebuilt between1613 and 1623 and then extended in the 19th cen-tury. The chapel of the Madonna dell’ Aiuto (1527)conserves a fresco linked to Bernardino Luini butmore probably by his sc hool (Madonna and Child ,known as the Madonna dell’Aiuto, with St. John theBaptist and St. Antonio Abate, left, and St. Martin andSt. Lawrence, right), and baroque stuccowork. Palaz-zo Rezzonico, now the Town Hall, has a central blockof 16th-century foundation. Several rooms are em-bellished with frescoed coffered ceilings; it conserves

Cursa di AsnittEvery y ear i n S eptember(week before the thirdSunday in the month) theyorganise the Cursa di Asnitt, a sort of donkeypalio race between the lo-cal districts of Monteu,L’aqua colda, Fameta, Pu-lenta and Parieu, Lo uett,Cascina Santa Maria,Fabricun, Burghett. Eachdistrict races a donkeyand jockey.

The exterior and a detail of the interior of Palazzo Rezzonico, now the Town Hall


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busts and a bas-relief depicting P ope Clement X III,previously known as Carlo Rezzonico.

The 20th-century architecture notably includesthe buildings of the primary and junior highschools in via Colombo. Constructed in 1934 and1960 by Mario Asnago and Claudio Vender, respec-tively, these mark the passage from the early to lateRationalism. They also built the nearby Casa Ve -gni in via Trento 12. Palazzo della Cassa Ruralee Artigiana, the work of Franco Asnaghi and DarioCaini, dates from of 1978.

The entire west section of the municipalityforms part of the P arco Naturale R egionale delleGroane. The “ex Tiro a Segno” area is a venue forsummer events and a cycle path links the town tothe S. Andrea woods, passing by farmland andthrough wooded areas.

This first major work was fo llowed bymany more and, in 1981-82, he fres-coed the octagon and presbytery ofthe c hurch o f S . G iulio; i n 1 992, th echapel of the Casa di Riposo Luigi Por-ro and the foyer and conference roomof the Scuole Elementari; and, in 2006,the new wing of the municipal ceme-tery. Beatrice Angela Cazzaniga (1940),who moved to Argentina with her fam-ily in 1950, graduated in SculpturalArts from the Faculty of Art, Philoso-phy and Letters of Tucumàn State uni-versity (1967-1970), later becoming aprofessor of Sculpture and an activemember of the American Institute ofArt. She has received numerous re-gional and national prizes and awa rdsfor her sculptures. Claudio Borghi(1954), who teaches Sculptural Artsat the Liceo Artisti co in Busto Arsizioand works with the Scuola Civica di Ar-ti V isive in Pavia, has participated innumerous national and international ex-hibitions. In Barlassina, he has c reat-ed a large sculpture in the park for theBanca di Credito Cooperativo, theMonument to the Fallen of all W arsand the baptismal font in the parishchurch.

Barlassina has been the birthplace ofleading painters, architects and sculp-tors from the second half of the 19thcentury to contemporary times, thebest known being Emilio Longoni (1859-1932). After training at the Brera Acad-emy, he became a strongly committedpainter in his choice of subjects andthemes with a social content. After be-coming close to pointillism, he progres-sively manifested a spiritual and sym-bolist inspiration, especially in his land-scapes. Mario Asnago (1896-1981) wasan architect active from 1923 on andworked for more than 40 years withClaudio Vender (Milan, 1904-1986). Thetwo professionals produced a largebody of work in Barlassina, includingthe chapel of Morandi (1935), V illaVegni (1956), V illa Conti (1959), theextension of the Scuole Elementari(1961-1964), the Scuole Medie (1965-1970) and a small villa in via Rossini,now partially altered (1969). ValentinoVago (1931) was known as the “painterof light” and, in the last 15 years, alsofocused on painting murals; in 1978-1979 he decorated the premises of theCassa Rurale e Artigiana (now Bancadi Credito Cooperativo) in Barlassina.

Artists in Barlassina

Curious facts

The Luini-style fresco in theparish church of S. Giulio

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Lentate sul SevesoMunicipal website: www.comune.lentatesulseveso.mi.it


Situated on the main Giovi road this comprises themain town and the four hamlets of Camnago, Bi-

rago, Cimnago and Copreno. In Middle Age Lentate,Copreno and part of Camnago came under the in-fluence of the Milanese monastery of S. Simpliciano(12th cent.); Cimnago, a former possession of the Bo-visio family (10th-11th cent.), ended up under thecontrol of the monastery of Meda (11th-12th cent.).From the 11th century, Birago was controlled by thefamily of the s ame name. F rom the second half ofthe 14th century on, Lentate saw the presence, of thePorro family. In the 1 7th century, the Casnedi andClerici families started to play a prominent role. Inthe 19th century, the Raimondi family was active inthe uprisings of the Risorgimento. In 1862, Lentate,Camnago and Copreno were combined in the sin-gle municipality of Lentate sul Seveso.

The Oratory of S. Stefanooccupies a prominentposition o n t he 1 4th-century L ombard paintingscene, updated to please the court of Milan and at-tentive to the circulation of Giotto models, renewedby Giovanni da Milano. It was commissioned in 1369by Stefano Porro. The architectural structure is bound

The oratory of S. Stefano (right, the Crucifixion) and the parish church in Lentate

The Oratory of S. StefanoVisits and some guidedtours are organised by theAssociazione Amici del-l’Arte, with advance book-ing required for groups. No-vember-March, Sundays2.30-4.30pm; guided tours2.30 and 3.30pm. April-Oc-tober: Sundays 10am-noonand 3-5pm; guided tours at10 and 11am, 3 and 4pm.Closed in August. Info andbooking: AssociazioneAmi ci dell’Arte, via MonteSanto 2, Camnago, tel. 3664511175, www. amiciarte.it,[email protected].


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to its decoration, partially linked to the painter Anov-elo da Imb onate. The nave features Stories from theLife of St. Stephen and, among other frescoes, a Cru-cifixion in the back wall of the presbytery. Standingon the Mocchirolo hill is the 14th-century Oratorydedicated to the Madonna, commissioned by L an-franco Porro. Most of the paintings, attributed to theartist Pietrino da Nova, were detached (1942-1943)and are now in the Brera Gallery. Recent restorationhas uncovered friezes and Prophets in situ. In themain town, the parish church of S. Vito was recon-structed in 18 39 by Gaetano Breij and extended inthe 20th century. The paintings are by Alb erto Bo-gani. Villa Volta-Sannazzaro was built in the late16th century and extended in the 17th and 18th cen-turies; it contains T iepolo-style frescoes partiallylinked to Mattia Bortoloni. Villa Valdettaro was builtby Bartolomeo Marelli, the impres ario of the L aScala theatre, in neo-Gothic style (1847). The gar-den (second half of the 19th cent.) is the work ofGiuseppe Balzaretti. Villa Raimondi was built in 1630and some rooms conserve baroque decorations. Thecoach house contains a collection of more than 6000musical instruments. The Oratory of S. Vincenzo inCimnago conserves a fresco of the Madonna andChild. The parish church of Ss. Quirico e Giulitta inCamnago (1567) has b een greatly altered. In Co-preno, Villa Clerici was built in 1650. The same fam-ily commissioned the late 17th-century Sanctuary ofS. Mauro, built over pre-existing remains, and the re-construction of the Oratory of S. Francesco Save-rio. A 15th-century Crucifixion by the master L an-franco da Lecco in the presbytery is surrounded bybaroque decorations. The funeral monument of Pao-lo Clerici is the work of V incenzo Vela and March-ese Giorgio, protagonist of the Cinque Giornate in1848 is buried there. T he parish church of S.Alessandro was commenced in 1570. In Birago, Vil-la Mirabello (1756) was by Gabriele Verri as a hunt-ing lodge. The family set up a spinning mill b esideit. The chapel of the Madonna del Rosario wascommissioned by the Casnedi family.

The entrance to the Town Hallof Lentate sul Seveso

Lentate celebratesLentate sul Seveso and itsfour hamlets produce abusy annual calendar of ini-tiatives and events. As wellas the patron saint’s days –15 January – St. Mauro inCopreno, mid-July inCamnago, 26 July – St.Anna in Birago, third Sun-day in October in Lentate– Camnago celebratestwo major dates: the Feastof St. Anthony of Padua , inthe first half of June, andthe Mostra Mercato dellaZootecnia (Livestock Fair),the first weekend in Sep-tember, now a fixed eventwith displays of variousanimal species, gastrono-my stands promoting localproduce and workshopsfor young and old alike. Thenow regular initiatives thatadd to the Christmas andNew Y ear festivities in-clude the Concerto d’Epifa-nia (Epiphany Concert), bythe Corpo Musicale “G.Verdi” of Camnago, andthe Rogo della Giubiana (bon-fire) in Copreno, on the lastThursday in January.



MedaMunicipal website: www.comune.meda.mi.it

Pro Loco Meda: via Udine c/o Palameda. Tel.: 3347005062Website: www.promeda.it E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Monza: 16 km. Distance from Milan: 26 km. Map reference: C 3

M eda lies at the b ottom of the first foothills inBrianza and since its origins its history has

been bound to that of the monastery of S. V ittore.Tradition says that, in the 8th century, Aimo andVermondo, Counts of T urbigo, were on a huntingexpedition in Brianza and chased by wild boars toa place where a c hurch dedicated to St. V ictor theMartyr stood. T here, they found “two splendidlylarge bay trees” to climb up and grateful for theirclose escape, decided to build a new convent there.The oldest record of the monastery dates from 851AD. Extremely rich, it held authority – reiterated in1024 by Emperor Henry II – over a vast area com-prising Meda and some of the neighb ouring townsand villages. T he town originated as a cluster ofhouses under the nuns’ control; it was fortified andafter the year 1000 gained considerable importance,becoming a famous market town. In 14 96, Meda,

The church of S. Vittore

The parish church of S. Maria Nascente

Fish and dancing In the second and thirdweek in July, they hold thetraditional Sagra del Pesce(fish festival) in the centreof Meda, in via Icmesa.For two weekends, the or-ganisers serve fine fishdishes that are accompa-nied by dancing in groupor couples.

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which formed part of the lands of the State of Mi-lan, was host to a meeting b etween Maximilian ofHabsburg and the Duke of Milan, Ludovico il Mo-ro, before the delegates of the leading Italian Statesand the P ope’s L egate. T he late 18th centurybrought the end of the old monastery, whic h hadescaped the suppressions imposed by the EmperorJoseph II of Habsburg but did not survive those ofNapoleon. On 29 May 1798, the nuns were evicted,the convent suppressed and all its assets put up forauction. In the 19th century, Meda gained consid-erable importance in the field of hand-crafted furni-ture and the town is still the hub of a productionthat is famous the world over.

The old town centre is dominated by the spec-tacular piazza Vittorio Veneto lined by the build-ings of the greatest historical and visitor interest.The church of S. Vittore, the heart of the Benedic-tine nuns’ monastery, now presents its classicist16th-century appearance, with a vast cycle of fres-coes, in part by Bernardino Luini and his sc hool,closely resembling that of the Milanese MonasteroMaggiore, and a Pietà sculpted by Andrea da Mi-lano (the main sculptor in the Sanctuary of Saron-no). Inside, the church conserves precious remainsof grotesque decorations. The most significant paint-ed works include ones by Giulio Campi and the al-tarpiece on the main altar by Giovanni BattistaCrespi, known as Cerano (16 26). The façade datesfrom 1730 and is a rococo masterpiece.

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Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the heart of Meda’s old towncentre

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The C.F.P TerragniThe Centro di FormazioneProfessionale GiuseppeTerragni was set up in thesecond half of the 19thcentury as a municipal artsand c rafts s chool t o sup-port and update the trai-ning of local craftsmen.Although th e s chool h ashad to renew itself con-stantly over the years tomeet work-market de-mands, it has not abando-ned i ts main purpose andhas remained a trainingcentre of new generationsfor local businesses. Itsmain aim is to train profes-sional figures that can ope-rate in the conservationand restoration of the arti-stic heritage, particularlythe restoration o f polych-rome and wood works.The courses of Autocadand Cad/Cam and on therestoration of old furnitureand wood reveal a focuson the innovative dyna-mics of the work world.The courses held at theC.F.P. Terragni in Meda in-clude work experience andvocational days with localbusinesses and are run incollaboration with MilanPolytechnic and, as con-cerns worksite activities,the heritage services. TheC.F.P. focuses on wood-working and furniture pro-duction and representsone of the leading bree-ding grounds of cabinetmakers, wood carvers, fur-niture decorators andupholsterers in Lombardy.Info: www.cfpmeda.it


Meda


The parish church of S. Maria Nascente , tra-ditionally known as the Sanctuary of the SS. Croci-fisso, is of medieval origin; restyled in the 17th cen-tury, it was rebuilt again b etween 1881 and 18 93.The last intervention (1924), by the architect PaoloMezzanotte, was on the façade. Inside, the nave isdecorated with an important eclectic cycle portray-ing Jesus’ childhood, frescoed by Luigi Morgari, apainter from Turin repeatedly present in Brianza, incollaboration with Primo Busnelli from Meda.

Villa Antona Traversi, a conversion of the oldmonastery of S. V ittore, is a sumptuous N eoclassi-cal construction by L eopold Pollack (early 19thcent.) with decorations probably by P elagio Palagi.It has a compact structure and a horizontally devel-oped façade. Purchased in 1836 by the Traversi fam-ily, the villa is still the home of its descendants, theAntona Traversi Grismondi family. The ground floorcontains Neoclassical rooms and the Sala del Coro(previously the private c hapel), with frescoes byBernardino Luini and his assistants.

On the border with Seveso is a small 13th-cen-tury church dedicated to Ss. Nazaro e Celso , theonly one of the five of the old F arga, listed by thehistorian Goffredo da Bussero (13th cent.), to havesurvived to the present day.

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The front of Villa Antona Traversi that overlooks the garden



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SevesoMunicipal website: www.comune.seveso.mi.it


S eveso bears the s ame name as the watercoursethat rises in the province of Como, almost on the

Swiss border, and marks the western “boundary” ofBrianza. The old Seuse, perhaps of Gallic-Roman ori-gin (4th-3rd cent. B C), is now a vibrant industrialtown linked mainly to the production of furniture,on the main S S35 Giovi road. First mentioned in adocument dated 9 96 and an important parish, in1252 it was the site where heretics assassinated Fri-ar Pietro da V erona, Papal inquisitor of Milan andComo, as commemorated by the name of the ham-let of San Pietro Martire. Canonised in less than ayear, his remains are conserved in Milan in the Basil-ica of S. Eustorgio. Shortly afterwards, a monastery

Seminario Minore in San Pietro Martire

Turning a threat into an opportunityOn 10 July 1976, the areaof Seveso and some of theneighbouring towns wascontaminated by a toxiccloud containing largequantities of dioxin, re-leased after an accident ina chemical plant owned bythe Swiss company ICME-SA (Givoudan-La Rochegroup) in the adjoining Me-da but close to the town ofSeveso. A large number ofits inhabitants were evacu-ated and the area wascompletely decontaminat-ed. The Bosco delleQuerce is indication of howSeveso managed to fightback positively from theconsequences of the acci-dent. An educational, his-torical environmental itiner-ary created in the park bythe Circolo di Legambiente(Ponte della Memoria proj-ect) illustrates the eventand the situation today . Info:www.boscodellequerce.it; www.legambienteseveso.org.

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was built in Seveso (now the hamlet of F arö) andnamed after the Dominican friar, and a new villagequickly grew up around it. The architect GerolamoQuadrio rebuilt the annexed church to a commis-sion by Bartolomeo III Arese, president of the Sen-ate of Milan, from 166 2 on. Inside, it has a centralplan with a dome roof and works by some of theleading artists active in Milan in the second half ofthe 17th century such as Antonio Busca, GiuseppeNuvolone, the Santagostino family, the Montaltofamily, Giovan Battista Costa and the s culptor

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hook embedded in hishead. One of the at-tackers, Carino Pietroda Balsamo, the actualassassin, repented ofhis action and later diedin the odour of sanctityin the Dominican con-vent in Forlì. Pietro wascanonised by Pope In-nocent VI in 1253. Theknife that killed him isconserved in Seveso,in the sanctuary namedafter him. He is buriedin the Basilica of S. Eu-storgio in Milan, in the

Portinari chapel. Theliturgical commemoration is on 4 June,the anniversary of the solemn transferof his remains in 1340 to the monumentbuilt by Giovanni di Balduccio between1335 and 1339.

San Pietro Martire, al-so known as Fra Pietroda Verona (Verona, ca1205-Seveso, 6 April1252), studied atBologna university andjoined the preaching or-der at a time when St.Dominic di Guzmánwas still alive. He is par-ticularly rememberedfor his staunch opposi-tion to heresy, especial-ly Catharism. He wasassassinated with a bill-hook (falcastro) in theforest between Sevesoand Barlassina as he waswalking from Como to Milan in 1252.Hagiography reports that he dipped afinger in his own blood and wrote theword “I believe” on the ground shortlybefore he died. He is depicted with a bill-

Curious factsSan Pietro Martire

The church of S. Pietro

Villa Dho

Seminario Minore, detail of the internal decoration


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Dionigi Bussola. The Dominicans abandoned theconvent following the suppressions advocated byEmperor Joseph I I and it was converted in 1819,with the assistance of Giuseppe Pollack, to thediocesan Seminary. The religious buildings alsonotably include the prevostal church of Ss. Ger-vasio e Protasio , of 16th-century construction.During the 1 7th century, the Carcassola, Lucini,Porro and Arese families, whic h built some of itsmost important buildings, alternated their seignio-ry over Seveso.

The town and its environs feature a large num-ber of villas, most notably Villa Bianca (1936-1937),the work of the Rationalist arc hitect from Como,Giuseppe Terragni, and owned by Ferruccio Piemon-ti; and Villa Dho, also known as the Petitosa e Maioc-ca, built in the early 19th century, with a Neoclassi-cal façade and a large park but now municipallyowned. Villa Peruviana is also of interest and is thuscalled because linked to a local man, Generoso Gal-imberti, who emigrated to Peru and l ater b ecamethat country’s Consul General in Milan.

The a ssets and the i nfluence exercised by thenuns’ monastery of S. V ittore di Meda are epito-mised in the Cascina Farga, part of a larger construc-tion that incorporated three chapels, of which onlyone remains (the small church of S. Nazaro). Archae-ological finds dating from R oman times have b eenmade near the building.

Visit the Bosco delle Querce , a town park thatcommemorates the tragic accident at the Icmes afactory that affected the whole of Seveso in 1976.

Seveso celebratesCalendimaggio: this is anage-old festival in honourof S. Pietro Martire andheld in the hamlet of thesame name in the firstweek in May, with stalls,displays of craft productsand funfairs. Maggio San-pietrino is a country festivallasting the whole month ofMay in which religious cel-ebrations and folklore mixto give rise to a number oflocal cultural initiatives; theMaggio Sampietrino asso-ciation has, for many years,prepared a calendar filledwith countless events andinitiatives. Feast of St. Nazaroand St. Celso : at the end ofJuly, around 28, religiouscelebrations are held to ho-nour saints Nazaro andCelso, with stalls set up todistribute pears and watermelon. Settimana Cino Vena-torio Ornitologica (GameFair) is held in the secondweek in September, with alivestock fair, national birdexhibition, regional dogshow for all breeds, clay-pigeon s hooting, b asket-ball, volleyball and karatematches, cycle races andevening dancing. The Paliodi S. Clemente in the weekaround 23 November, theday of St. Clement, thepatron saint of the hamletof Baruccana, is packedwith events.

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Cesano MadernoMunicipal website: www.comune.cesano-maderno.mi.it

Agenzia per il turismo e la cultura: via Garibaldi 20. Tel.: 0362528241Fax: 0362516519. Website: www.cesanoatc.it E-mail: [email protected]


Right in the heart of the town and its oldest pieceof architecture is the Torre Civica (Torrazzo), a ro-

bust 13th-century tower and all that remains of a vastfortified system guarding the Seveso River. In its vicin-ity, Palazzo Carcano Cabiate is a simple 15th-centu-ry structure in unfaced brick inserted into a repeat-edly refurnished farm context. Overlooking the oldbrolo, Palazzo Arese di Seveso(later Jacini), the TownHall, is an austere 1 7th-century building f lanked bythe serliana-porticoed façade of the oratory of S.Maria del Transito, the work of the arc hitect FabioMangone and enhanced by an altarpiece by Gero-lamo Chignoli (Death of the Virgin Mary). The palaz-zo contains a monumental fireplace and the Neoclas-sical additions consist in a statue in the courtyard (TheGoat Amalthea with Erots) and a coeval wing.

The main branch of the Arese family, the Countsof Castellambro, lived in the nearby Palazzo Arese,later Borromeo, a sumptuous 17th-century residencethat became the model for a large number of build-ings in the State of Milan inhabited by memb ers ofthe party dominated by the grand figure of Bar-tolomeo III Arese (1610-1674). Constructed on late-

Cesano celebratesThe second Sunday inSeptember sees the Feastof the Parish of the BeataVergine Immacolata di Binza-go, while, on the followingSu n day, they celebrate theFe ast of the parish of S. Pio X.The last Sunday in Septem-ber celebrates the patronsaint’s day, with a numberof popular games and arace between the local dis-tricts to win the Palio de laCaretela. The race is throughthe town streets with spe-cial wheelbarrows, calledcaretela, high and with nosides, that were used in thepast to transport goods andchattels and by carpentersto transport furniture. Thee ve nt is preceded by a pa-rade of the districts throughthe streets, with the flagwavers from Legnano, gue -sts from V alencay, a twin -ned town, and people incostume. On 23-2 4 D e-cember, they perform a Liv-ing Nativity in the churchsquare in the parish of S. Stefano, with roastedchestnuts and mulled wineto warm the soul.

An aerial view of Palazzo Arese Borromeo



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medieval foundations, it was rebuilt in the late 16thcentury in a horseshoe design; in the mid-17th cen-tury, it was converted to a grandiose structure witha central courtyard and a double loggia overlookingthe courtyard and garden. Its division into extensiveliving quarters (ground f loor: entrance, stables, en-trance halls and reception spaces, as well as a publicoratory and a splendid nymphaeum; piano nobile :museum area, grand reception spaces, the femalesector, private apartments and the sapiential zone) is

By coach, from Milan: ATM M1 Bicocca-Sesto railway station, then AGI BrianzaTrasporti Nord Est Trasporti 32 BrianzaTrasporti, z223 for Monza, Monza rail-way station stop, then AGI BrianzaTrasporti Nord Est Trasporti 32 BrianzaTrasporti z209 for Cesano Maderno(FNM); from Monza: from Monza (rail-way station), AGI Brianza Trasporti NordEst Trasporti 32 Brianza Trasporti z209for Cesano Maderno (FNM).

By car , A4 Torino-Venezia motorway, exit Cormano, then SS35 Giovi road,exit 9 or 10; from Monza on the SS527(Monza-Busto Arsizio), then follow thesigns to Cesano Maderno.

By train, Cesano Maderno is on the Fer-rovie Nord Ramo Milano (North MilanRailway Milano line), from Milan Cador-na for Mariano Comense and Camna-go/Lentate.

Getting there

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Swach MuseumThe Swatch World Museum(www.worldmuseum2000.com) in Palazzo Arese Jaci-ni retraces the history ofthis brand since 1983, dis-playing more than 7000pieces. It is a unique pub-lic museum, fruit of the col-lecting passion of FiorenzoBarindelli.



highlighted by a vast cycle of frescoes with trompel’oeil classical ruins and a rich portrayal of nature en-hancing mythological and religious episodes, all re-lating to family vicissitudes and, even more so, a po-litical interpretation of the fate of the Spanish monar-chy. Coordinated by Giovanni Ghisolfi, the frescoesare a masterpiece by the later Ambrosiana A cade-my, with the presence of Roman classicism by artistssuch as the Montalto family, Antonio Busca, the Nu-volone family, Ercole Procaccini the Younger, Fede -rico Bianchi, Carpoforo Tencalla, Marcantonio Pozziand many more. P assed in the 18th century to theBorromeo family, the mansion was enriched with ro-coco frescoes by Mattia Bortoloni. The Italian-stylegarden is, for the most part, the fruit of a 2 0th-cen-tury reconstruction programme but conserves pre-cious remains: 1 7th-century statues (originally in-side), templets and the last fountain of the R oggiaBorromea, excavated for Carlo IV Borromeo Arese.

Its axis, which in the imagination runs symmet-rical to the mansion, then b ecomes a large Ces anothoroughfare, marked by arc hitectural expressionsof glory and flanked by two churches: the old S. Ste-fano (17th-century construction with an earlier R o-manesque bell-tower, now the Auditorium P aolo eDavide Disarò) and the new S. Stefano (a neo-Goth-ic construction by Chiappetta, with substantial re-

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The Arese familyA family of jurists linked toPavia University, the Aresefamily emerged on the Mi-lanese scene with Bar-tolomeo II (1508-1562), whoembarked on a campaignof land purchases in Brian-za. His children gave rise toseveral b ranches, n otablythat of Marcantonio III,Count of Castellambro. Hisson Giulio I became presi-dent of the Senate, whilehis brother Cesare (a The-atine like Fra Paolo) be-came bishop of T ortonaand a f ine w rite. G iulio’sson, Bartolomeo III (see boxon p. 58) was the most il-lustrious exponent; his mar-riage to Lucrezia Omodeiproduced Giulio II (whodied before his father) andthe daughters Giulia andMargherita, who marriedinto the Borromeo andVisconti Borromeo fami-lies respectively . WhenArese died (1674), Ce-sano passed via Giulia tothe Borromeo Arese fam-ily, who controlled it until itbecame a municipality inthe 20th century. Importantfamily members were CarloIV, son of Giulia, an Austri-an governor of Naples anda friend of Muratori, and hisdaughter-in-law Clelia GrilloBorromeo Arese, an intellec-tual and central to a scien-tific and literary salon of Eu-ropean portent. A sidebranch, the Arese family ofSeveso (who lived in Palaz-zo Cesanese, later Jacini)was brought to the fore inthe 18th century by a mar-riage to the Lucini family ofComo. Having adopted thedouble-barrelled surname,it is still flourishing.

Palazzo Arese Borromeo, the garden

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based on the theology ofquietism. The Cesano mod-el was applied to buildingssuch as Palazzo Baldirone inLissone, Palazzo Arconati inAbbiategrasso, Palazzo Vis-conti in Rho, Palazzo Be-sozzi in Cologno, PalazzoArese in Osnago and manymore. Unlike the dynasticcelebrations commonly seenin coeval mansions, the cy-

cles painted in these were consistent ex-pressions of general political visions, com-bined with a scientific interest in nature in-terpreted via the classicist cult of ruins.

Bartolomeo III Arese diCastellambro ( 1610-1674),son of Giulio I and Margheri-ta Legnani, had a legal-hu-manistic education and em-barked on a traditional Mi-lanese administrative careerthat led him to become Pres-ident of the Senate and Hon-orary President of the Con-sejo de Italia. “God of Mi-lan” to the public affairs jour-nalists of the times and a great and refinedpolitician. He was responsible for the last-ing organisation of a great family alliance— with the Arese, Borromeo, Omodei,Archinto and Visconti Borromeo familiesat its core but also extending to much ofthe Milanese aristocracy — that guaran-teed their allegiance to the Spanishmonarchy and with a focus on successionaimed at the Habsburgs of Austria. Thefigurative language adopted by this group(a guarantee of internal unity and outsidecirculation) was Roman classicism, atten-tive to nature (Arese was an admirer ofGalileo), open to the Jewish world and

The “God of Milan”

Out of interest

Frescoes in Palazzo Arese Borromeo

Palazzo Arese Borromeo, the rear front

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Visiting the PalazzoFrom March to October ,the A ssociazione V ivere i lPalazzo and the GiardinoArese Borromeo organiseguided tours. For days,times and costs see: www.v i ve re i l pa l azzo . i t , te l .0362528241, fax 0362516519; email:[email protected]

mains from the previous c hurch). In the hamlet ofBinago, the Sanctuary of S. Maria della Frascacon-serves 15th-century frescoes.T he altar of the smallchurch of S. Eurosia features an 18th-century altar-piece of the same name.



Bovisio MasciagoMunicipal website: www.comune.bovisiomasciago.mi.it


This municipality was established in Decemb er1928 with the unification of Bovisio and Mascia-

go Milanese. The discovery of a small necropolisnear via Comasinella in 1935 proves the settlementexisted in Roman times. Numerous feudatories suc-ceeded one another from the Middle A ges to theend of the modern era in the two towns, whic hgrew up around their respective parish c hurches.The church of S. Pancrazio is a strictly classicistconstruction built between 1765 and 1774 by Giu-lio Galliori and extended between 1936 and 1946.The recently restored church of S. Martinoretainsits medieval design although it was restyled accor-ding to the indications of the Council of T rent. Itfeatures numerous examples of villa design datingfrom the 17th to the 20th centuries. Villa Erba Ode-scalchi Scotti, since 1941 the Town Hall, was builtin the first half of the 16th century for the marria-ge of Alessandro Erba to Lucrezia Odescalchi. Theannexed park presents English features. Villa Son-zogno Mariani Compostella , already recorded inthe land registry in 1722, stands on the banks of theSeveso River. In corso Milano is Villa Tanzi, whilea square tower in the old Masciago town centrecommemorates the presence of a mansion owned

Curious archive factsThe archives of the parishchurch of S. Pancrazioconserve the official actsof the marriages of PaolinaBonaparte to GeneralLeclerc and Elisa Bona-parte to Felice Baciocchi,celebrated in the nearbychurch of Mombello (Limbi-ate) on the night of 14June 1797.

A detail of the reliefs on the tower in Masciago

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by the Agnesi family. The architectural complex ofVilla Zari survives in its original design.

The Museo degli Attrezzi per la Lavorazio-ne del Legno is a small private museum spacein an old restored haybarn. It exhibits a collec-tion of woodworking tools dating from the 18thcentury to the advent of electrical machinery,examples of carving, furniture designs and periodpictures. Founded by Mario F errari, a collectorof woodworking tools, it also has a pedal lathewith leather straps, stone wheels for sharpeningthe tools, a collection of rare natural glues andsamples of fine mosaic parquet. Annexed to themuseum is a craft workshop that restores anti-que furniture.

Villa Marina is one of the most picturesqueeducational farms in the Groane park. Its aim wasto recreate a typical old farm so its farm animalsinclude rare breeds at risk of extinction such as theVarzese cow and the Brianzola sheep. T he we-stern portion of the municipal area forms part ofthe Groane regional park and is home to a LI PU(Italian league for the birds protection) reserve.

St. Martin’s DayA religious celebration withan a rray o f e vents an dsports competitions on thesecond Sunday in Novem-ber. It has been held for 50years and includes a 10 kmmini-marathon, a history pa-rade with 100 characters (ofwhich m ore t han 40 o nhorseback) and a re-enact-ment of St. Martin cuttinghis cloak; there are exhibi-tions and markets, with thedistribution of “papina”cake, a local speciality.

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LimbiateMunicipal website: www.comune.limbiate.mi.it


L imbiate occupies a central position in the ParcoNaturale R egionale delle Groane. T he first

records mentioning the town date from the 13thcentury when a chronicle speaks of the mission ofa certain Alberto Confaloniero, podestà of the Re-public of Milan, who camped near “L emiate” in1285 with the militias that were due to face the Tor-riani armies. The 15th century to the 17th centuriessaw an alternation of seigniory from the Marlianito the Manriquez, Carcassola and Arese families.

The characteristics of the terrain have resultedin a small farming production, compens ated by asubstantial use of the area as a place of suburbanresidence for the Milanese aristocracy, especially inthe 18th and 19th centuries. T he hamlet ofMombello is set in a scenic position overlookingthe Seveso river valley, on the eastern edge of theGroane P ark and is home to Villa Pusterla Ar-conati Crivelli . Francesco Croce built this grandclassicist villa with spectacular terracing towardsthe garden at the height of the 18th century overthe remains of a repeatedly extended medievalstructure. Completed in Neoclassical times, the vil-

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The Mombello Psychiatric Hospital In 1865, V illa Pusterla Ar-conati Crivelli was sold tothe Provincia di Milano andwork immediately com-menced to convert thebuilding to a branch of theSenavra psychiatric hospi-tal in Milan, of which it lat-er became the headquar-ters. From then on the his-tory of the villa was close-ly linked to that of the psy-chiatric hospital, constantlybeing extended with theconstruction of numerouspavilions in the park. Thelarge complex, surroundedby an imposing wall, lateralso comprised a pharma-cy, an abattoir, a bakery, alaundry and an aqueduct. Inthe early 1960s, theMombello psychiatric hos-pital housed a total of ap-proximately 3,000 patients.It was closed in 1978 as aresult of the Basaglia Par-liamentary Act.Today, thevilla is home to the IstitutoTecnico di Agraria (www.itaglimbiate.it), which man-ages an important farm(selling Lombard produce).

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la passed in 1863 to the Provincia di Milano, whichconverted it to a psychiatric hospital. A vastrestoration and refurbishment project is currentlyunderway on the complex. Access to the Italian-style garden below is via a numb er of spectacularflights of steps that divide into two and a numb erof scenic terraces enlivened by exedras. Two inte-rior spaces and the chapel feature frescoes by Gio-vanni Angelo Borroni; there is also a fine grandstaircase. The Oratory of S. Francesco, beside thenorth wing, has an elegant baroque façade and in-side contains a single altar formerly surmounted bya painting by Bernardino Campi (156 8). Otherstately homes in the area include Villa MolinariMedolago, built b etween 1760 and 1764 to a de-sign by Giuseppe Bianc hi in distinctive rocaillestyle; Villa Bosisio Castiglioni Rasini, radically re-furbished in the 19th century, with an imposingexedra entrance (the park was to the rear of thevilla); Villa Bazzero Mella, originally more a ruralconstruction than a “noble house” that, in the mid-18th century, belonged to Giovanni Andrea Besoz-zo, was sold to Luigi Ferni in the early-19th cen-tury and was converted to a fine residence in thesecond half of the same century.

The religious buildings include the church ofS. Giorgio right in the old Limbiate town centre,no longer used for worship now but a venue forcultural activities; thechurch of Ss. Cosma e Dami-ano, at Pinzano, on the main street opposite thecemetery and dating from the 12th century .

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Illustrious guests

In 1797, Napoleon Bonapartechose V illa Pusterla Ar-conati Crivelli in Limbiatefor his headquarters andthose of the court. Thehouse provided a perfectsetting for the celebrationof the two marriages ofPaolina and Elisa Bona-parte, Napoleon’s sisters,to General Leclerc and Fe-lice Baciocchi respectivelyon 14 June 1797. The villawas the venue for discus-sions on the creation of theCisalpine Republic, extin-guishing the V enetian Re-public and the fall of Genoa;the bases were also laidhere for the Treaty of Cam-poformio. The artist JeanAntoine Gros , who paintedthe first grand portrait ofNapoleon Bonaparte, alsostayed i n M ombello. T heVilla had previously wel-comed other illustriousguests, such as King Ferdi-nand IV of the Two Sicilies.

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VaredoMunicipal website: www.comune.varedo.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 9.5 km. Distance from Milan: 19 km Map reference: D 3

The origins of this town are uncertain but the dis-covery (1972) of an assortment of everyday uten-

sils as well as the remains of poles inserted into peb-ble foundations dating from 4-5000 years ago closeto the waters of the Seveso River, in the area cur-rently known as the Area Snia, confirms the pres-ence of human settlements in the area since N e-olithic times. Roman necropolises have also b eenfound in three different parts of the area and threetombs with ric h funerary goods from L ongobardtimes were discovered in 1962. In the 13th centu-ry, Varedo was the scene of the battles between theTorriani and Visconti families fighting for controlof Milan and one of the skirmishes in the battle on21 January 12 77, from whic h Ottone V iscontiemerged winner, took place on the border betweenthis municipality and Palazzolo. In modern times,it was a feud of the Spanish marc hesi Manriquezde Mendoza and later, from 16 76, of the Crivellifamily of Agliate.

Like many centres in Brianza, Varedo featuressignificant examples of villas, which appeared in the18th and 19th centuries. The Villa, erected before

Villa Medici in Marignano, now the Town Hall

Varedo celebratesThe Falò della Befana (Burn-ing the Witch) on 5 Januaryis a huge wood bonfire onwhich they burn a woodenwitch; pinsa and mulled wineare served in the oratory ofthe church of Maria Regina.The Palio di S. Giorgio is heldin the last two weeks inMay; this is a folklore eventduring which the districts ofthe Condor, Falco, Grifoneand Airone compete ingames and tournaments;the winning district is award-ed the Palio di S. Giorgio. Aparade of floats through thestreets of Valera is followedby a performance in theparish centre. The Festadelle Contrade runs allthrough the month of Juneand each district organisescelebrations open to all, withentertainment. The Feast ofSt. Peter and St. Paul isheld on the second Sundayin October, with the patronsaints be ing c elebrated i nthe church of Ss. Pietro ePaolo and the oratory withreligious commemorations,folklore entertainment, com-petitions, and a funfair.


WesternBrianza


1751 and formerly owned by the Medici family ofMarignano, is now the Town Hall and its large parkhas been opened to the public. T he north wall ofthe building conserves traces of two-light windowsand late -medieval cornices. Villa Bagatti Valsec-chi, completed before 1884 (privately owned), is afine example of historicism with stylistic referencesto the Renaissance and baroque styles. The build-ing incorporates numerous fragments of Milanesebuildings, including the portico columns fromManzoni’s L azzaretto. Two g ardens, o ne Italianand the other English, and a spectacular drive com-plete the complex. Villa Agnesi, at Valera, is a state-ly home of 17th-century origin but was extendedin the mid-18th century, when it became the prop-erty of the Agnesi family of Milan. Used by the il-lustrious scientist and benefactor Maria GaetanaAgnesi as a summer residence, it was donated tothe Opera Pia Fatebenefratelli, of which she was di-rector. Currently the municipally owned villa is theobject of a major refurbishment project, as too theannexed chapel of the Annunciazione.

Religious buildings notably include the parishchurch of Ss. Pietro e Paolo , erected in 1712 andsubsequently extended to a design by Fausto Bagat-ti Valsecchi (1915). This eclectic building bears ref-erences to the Romanesque and Lombard Gothicstyles. A fine crucifix dating from the 17th centuryhangs in the nave.

The Bagatti family , baronsof Belvignate, who only la-ter added the surname Val-secchi, is recorded in Vare-do from 1523 on, perhapscome to escape a plaguethat hit Milan and its envi-rons. The most illustriousexponents of the family in-clude the brothers Faustoand Giuseppe, collectorsand architects responsiblefor numerous eclectic desi-gns for both villas and pla-ces of worship as well asrestoration work in westernLombardy. Well introducedinto the Milanese societyof the early 20th century ,they were also avid sport-smen, focusing on the ve-locipede and balloon rides.They built the family man-sion, inspired by the statelyresidences of the Lombard16th century, near via Mon-tenapoleone in the centreof Milan, now the MuseoBagatti Valsecchi.

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sick and her studies of the Holy Scrip-tures. The Pio Albergo T rivulzio wasset up in Milan in 1771 and Ca rdinalGiuseppe Pozzobonelli asked MariaGaetana to act as Visitor and Women’sDirector. In 1783, she moved to thePio Albergo to become its director .She continued working at the Trivulziofor 26 years until the day she died, 9January 1799.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi (Milan, 1718-1799), the first of 21 children born toa wealthy family that made their moneyin the silk industry, showed early signsof her remarkable intelligence and spe-cial t alent f or f oreign l anguages. H erfather, Pietro Agnesi, had his first childeducated by illustrious tutors and withtheir aid Maria Gaetana learnt Italian,German, French, Latin, Greek, Spani -sh and Hebrew perfectly, earning her-self the nickname “seven languageoracle”. Around 1737, she went on tostudy philosophy and mathematics.Agnesi was behind the discovery ofthe versiera algebraic curve. 1748 sawthe publication of Istituzioni Analitichead uso della Gioventù Italiana, a bookthat earned her recognition all over Eu-rope. In 1752, her father died and shewithdrew completely from public life tofocus on caring for the poor and th e

Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Curious facts

Gaetana Agnesi’s versiera in piazzadella Pace

Views of Villa Agnesi: left, the grand staircase; top right, an aerial view; bottomright, the small church of the Annunciazione



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Nova MilaneseMunicipal website: www.comune.novamilanese.mi.it


This municipality develops along the southernboundary of the province of Monza and is crossed

by the Villoresi Canal, inaugurated in 1881. A firstinhabited nucleus formed probably in Roman timeson the road b etween Milan and Carate. T he firstwritten record dates from the late 13th century. Forcenturies, Nova was a farming town and, until the1920s, its economy, like that of many other townsin Brianza, was based on silkworm breeding, flankedby vine growing, as mentioned in 1815 by the Mi-lanese poet Carlo Porta, who indicated it as a centreof excellence for wine making.

The parish church is dedicated to St. Antoni-no Martire and its first records date from the 13thcentury. The building, altered in 1604, 1751 and 1842,adopted its present architectural form after extensionand restoration work in 1921-1923. The interior was

1998) in 1978. He arrived in Nova in 1931and taught at the vocational school therebefore moving the Libera Accademia diPittura there in 1961. In collaboration withthe local administration, he founded theBice Bugatti Painting Prize and the Gio-vanni Segantini Drawing Prize. The draw-ings date from 1936 to 1966; the paint-ings, executed in 1976-77, contain es-sential traits of V iviani’s productionmarked by variations of light played onpale tones and subjects linked to Venice,landscapes in Puglia and female figures.Collezione Arti del Fuoco , via Garibaldi 1,Saturdays 3-6pm, Sundays 1 0am-noonand 3-6pm. Info: Associazione CulturaleImpronte, tel. 036243802; Ufficio CulturaComune tel. 0362374508, U.R.P . tel.0362374203.

The Collezione Permanente delle Arti delFuoco is a collection of contemporaryworks featuring painted porcelain, ceram-ics, enamelled metal and fused glass. Its350 works come from 22 countriesaround the world. Established in 1999 bya joint effort of the local administration ofNova Milanese, the Impronte cultural as-sociation and Hobbyceram of Milan, thecollection is an “interactive local space”that promotes the knowledge and love ofan art that has always accompanied hu-man life. Every two years, it is the venuefor the “Città di Nova” Prize, a crucialdate for the promotion and latest news ofthe refined world of the fired arts. Thesame civic premises display ten paintingsand 54 drawings donated by the artist Vit-torio Viviani (Milan 1909-Nova Milanese

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Curious facts

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decorated in the 1920s and 1930s with the aid of Lui-gi M orgari, w ho a lso d esigned t he w indows, o nwhose death Cesare Secchi of Milan took over. Thepaintings are by Osvaldo Bignami. In 19 27, VittorioViviani, a local by adoption, created the lunette fea-turing imitation mos aics. The same artist was re-sponsible for a Crucifixion in via Garibaldi. Thechurch of S. Bernardo at Cascina Meda is 18th cen-tury and the Oratory of the Beata V ergine Assun-ta in Grugnotorto dates from the second half of the15th century.

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WesternBrianza


century. It has a huge park and is, today, owned bythe municipal administration, which has made it thehome of the Collezione P ermanente delle Arti delFuoco and the painter V ittorio Viviani’s donation.During the 19th century, the courtyard adjacent tothe east wing of the villa was home to the first silkmill, owned by Vertua Prinetti. Villa De Barzi, behindthe central square, was erected in 156 0 and alteredin the late 18th century; it is most notable for its gar-den, the work of Luigi Cagnola. Villa Crosti Colom-bo, the original structure of whic h dates from the15th century, was extended and altered towards theend of the 18th century; it is Neoclassical in style andbased on a design on whic h L eopold Pollack isthought to have worked.

The huge park annexed to the villa dates fromthe 19th century. The latest cultural projects organ-ised in N ova include an Ecomuseo, an open-airroute aimed at pinpointing and promoting local en-vironmental, artistic and historic resources, creat-ed thanks to an initiative of the Il Cortile culturalassociation, and a venture, commenced in 1996, be-tween this town and that of Bolzano on the sub-ject of exports that resulted in the creation of anArchivio Audiovisivo della Memoria, conserved inthe local civic library and the historic archive of thetown in Alto Adige.

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DesioMunicipal website: www.comune.desio.mi.it


D esio lies northwest of Monza, an area known asthe “furniture -making pole”, on the Valassina

road, traced along the Roman road that linked Mi-lan to Brianza. Excavations have confirmed the ex-istence of the settlement not only in R oman timesbut also in a previous epoc h with the presence ofCeltic-Ligurian peoples. The area’s Christianisationis shown by the founding of the Basilica of Ss. Siroe Materno in 649 by Bishop Giovanni Bono. T hepresent place of worship was built in the 1 7th and18th centuries (architects Pellegrini, Ciniselli, Mer-lo and Galliori) and the apse area extended at theend of the last century (architects Leveni and CesaBianchi). The interior features a series of 19th- and20th-century paintings by Mauro Conconi andGiuseppe Riva of Bergamo.

The Basilica of Ss. Siro e Materno

Ss. Siro e Materno, detail ofthe 15th-century bell tower


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WesternBrianza


It has a fine main altar by the sculptors Nava andAntignani (1744) and 16th-century tapestries. T hebell tower dates from the 15th century and has a fa-mous concert of bells, cast in 1843 and the subjectof three records.

Desio formed part of the Martes ana district,first mentioned in 931 and under the power of Mi-lan, although it repeatedly sided against the city,for instance when Barbarossa arrived. It was a headparish at least from the 12th century. A Franciscanconvent (suppressed in 1777) and one of the Hu-miliati, who launched wool processing, were found-ed in the 13th century. During the fighting betweenthe Torriani and V isconti families for supremacyover Milan, Desio was the scene of the decisive bat-tle from whic h Ottone V isconti emerged as win-ner on 21 January 1277. In the mid-14th century acastle was built for Bernabò Visconti. In 1385, Gi-an Galeazzo brought the parish of Desio under thejurisdiction of the Podestà of Milan. F ighting b e-tween the Empire and F rance tormented Europein the first half of the 16th century and, in 1511,the city was sacked by the Lanzichenecchi, immor-talised in a drawing by L eonardo da V inci con-served in the British royal collections. In 1613, theKing of Spain Philip I II elevated it from the rankof county to that of marchesato; several noble fam-ilies obtained it in feud. After Italian Unification,Desio became home to a factory known the worldover — the Gavazzi silk industry. Furniture and me-chanical industries (Autobianchi came here in the

Ambrogio Damiano AchilleRatti was born in Desio in1857 to a family thatworked with silk. He stud-ied as a seminarist in Mon-za and Milan and at theGregorian University inRome. He was ordained asa priest in 1879. ElectedPope in 1922, he drew upthe Lateran Pact with theItalian State (1929) whichgave the Holy See sover-eignty over the Vatican CityState. In 1931, he inaugu-rated the Vatican Radio. Hecondemned Nazism andCommunism and died in1939. The house wherePius XI was born containsa museum of mementoeslinked to him, including theradio given to the Pope byGuglielmo Marconi.

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1960s) subsequently developed. In 1924, it obtainedrecognition as a “T own”. The municipal coat-of-arms stems from that of the Da Dexio family, withthe red and silver colours changed.

The historically and artistically most interestingbuilding in the town is Villa Cusani Traversi Tittoni,now the home of the civic library and other publicservices. Of exceptional shape and size, the presentbuilding is the fruit of two subsequent conversionprojects on the older baroque structure, built on theruins of a medieval castle and convent. In the late18th century, the Cus ani family asked GiuseppePiermarini to produce a N eoclassical design. B e-tween 1817 and 1846, Pelagio Palagi revamped thegardens a nd v illa, a dopting n eo-Gothic s olutionsboth in the park, with the construction of the tow-er, and the interiors, notably black boiseries on a goldground covering the walls and ceiling of the diningroom plus frescoed medallions. T he architect wasalso responsible for the gateway but the staircase andmausoleum are by Luca Beltrami (19 03).

Opposite the Basilica of Ss. Siro e Maternostands a bronze monument by Albert Dressler ofPius XI, previously known as Ambrogio DamianoAchille Ratti, who was born in Desio. Not far fromthe P ope’s house -museum is the 18th-centurychurch of S. Maria, housing several painted worksof the 16th and 17th centuries. In the hamlet of S.Giorgio, you can admire the small church of S. Apollinare (17th cent.) and in San Giuseppe seeVilla Buttafava and the 17th-century Oratory ded-icated to the saint.

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The Palio degli ZoccoliIn Desio, clogs are thesymbol of the spirit of re-bellion of the locals who,back in 1227, foughtagainst the Viscontis forthe right to wear them andfor their dignity. Today, inmemory of that battle, theystill hold the Palio degli Zoc-coli, a race between thedistricts of Desio, betweenthe last week in May andthe first in June. It is pre-ceded by a medieval cos-tume parade and the Basil-ica of Ss. Siro e Maternoholds a ceremony involvinghomage to the cross, apromise on the part of thecompetitors and the bless-ing of the districts. Duringthe mass, the officiantlights a traditional ball toSt. Victor which forecaststhe success of the harvest;people believe that good orbad omens can be read ac-cording to the directiontaken by the smoke. In theafternoon, a parade ac-companied by a group offlag wavers is followed bythe palio, which consists ina relay race around thebasilica with two athletesracing for each district,wearing the old clogs ontheir feet. The winners re-ceive the standard and atrophy consisting in a pairof silver and wood clogs. InApril, the streets of thehamlet of the same namecome alive with the Sagra diS. Giuseppe (Festival of St.Joseph), a country festival.

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SeregnoMunicipal website: www.comune.seregno.mi.it


The first historical record of Seregno, situated in theBrianza foothills, is a parc hment dated 10 87 in

which Pietro da Seregno concedes part of his assets“in loco et fundo Seregnio” to the presbytery of S.Ambrogio in Milan. In the 13th century, the Torri-ani and Visconti dynasties fought for control of theMilan area and, in 1277, the people of Seregno tookpart in the well-known Battle of Desio, whic h re-sulted in the defeat of the former. In modern times,it was a feud of the Gallarati (15 30), Manriquez deMendoza and Castelli (1 713) families. In the 19thcentury, the town b ecame industrialised, partlythanks to the presence of the railway (18 49), andspecialised in the mechanical processing of cotton.

The symbol of the town is a Tower known asthat of Barbarossa, a 12th-century structure thatwas formerly the bell-tower of the church of S. Vit-tore, altered in 1576 and again in 1781 to becomea c ivic t ower. A ccording t o t radition, E mperorFrederick I, Barbarossa, had it built as a watchtow-er along the Milan- Como line during the battleswith the Lombard towns.

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The collegiate church of S. Giuseppe, with itscentral plan and dome, is monumental and has re-peatedly b een altered. Ermenegildo Pini, GiulioGalliori and Giuseppe Piermarini all worked on its18th-century passage from classicism to Neo-clas-sicism. The pronaos on the façade is by OttavioCabiati (1944). The Oratory of Ss. Rocco e Sebas-tiano, constructed in 1577, is notable and adornedwith a vast cycle of frescoes that combine the Lui-ni-style of the sanctuary in Saronno with an earlyfamiliarity with innovations in Monza.

See also the Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Vignaioli, enlarged in 185 9, and the Oratory of S. Carlo , 17th-century, converted to a church in1898, with its fine bas-relief in white marble of theMadonna and Child, dating from the 15th century.Just outside the town is the Sanctuary of S. Vale-ria, a 17th-century complex rebuilt to a design bySpirito Maria Chiappetta between 1930 and 1954and with a remarkable collection of ex votos. Theabbey of S. Benedetto , constructed in the lastdecade of the 19th century in L ombard neo-Ro-manesque style, was extended in 19 31 to a designby Cabiati. Wonderful 20th-century stained-glasswindows depict stories from Benedictine historyand that of Seregno.

Extending all around the town is the Parco del-la Brianza Centrale, predominantly farmland,where foot and cycle paths, c hildren’s play areasand picnic spots have all b een created.

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Seregno celebrates Between the end of Apriland 1 May , the Sagra di S.Valeria is a feast that at-tracts stalls selling food-stuffs, local products, cos-tume jewellery, householditems, clothing and exoticartefacts to the streets ofthe S. Valeria district. InSeptember, the Festa Popo-lare Madonna della Campagnaproposes gastronomicalevenings with Brianza cui-sine, accompanied by mu-sic played by fine orches-tras. Every year, the tradi-tional Fiera del Bestiame(Livestock Fair) showcasesbreeds of cows and sheeptypically found in Brianza.

Art in Seregno: frescoes in the Oratory of Ss. Roccoe Sebastiano and the windows of S. Benedetto

The abbey of S. Benedetto



The artistic heritage of the Middle Ages in this part of Brianza is some-

what atypical since what remains is rather scattered around, largely be-

cause so much reconstruction work was done from the 16th to 18th cen-

turies. This stated, there is the extraordinary complex of the Basilica of

Ss. Pietro e Paolo in Agliate (Carate Brianza), flanked by the baptistery of

S. Giovanni. The grandiose architecture of these two edifices, the reuse

of Roman materials, and the 11th century frescoes have brought these

buildings European renown, especially in combination with the Romanesque

structures that are found in other basilicas in Brianza, such as in Galliano

and Civate. From the late 16th century on, there was almost a systemat-

ic "refurbishment" of religious buildings. This did not, though, mean only

one style: the 17th-century style S. Martino in V eduggio (by the great

Francesco Maria Richini), the delightful Neoclassical period of the Roton-

da in Triuggio and the parish church of Besana Brianza, the gracious, neo-

Romanesque parish church in Capriano di Briosco, the neo-Renaissance

and neo-baroque work by Chiappetta on the parish church in Albiate and

Villa Sacro Cuore in T riuggio (a true repertoire, with its 5 churches and

chapels) and finally the severe rationalism of Verano's parish church.

Central BrianzaRomanesque and Neoclassical

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Central Brianza


The villa culture also left its mark, starting with V illa Taverna (Canon-

ica di Triuggio), which originated as a fort in the late Middles Ages, was

altered in the 17th century and then changed again in the 18th century

with the addition of the driveway and facing church. In Lissone, Palazzo

Baldirone is a example of the classicism introduced locally by Palazzo

Arese in Cesano Maderno. In some case, the entire town layout — such

as Carate Brianza, dominated by V illa Confalonieri — was focused on a

villa. Other notable villas include V illa Sartirana in Giussano, with some

classical and Neoclassical work; V illa Verri in Biassono — tied to some

great thinkers of the Enlightenment — is a sombre example of 18th-cen-

tury rationalism; Villa Casati in Muggiò brings together the best aspects

of Neoclassicism; V illa Litta in V edano is an excellent example of neo-

Gothic, drawing parallels with Villa Cusani Traversi Tittoni in Desio. Moder-

nity also left a different — yet complementary — mark: industrial archae-

ology in Briosco, Vincenzo Vela's bronze statues in Renate and, most of

all, the former Fascist House in Lissone, by Giuseppe T erragni.

As such, it is fair to say that this is a complex land that combines the

largely isolated Romanesque architecture found in Agliate with much

modernity from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as with the innova-

tion that was so much part of the 20th century .


CentralBrianza


Parco della Valle del LambroThe Valle del Lambro Park cuts across all of central Brianza, from Monza toErba. It is about 25 km long, following the Lambro River. The river itself pass-es through a glacial valley and the importance of this watercourse to the lo-cal area can be gauged from the 31 old mills that stand along the northernbank. The environment here is far from uniform, partly due to the major im-pact that man and his work have had on the land. There are, though, patch-es where acacia, hornbeam, English oak, alder and ash wood abound andthere is some wildlife, especially birds. The range of services includes: cyclepaths, horse-riding trails, environmental education initiatives and guided tours. Park headquarters: Triuggio, via Vittorio Veneto 19 (open Monday, Wednesdayand Friday 8am-2pm, Tuesday and Thursday 8am-noon and 1.30-6.30pm); tel.0362970961, 0362997137; website: www.parcovallelambro.it

Consorzio Brianteo Villa Greppi This consortium, with its headquarters at V illa Greppi in Monticello Brianza,was created to make the most of the culture and land of Brianza. It organis-es numerous events throughout the year, including exhibitions and guided toursof the villa. One of the most notable events is "La Passione per il Delitto"(Passion for Crime, www .lapassioneperildelitto.it), which has become a hotfavourite for local lovers of thrillers and crime stories. It lasts a week and isfilled with meetings and events that bring some of the leading Italian writersin this field to Brianza. Info: www.villagreppi.it

To learn more

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Veduggio con ColzanoMunicipal website: www.comune.veduggioconcolzano.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Piave 2, c/o Library. Tel.: 3393376663. Fax: 0362998313Website: www.prolocoveduggio.it E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Monza: 20 km. Distance from Milan: 37 km. Map reference: B 4

This town is divided into four villages: Veduggio,Colzano, Bruscò and Tremolada. It is in the Valle

del Lambro Park, on the border of the provinces ofComo and Lecco. The first of the villages that wehave recorded evidence of is Tremolada. It appearsin a deed that d ivided the Milan D iocese into 14country churches. The author of the deed was St.Monas (ca. 195-251), a Bishop of Milan who is re-membered f or h aving b rought C hristianity t o t hearea between Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and theRiver Po. It appeared once again in a diploma from1162 issued by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to theAbbot of Civate Algisio. Bruscò is mentioned in anagreement from 784 between the abbot of the Bene-dictine high monastery of S. Ambrogio in Milan andsomeone called Teopert. The first record of Colzanois from 1115. Veduggio is noted in Gothofredus deBussero's Liber notitiae Sanctorum Mediolani (1289).The four villages were largely farming centres untilthe 19th century, although they were all autonomouscommunes until their amalgamation in 1871.

GiubianaThis festival is on the lastThursday in J anuary. T hename Giubiana comes fromthe Italian for Thursday(giovedì), which was the daywhen witches gathered toperform their evil rites, andit refers to an effigy of ragsand sticks shaped to looklike a woman. It is burnt ona large bonfire in front of thevillage's junior schools andis a rite that is said to bringa prosperous and fortunateyear. The fire is lit in themorning and burns all day .The festival began in 1859and, according to the tradi-tion, as the effigy burnt, theyoung people would throwbits of paper into the fire,on which they had writtenthings that they wanted toavoid. Boiled chestnuts andvin brulé are available duringthe event.

A view of Veduggio


CentralBrianza


Construction on the parish church of S. Mar-tino, in Veduggio, began in 1642 using a design bythe architect Francesco Maria Richini. It was builton the site of an existing structure and was a votiveoffering from the Cazzulani family for having es-caped the plague of 16 30. It was enlarged in 19 34.The steps leading up to the c hurch were 'immor-talised' by the painter Giovanni Segantini (Arco diTrento, 1858-Schafberg, 1899), who stayed in Bri-anza from 1881-1885. The famous painting, At Mass,is on display in the Segantini museum in St. Mortiz.In the first version of the work, Comments from Ma-licious P eople, put on exhibition in T urin in 18 83,there was a young lady going up the steps with asmall dog, while people stood b ehind her makingnasty comments about her. In the second, the artistremoved all of the people and put in a priest slow-ly walking up the steps. The actual church has somesculptures by Alfredo Sassi, who lived, at that time,in nearby R enate. A memorial stone (195 8) wasplaced in via Vittorio Veneto to recall the time spenthere by this painter from Trentino.

Bruscò has a small oratory that dates from1398 and is dedicated to St. Michael . A numb erof finds made in the area have made it possible toidentify the place where the battle took place, in1154, between Milanese troops and those of Fred-erick Barbarossa.

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Medicinal herbFitopreparazione Hierba Bue-na (via San Antonio 19, tel.and fax 0362911439, in-f o @ h i e r b a b u e n a . i t ,www.hierbabuena.it): culti-vation and gathering of me-dicinal herbs. Oils, soapsand creams are producedon site. Direct sales, withdemonstrations.

The 17th-century parishchurch of S. Martino

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BrioscoMunicipal website: www.comune.briosco.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 16 km. Distance from Milan: 33 km Map reference: B 4

T here is evidence of human settlement in theBriosco area in pre-Roman times. The town was

destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa's troops in 1162,presumably b ecause the local noble family — deBrioscho — opposed the Emperor. This noble fami-ly, nonetheless, remained in the zone until at leastthe 17th century. The only traces of the medieval cas-tle are found incorporated into buildings in the oldcentre. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Order ofthe Humiliati set up a women's house that had a millwith a hammer for working iron. T his was a some-what remarkable feature for that time, although thereis evidence of similar structures in the area, especial-ly around Peregallo. Indeed, the only building alongthe entire L ambro that still uses waterpower, Mulino Ronchi Peregallo, is another example of sucha structure. It is now part of a farmhouse complex.Pottery was an important craft, making use of the lo-cal supplies of clay . There were a numb er of smallkilns dotted around, but these were industrialised inthe 19th century (the Hoffman kilns, for example).

Festivals in Briosco Along the Lambro, on thelast Thursday in January,the Giubiana arrives. This gi-ant effigy made of hay anddressed in rags is the cen-tre piece of a much lovedfestival in Piedmont andLombardy, especially Bri-anza. There is a proces-sion, starting from thechurch square, and a giantbonfire is lit. The 'old' effi-gy is burnt, symbolicallyridding the people of thenegativity of winter andpreparing for the new sea-son. Roasted chestnutsand Monza-style risotto(with a special sausage)are also an integral part offestivities. For over 10years, the first Sunday inJuly has been the Sagra delPesce (fish festival). Thispopular event involvesfried fish being sold on thepiazza and dancing. Thesecond Sunday of themonth, in Capriano, is fes-tival time.

The parish church in the Fornaci district


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Today, there is still a district called Fornaci (fur-naces/kilns; notable also for the parish c hurch ofthe Immacolata e T re Fanciulli). The Cartiera Villa (paper mill) was built shortly before the mid-dle of the 19th century.

Today, it is a site of arc haeological interest.Briosco also has its fair share of summer residencesthat belonged to Milan's elite and were built from the17th/18th century on. From the 18th-century, thereis the notable Villa Medici, now called Giulini, thatwas modelled around an existing fortified house andhas a vast park. It also has a valuable collection ofancient keyboard instruments that can be seen by ap-pointment. In Capriano, it is worth seeing the N eo-classical Villa Trivulzio, Villa Casanova and PalazzoAnnoni, built at the turn of the 17th century.

Casa Rossini , designed by the arc hitect Gian-franco Frattini, is a good example of a modern build-ing that has been blended into the surrounding land-scape and the bac kdrop of Grigne and R esegone.Nearby, on the same property, you can see the head-quarters of the future F ondazione Pietro R ossini,housed in a pavilion designed by the American ar-chitect James W ines, from the S ITE group. T heopen-air collection of sculptures includes some worksby leading contemporary artists.

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The Rossini Collection This collection has beencreated b y t he p assion o fall members of the Rossinifamily. It was started in1953, by the Lombard in-dustrialist Alberto Rossi ni,who, at the age of 20,bought an abstract sculp-ture by Gaetano Negri, anassistant of Marino Marini.A number of sizeable sculp-tures are kept in the gardenand are freely visible by thepublic. The best works areby Pietro Consagra, César,Dennis O ppenheim, G iòPomodoro, E rik D ietman,and Nagasawa, althoughthere are also other worksby some ex cellent expo-nents of contemporarysculpture. For info: www.ristorante-lear.com/arte_fondazione.htm

The open-air sculptures in the garden of Casa Rossini

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RenateMunicipal website: www.comune.renate.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 19 km. Distance from Milan: 36 km Map reference: B 4

This municipality lies on the hills around a basinon the L ambro in the central-northern part of

Brianza. The land is c haracterised by sedimenta-tion deposited during the last glacial age. The mu-nicipal c oat-of-arms h as a c olumn t opped b y across with trilob ed tips and recalls the cross thatwas placed in the town centre to commemorate theexecution of a young patriot from Renate who wasa friend of Aless andro Manzoni's son. From 1928to 1956 R enate was united with V eduggio and,even today, they share the so-called "T hree parkstrain station" (Monza, Valle del Lambro and MonteBarro parks).

The parish church of Ss. Donato e Carpoforowas refurbished in the late 17th century. The smallchurch of S. Mauro Abate is older and was built asa memorial for those who died of the plague in the17th century. The public park contains a notablewar memorial by Alfredo Sassi, a sculptor . Thereis also a local cultural centre dedicated to Sassi,containing a gallery of plaster casts and some 19th-century bronzes by Vincenzo Vela.

Renate's Palio The palio, organised annual-ly by parish ioners, is heldduring the second and thirdweek of September. It con-sists o f a d onkey r ace i n-volving the districts of Re-nate ( Garibaldina, G esola,Le Sorgenti and T uriom).The festival also includesevents for children, a torch-light religious procession,sporting competitions anddancing.

A view of Renate and, right, a section of piazza Don Pasquale Zanzi


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From via Immacolata e Oriano (Cass ago dis-trict), you can reach the Valletta Park, which formsa key 'green corridor' b etween the Montevecc hiaand Valle del Lambro parks. It largely consists ofhills formed during the Quaternary P eriod by theAdda glacier.

remains a member of numerous impor-tant ecclesial institutes and holds vari-ous offices in the Holy See. He has ledthe Milan Diocese since 29 September2002. On 20 March 2008, he publisheda new Ambrosian Lectionary . EdoardoMangiarotti (Renate, 7 April 1919) waseducated by his father, a famous fencerfrom post WWI period. Edoardo wonmore Olympic and W orld Champi-onship medals than any other Italian. Intotal, from 1936 to 1960, he won 6gold medals, 5 silvers and 2 bronzes.He is the President of the NationalUnion o f Verterans S ports, w hich i srecognised by the Italian Olympic com-mittee. He is an honorary member ofthe federal council of the Italian fenc-ing federation and the Fédération Inter-nationale d’Escrime (FIE), where he al-so heads the Discipline Commission.He shares, with the walker Ugo Frige-rio, the honour of having been the on-ly Italian chosen to carry the Italian flagat the opening ceremony of theOlympics on two occasions (Mel-bourne 1956 and Rome 1960).

One of the most famous people fromRenate is the sculptor Alfredo Sassi(Ponte Vetero-Brera, 1869-Renate,1952). He trained in Brera and had astrong social sense, spending muchtime focusing on educating the peopleof Brianza. Many of his works were fu-nerary statues, meaning his works canbe found in the Monza cemetery andmany other cemeteries, including in Mi-lan where he created the monumentfor famed WWI pilot Francesco Barac-ca. He moved to Renate in 1893 andbecame a local councillor (1901). Hefounded and directed various scholas-tic institutes and, in 1945, became themayor by popular demand. Two famouscontemporary people are also from Re-nate. Dionigi T ettamanzi (Renate, 14March 1934) is currently Archbishopof Milan. He was ordained in 1957 byMonsignor Giovanni Battista Montini,made Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in1998, and archbishop of Ancona-Osi-mo in 1989, and 1995 of Genoa. Hehas been secretary and vice-presidentof the Italian Episcopal Conference and

Famous locals

Out of interest

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Villa Pagani and, right, the parish church of Ss. Donato e Carpoforo

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Besana in BrianzaMunicipal website: www.comune.besanainbrianza.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Dante Alighieri 13. Tel. and fax: 0362915289Websiteb: www.prolocobesana.it E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Monza: 16 km. Distance from Milan: 33 km. Map reference: C 4

The finds, in the late 19th century in the Valle Guidi-no district, of tablets b earing Roman inscriptions

suggest the origins of Besana date back to, at least 69AD. There was probably a Roman religious site hereand a saltus (pasture) that belonged to a Roman Gen-eral named Verginius Rufus. In the Middle Ages, thearea was dominated by the Da Besana family, whowere Milanese nobles and for at least three centuries,feudal lords of the country church of Agliate (locat-ed beyond the Lambro; birthplace of Garibert, Arch-bishop of Milan from 918). Various elements in theold centre of via Castello (a large wall in a fish-scalepattern, an entrance arch, a building with a pointedarch, and a vast underground room with a barrelvault) recall the castle (9-12th cent.) built by the lo-cal lords. The autonomous communities of Bes ana,Montesiro, Valle, Cazzano, Villa Raverio, Vergo, Zoc-corino and Calò formed around the c hurches. Un-der the Habsburgs, these became communes, remain-ing as such until 1869 when they were united into asingle entity known as Bes ana in Brianza. T he mu-nicipality has an impressive 34 villas on its books.

The 19th-century Villa Filippini seen from the park and, above, from via Viarana


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e-mail: [email protected]) is lo-cated on the border of the Valle del Lam-bro Park in 17th-century rural buildingswith a large garden. This bee farm(where they breed their own queenbees) also collects different types ofhoney from all across Italy. Sale of hon-ey, propolis, royal jelly and extra virginolive oil. Educational activities for the"Per Corti e Cascine" (courtyards andfarms) event, including learning aboutbees and making hives. These are suit-able for children and adults. Agriturismo “Agrodolce” (via Piave 39, tel.0362941532) provides homemade cui-sine with home-grown products, T ues-day to Sunday from midday to 2.30pmand 8pm to 1am.

Agriturismo Agricola Brusignone owned byGabriella Pennati and Federica Rigamon-ti (Montesiro di Besana in Brianza, viaA. De Gasperi, tel. 3355975100, fax0362996162), is a farm where animalsare bred, red fruits are grown, dairy andmeat cattle, goats and sheep are reared,bees are kept and cheese is made. Saleof small fruits, jams, honey and varioustypes of cheese. On Wednesdays andfrom Friday to Sunday, there is a smallrestaurant, but booking is essential. Var-ious educational activities. D uring the“Per Corti e Cascine” (courtyards andfarms) event, they show how cheese ismade at 11am and 3.30pm. Apicoltura Dell’Orto (via San Clemente 12,tel. 0362994 878, fax 0362915842,

Educational farms and farm stays

Out of interest

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In the old centre, you can see Villa Filippini, builtin the early 19th century in Neoclassical style by thePrinetti family. The villa has a U-shaped courtyardopening onto the main drive. T he landscaped parkbehind the villa uses the natural lie of the land andhas numerous impressive trees. There are 12 bronzeand resin statues by Aligi Sassu b etween 1983 and1996. This villa houses the public library, whic h re-cently benefitted from a donation of historical andartistic texts from Angelo Salvioni and from the Am-ici dell’Arte di Aligi Sassu a ssociation (Sassu hasstrong ties to Brianza). Villa Borella de Sabata, nowthe Town Hall, is in late N eoclassical style, havingbeen built around the middle of the 19th century. Ithas a somewhat unusual octagonal central section

The Basilica of Ss. Pietro, Marcellino e Erasmo; left, a view of the tympanums


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that looks onto piazza Umb erto I. There are somewonderful rooms on the ground f loor, with roman-tic decorations and stuccowork. The best are in themain hall (now used as the council c hamber). Thepiazza is the setting for the parish church of Ss.Pietro, Marcellino e Erasmo, a grand N eoclassicalbuilding (after 1825) by Giacomo Moraglia. The fres-co (1838) in the baptistery is by the painter Morgari.The works in the apse, presbytery and the vaultabove the nave are by Raffaele Casnedi (1873-1878).Inside, you can see a wooden crucifix from the 16thcentury, an organ made by the Eugenni Biroldi com-pany (1809-1835) and a fresco of St. Sebastian by theschool of Bergognone. In 19 98, the church becamea Minor Roman Basilica.

On via Viarana you find the church of S. Cate-rina d’Alessandria (15th cent.), commissioned by anoblewoman called Lucrezia Bonacossa and conse-crated in 1413. It has a number of paintings from the17th and 18th centuries. It was restored in 1827 and,during this work, some 15th-century frescoes wereuncovered. In the arcade on the embankment of thesmall church, you can admire a series of four poly-chrome mosaics designed by Aligi Sassu and creat-ed by his friend and assistant Tito Toneguzzo. Theydepict St. Catherine with the Wheel, St. Francis, theBlessed Cardinal Andrea Ferrari and the Blessed Lui-gi Guanella. T he nearby Villa Dragoni V olta, alsocalled La Dragona, has some medieval elements.

In the Montesiro section of the Brugora district,you can see a former Benedictine convent that was

Feasts and events Maggio Cazzanese: on the la-st Friday, Saturday and Sun-day of May , the Festa inPiazza is organised by theS. Clemente Cultural Groupfrom t he C azzano d istrict.Exhibitions, competitions, aHarley-Davidson rally, culi-nary events and dancing onthe square. Fish Festival : o n t he t hirdSunday of July in the Calòdistrict, it involves a seriesof events, including tastinglocal fish dishes and dan-cing in the evening. Hunting and Birding Fair : lastweek in July in the Calò di-strict, t his i nvolves a d ogshow (hunting and otherdogs) as well as birds, ga-me and poultry. There is al-so a section for bird equip-ment and bee-keeping aswell a competition for bird-whistling and quail piping. Feast of the Holy Crucifix: se-cond weekend in October,this feast celebrates a lar-ge wooden crucifix (14thcent.) kept in the parishchurch. It is on display forthree days. Concerts andshows complement the re-ligious ceremonies. Fair of St. Catherine: on 25November, this centuries-old feast is named after thesmall church that was builtaround the year One thou-sand and dedicated to St.Catherine of Alexandria.Display of merchandise,farming equipment and li-vestock.

The church of S. Caterina d’Alessandria

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Monza-Molteno-Lecco railway

Relations Office (URP)in Besana in Brianza toget the keys to get in-to the walled off sec-tion. For information :Public Relations Of-fice, via Roma 1 (Mon-day to Saturday , 9amto 12.30pm, Thursday

8.30am-7pm); tel. 036292202; e-mail:[email protected]

In the Guidino zone, sit-ting 300 m above sealevel on a glacial hill,you can see a large,uneven shape atop theborder wall of V illaGuidino (private). It isactually a serpentinousrock, probably fromValtellina. To get a better view of therock, you need to head to the Public

Out of interest

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The former Benedictine convent in Brugora

The stone of Guidino

built in the 11th century by the Cas ati family. It isnow an old-age home. T he Romanesque church,dedicated toSaints Peter and Paul, is from 1102 andit maintains the division between the part for the pub-lic, in baroque style (a late 16th-cent. fresco of theLast Supper has recently b een rediscovered and issimilar to some works in S. Vittore in Meda), and thesection for the nuns, which has 16th-century frescoesabout the Virgin Mary that are attributed to the Mas-ter of Camuzzago. There are two cloisters, from the16th and 18th centuries.

In Vergo Zoccorino, it is worth seeing thechurch of Ss. Gervaso e Protaso . This 16th-cen-tury building has been altered on various occasionsand the current appearance is 18th century. Mon-tesiro is the setting for the Oratory of Ss. Nazaroe Celso, which has some furnishings from the 18thto the 20th centuries.

The Monza-Molteno-Leccorailway — known as theRailway of Brianza — hascome close to being closeddown on more than one oc-casion, but protests fromcommuters and local admin-istrators have always savedit. It is about 30 km long,connecting Monza to Leccothrough the central sectionof Brianza. The line does nothave electrical power and,for a section between Mon-za and Molteno, there is on-ly a single track. It opened in1911 and, for decades, itlinked the Lecco-section ofBrianza to Milan and Monzaby diesel train. In the 1980s,the train's route was extend-ed to Sesto San Giovanni;since 2000, when the link toPorta Garibaldi station in Mi-lan was completed, it hascome to be the "ThreeParks Train". On public holi-days and Sundays, one canenjoy the green spaces byheading, from Milan, toMonza Park, the V alle delLambro Park and the MonteBarro Park, ideally withone's bicycle in tow.



Carate BrianzaMunicipal website: www.comune.caratebrianza.mi.it

Pro Loco Carate Brianza: via General Cantore 6. Tel.: 0362990470 Fax: 0362906487. Distance from Monza: 12 km Distance from Milan: km 29. Map reference: C 4

T he site where Carate Brianza lies is traditionallyknown as one of the favoured locations of Queen

Theodolinda during the period of L ombard domi-nation. There is evidence of Roman-era settlement,from finds made near Realdino, as well as some evenearlier traces, namely, the semi-circular hollows duginto a large mass in the small Brovada valley (called“coppelle”). There is evidence, from the 10th centu-

station); FS railway line, Milano-Monza-Como (Seregno station), then bus AGIBrianza Trasporti Nord Est 32 BrianzaTrasporti z233 Seregno (train station)-Al-biate-Triuggio, Carate Brianza stop. By bus, from Milan: from the Sesto metrostop (M1), bus AGI Brianza Trasporti NordEst 32 Brianza T rasporti z221 towardsMariano Comense, Carate Brianza stop;from Monza: from Monza train station(FS), bus AGI Brianza Trasporti Nord Est32 Brianza Trasporti z221 towards Mari-ano Comense, Carate Brianza stop.

By car , Carate Brianza can be reachedfrom Milan along viale Fulvio Testi by fol-lowing the signs for Monza (SS36 road)and then heading on towards Lecco;Carate Brianza exit; from Lecco, along theSS36 motorway, from Milan via Monza toLecco, heading towards Milan and takingthe Carate Brianza exit; from the A4 mo-torway (Venice-Milan-Turin), taking theCinisello Balsamo, then viale Fulvio Testiand then following the directions above.By train, FS railway line, Sesto S. Giovan-ni-Monza-Molteno-Lecco (Carate-Calò

Getting there

The Basilica of Ss. Pietro e Paolo in Agliate Nativity scene in the basilica For 20 years, it has beencustom for a Nativity P layto be held in the basilica inAgliate. On 26 December,there is a charming per-formance, involving twohundred people, of thebirth of Jesus.

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ry, of a castle or at least some type of fortified struc-ture that had been built by the De Carate family inthe area now occupied by Villa Cusani Confalonieri.Carate was the setting for the battle, in 1275, whenthe Visconti and Torriani families fought for controlof Milan. Indeed, the numerous “foppa dei dusent” – or places where the dead were buried – have pro-vided much evidence. Since the 16th century, theland has seen the building of numerous noble villasby wealthy Milanese. From the late 18th century onand, more specifically, during the 19th century, thecourse of the Lambro River became the setting fornumerous spinning, weaving and dyeing mills, thusindicating the growth of the local textile industry .

The site of greatest architectural and artistic in-terest is located in the Agliate district. The Basilica of Ss. Pietro e Paolo and the baptis-tery of S. Giovanni form an extraordinary R o-manesque complex built in the 10th and 11th cen-turies on the site of some even older buildings. Thebasilica is a good example of Lombard architecture,with a sloping façade, a nave and twin aisles (some Th

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Befana on theLambro River This event combines rites,magic, fables and religion:an old lady on a boatheading along the river ,surrounded by lights,sounds and voices... "Be-fana on the Lambro River"has been repeated since1987 on the evening of 5January from 6.30pm on-wards. A different themeis chosen each year and isthe basis for all the sur-rounding shows andevents: giant floats, activ-ities, music, sounds andfireworks are all part ofawaiting the arrival of theBefana along the r iver.

The Basilica of Ss. Pietro e Paolo and, right, the baptistery of S. Giovanni

Villa Cusani Confalonieri

Roman columns were re -used), a raised presby-tery, a crypt that is partially underground and a pre-cious cycle of frescoes (mid 11th cent.), which wasuncovered by restoration work in 1985. The near-by baptistery, with its octagonal layout, has hang-ing arches and is one of the oldest in the region. Ithas a numb er of fragments of frescoes from the10th to 16th centuries.

The current parish church of Ss. Ambrogio eSimpliciano, a Neoclassical reconstruction (1803-1807) by Simone Cantoni, has a vast picture gallerywith materials from the 16th to 19th centuries andmany works from churches in the Milan area thatwere suppressed.

Villa Cusani Confalonieri was built in the late16th century by Valerio Confalonieri. It was enlargedin the 17th century, as can b een seen from part ofthe arcade around the courtyard. Much of the adja-cent Italian garden has b een well preserved. T heConfalonieri family also left their mark with VillaRovella in A gliate, whic h was commissioned byLuigia, Pietro Verri's daughter, using a design by thearchitect Giacomo Moraglia. It is also worth seeingthe Tagliabue-Buttafava-Rossi and Battaglia villas.



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GiussanoMunicipal website: www.comune.giussano.mi.it

Pro Loco Giussano: piazza Aldo Moro c/o Town Hall. Tel.: 3482885435 Fax: 0362803247. Distance from Monza: 16 km. Distance from Milan: 31 km

Map reference: C 3

The municipality lies on the border of the provincesof Milan and Como. T he first recorded mention

was in a notary deed from 8 79. In the 9th century,the "Da Giussano" family – possibly of Lombard ori-gin – established themselves in the area. Their mostfamous member was Alberto, the hero of the Battleof Legnano (1176). In 1478, it was part of the fief ofAgliate granted to the Balbiani family . In 16 88, itpassed i nto t he h ands o f t he C rivelli f amily, w hobuilt a villa that, in the following century, was takenover the Mazenta. In the 19th century, like in manyother parts of Brianza, breeding and selling silkwormsbecame a major industry. Giussano, though, also be-came a centre for vases, ceramics and kitc henware.

The Town Hall was built in 1875 along with theschool, which was rebuilt after about 100 years. Thecurrent Town Hall has a council chamber with foursuperb glass windows by the painter Aligi Sassu.These windows are dedicated to three famous localsons: the mathematician and physicist Gabrio Piola,the abovementioned Alberto da Giussano and Broth-

The outline of Villa Mazenta, home to the Town Hall, seen from the inner courtyard

One of Aligi Sassu'swindows in the councilchamber in Giussano


Giussano


er Giovanni da Giussano, architect of the cathedralin Milan. The fourth window is about progress andthe history of man, from prehistory to the conquestof space. In terms of 20th-century artwork, it is worthnoting the two monuments by Alfredo Sassi at thecivic centre and the one in the Harry Rosenthal pub-lic gardens, called For Freedom and dedicated to theResistance in Italy . In 18 90, the generosity of theBorella family enabled the hospital to be built (it waslater enlarged in 1960). The old parish church stoodon piazza S. Giacomo and was rebuilt in 1932, whenit was dedicated to Saints Philip and James andturned into a basilica. In the first decades of the 20thcentury, a parish priest by the name of RinaldoBeretta distinguished himself for the work he did forthe community, including holding night sc hool toteach the local population to read. The villa cultureis notable here. Firstly, there is Villa Sartirana, nowthe public library. It stands on a site that was first de-veloped in the 15th century . In 16 40, it was p ur-

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In 1876, on the 700th an-niversary of the battle, thecommune of Legnano andfollowing a rousing dis-course by GiuseppeGaribaldi (given in thetown in 1862), the towndecided to create a statuein his honour. The first ver-sion was created by thesculptor Egidio Pozzi , butthis was replaced with anew one by Enrico Butti in

1900. The second version shows thehero that has since become famous,with his sword raised and his shield onhis left. It is on piazza Monumento, nearthe train station. In 1879 Giosuè Car-ducci made Alberto da Giussano one ofthe protagonists in his famous Canzonedi Legnano . During the 20th century ,this image has achieved reasonablefame. Since 1991, a depiction of thestatue in Legnano became the electoralsymbol of the Lega Nord party.

Alberto da Giussano is alegendary character fromthe 12th century. The Lom-bard military leader is men-tioned in some literaryworks written in the follow-ing centuries even thoughhis h istorical e xistencecannot be verified. Asidefrom w here G iussanocame from, there is no cer-tain historical or biograph-ical evidence about him.He first appears in the historical chron-icle of Milan penned by Galvano Fiammain the first half of the 14th century . Al-berto is described as a knight that dis-tinguished himself, al ong with his twobrothers, in the Battle ofLegnano on 29May 1176 by leading the Company ofDeath, a military group of 900 youngknights entrusted with defending, to thedeath, the carroccio wagon (symbol ofthe Lombard League) against the Impe-rial a rmy o f F rederick I B arbarossa.

Alberto da Giussano

Out of interest

Festivals in Giussano

Giubiana Parade and Bonfire: atraditional festival that is verypopular i n P iedmont a ndLombardy (especially Brian-za). On the last Thursday inJanuary, large bonfires arelit on the piazza and in keyplaces. The Giubiana – thatis, an effigy of the Giubianamade of hay and rags – isthen burnt on these fires.Feast of the Madonna in Octo-ber: this traditional event, or-ganised by the GiussanoPro Loco is held on the firstSunday in Giussano. It in-cludes theatre shows, danc-ing and theme evenings,typical Milanese cuisine andfireworks displays.

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chased by Cesare Sartirana, who commissioned amajor cycle of frescoes. In 1795, another Cesare al-tered the garden and a ground f loor room, com-missioning paintings by someone from the circleof Andrea Appiani. The Neoclassical Villa Boffiwas purc hased in 18 43 by the Milanese Borellafamily, who were also the ones b ehind the hospi-tal. The villa is located on holdings that belong tothe Lucini and Carab elli families and is privateproperty. The villa itself has some ric hly frescoedrooms and an imposing grand staircase leading upto the first floor. The tall lookout tower is a slight-ly unusual feature for a villa, but this one was com-missioned by Pietro Borella in the mid-19th cen-tury. The large park is still in the English style thatit was moulded into in the 19th century .

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Villa Sartirana seen from the garden

Portions of the frescoes in Villa Sartirana

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Verano in BrianzaMunicipal website: www.comune.veranobrianza.mi.it

Pro Loco: piazza Liberazione 1. Tel.: 0362912326E-mail: [email protected] Distance from Monza: 13 km

Distance from Milan: 30 km. Map reference: C 4

This area must originally have been settled in Ro-man times, judging by the discovery of some Ro-

man-Gaul tombs. In the Middle Ages, it was underthe country c hurch of A gliate and perhaps had acastle, but it has long since been demolished. Fromthe 16th to 18th centuries, it was home to a Ca-puchin convent. It was originally a farming centre,but the various watercourses and the lie of the landmeant that the dominant crops were cereal andvines. The high point of farming here was in the15th century. From the 18th century on, mulb errytrees a nd s ilkworm b reeding b ecame e conomicdrivers. At the same time, especially b ecause mills

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A view of Villa Trotti Bentivoglio

Paolo Nespoli,astronaut Verano is the birthplace ofthe astr onaut Paolo Ne-spoli who left earth on 23October 2 007 o n b oardSpace Shuttle Discovery,STS-120 as the missionspecialist (ESA's Esperiamission). During the mis-sion, he was in control ofthe activities outside ofthe shuttle (spacewalks)needed to assemble theNode 2 – also called Har-mony –, a new, multifunc-tional component of the In-ternational Space Station.The piece was manufac-tured by Italian industry.


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The church of the Madonna di Caravaggio

Verano in Brianza, the 20th-century parish church of Ss. Nazaro e Celso Le

could be built along the Lambro, wool processingdeveloped and, like for silkworms, f loundered inthe middle of the 2 0th century. The poet RobertoRebora recalled Verano for its excellent shawls.

The 18th-century Villa Trotti Bentivoglio (lat-er Villa Massarani and now Villa Formenti) is worthseeing. This villa was mentioned by the poet Car-lo Amoretti in the early 19th century . It is sur-rounded by a vast English-style park that is filledwith a wondrous variety of plants. There is also anorange house and a coffee house. Alessandro Man-zoni stayed here on more than one occasion as hewas related, by marriage, to the owner .

The old parish church is also 18th century anddedicated to the Madonna of Caravaggio . Thenew one, dedicated to Saints Nazarius and Celsus, was built in 1937.

The surrounding area is home to a numb er offarmhouses, notably the Cascina Caviana andCascina Comasina.



TriuggioMunicipal website: www.comune.triuggio.mi.it

Pro Loco Triuggio: via Vittorio Emanuele 8. Tel.: 0362971372 Distance from Monza: 11 km. Distance from Milan: 28 km.

Map reference: C 4

T riuggio is the headquarters of the Valle del Lam-bro Park precisely because of the location and

the beauty of the territory . The name Triuggio isonly recorded as far back as 1684, with early do-cuments referring to the three villages that nowmake up the municipality: T regasio, Rancate andCanonica. In the centre of the town you can seethe parish church of S. Antonino Martire (1901),a neo-Romanesque work by the architects Castel-li and Volontè. Inside, there are some notable stai-ned-glass windows designed by the arc hitect Ca-biati, pictures of the Stations of the Cross by theViennese Joseph Furhrisch (1872) and some pain-tings from the 18th century.

On the road to Tregasio, you find Casa Don Bo-sco, once owned by the Caprotti family (weavers).It was acquired by the Diocese in 1948 and it is nowan old-age home for elderly nuns. It is also a placefor spiritual retreats and gatherings of priests.

Left, the Rotonda, and, right, the neo-Gothic parish church in the Tregasio district

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In the Tregasio district, located in the high-est part of Triuggio, the Rotonda is an interest-ing example of late N eoclassical work (18 42).The structure, with a circular layout and dome,has some decorations from the s ame period inwhich a series of caryatids symb olise Christianvirtues. T he building was built by Ambrogio Nava to be a funerary monument and was com-missioned by Federica d’Adda, widow of the ar-chitect Luigi Cagnola. Nava originally workedwith Cagnola and later married the countess.Next to this round building, you find the neo-Gothic parish church of Ss. Gervaso e Prota-so (1922), the work of Monsignor Spirito MariaChiappetta. He also redid Villa Sacro Cuore(in the Zuccone San Giovanni zone), whic h isrun by the priests of the Company of J esus andis an unusual example of a religious villa thatspreads out horizontally, with five churches andchapels inside.

In the P onte di Rancate district, in thenorthern part of Triuggio, you find the Sanctuaryof S. Maria Assunta or Maria dei Miracoli, whi-ch began as a rural c hapel in 15 07 (the devotio-nal image of Mary still survives). T he interior isadorned with works by the Campi brothers andby Bartolomeo R overio, known as Genovesino.There are also rich Neoclassical decorations, withpaintings by Andrea Appiani and stuccowork byGiocondo Albertolli (1785), who worked on V il-la Reale in Monza a few years later .

The interior and a detail of the caryatids in the Rotonda at Tregasio di Triuggio

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Bosco ChignoloThe Bosco Chignolo (www.boscochignolo.it) is a woodthat covers 12 ha on theborder with the Valle delLambro Park. It was plant-ed in the 1950s to providetimber for paper, but it wasnever felled and, as such,it was purchased by the Tri-uggio municipality in 1989.Since then, the area hasbeen subject to environ-mental regeneration thathas not only helped theplants but has also in-volved creating an educa-tional nature trail that fol-lows the theme of the"Legend of Bard, Knight ofthe Chignolo Wood", whichwas written for this specif-ically by Emilio Minelli andis set in medieval Brianzaduring the time of QueenTheodolinda. As such, theChignolo wood is not onlyan oasis for many animals,especially birds, but also amagic place linked to astrange fable. It is a placethat can be enjoyed byadults and children alike.


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In the Canonica district, on the left bank of theLambro near Zuccone, you can see an interesting19th-century rural complex in neo-Gothic style an-nexed to Villa Jacini , which was built in the 1 7thcentury, but altered at the beginning of the last cen-tury. The site is made even more impressive by Villa Taverna, surrounded by a grand park. The ori-ginal section of the villa was actually a late 16th-cen-tury fortified structure that was turned into a palaz-zo and then altered in the following centuries.Behind it, there is an Italian garden. One of the mo-st famous guests was Giampaolo Osio, better knownas Egidio, lover of the nun from Monza in Manzo-ni's Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed).

Originally the oratory for the facing Villa Taver-na, the church of S. Maria della Neve is in a som-bre 18th-century style. It was designed by GiacomoAntonio Quadrio (1735) and is centred on a middlepoint topped by a dome. Not far away, but higherup, you find the baroque church of S. Eurosia .

To get some idea of the number of textile facto-ries that sprang up in the 19th century, you shouldhead to P onte Albiate to see the Manifattura Caprotti, built between 1867 and 1884.

There are wooded areas in the small valleys thatcut across the territory . The names of these woodsactually come from the irrigation ditches that run th-rough them into the L ambro: Brovada, Cantalupoand Pegorino. With a bit of luc k, while visiting oneyou might spot a grey heron or a sparrow-hawk.

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The entrance and, above right, an overview of Villa Taverna in Canonica

Canonica Canonica, near Triuggio, islocated on the left shore ofthe Lambro. It is chieflyknown for a restaurant thatserves typical Brianzafood, various other barsand a general atmospherethat is rich in feeling, turn-ing the small hamlet, espe-cially in summer , into afavoured meeting placesfor all ages of young peo-ple. In addition, since it isslightly raised, you get aview over on of the oldestnoble palazzi in the Milanarea, including the 16th-century Villa Taverna. Cur-rently owned by theCounts of T averna (andused as a summer resi-dence), it is often used forfestivals and events.



CorrezzanaMunicipal website: www.comunecorrezzana.it


This small centre on the northern section of the Mi-lanese plain lies in the heart of Brianza. T he area

is crossed by the Pegorino Stream, which flows intothe L ambro and is a good destination for cycletourists. The first recorded evidence of the town is inGothofredus de Bussero's Liber notitiae S anctorumMediolani, from the 13th century, when it is noted thatthe town had a century-old link to the country churchof Agliate and to its lords, the Albuzzi family . Theparish church of S. Desiderio Martire is also men-tioned. In the 15th century, Count Girolamo Morone(already Lord of L ecco) gained the feudal rights toCorrezzana. Later, they passed to Count Stampa diMontecastello. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it wasthe turn of the Crivelli family, who in 1654, as feudallords of Agliate, were granted the title of Marquis byKing Philip IV of Spain. Some of the other importantfamilies from the history of the town are Stazza, Puli-ci, Rosa, Rocca, Nova and Lamperti.

The original farming vocation of the area canbe gathered from the Cascina Regondella, whichis an interesting example of rural architecture. Themunicipality has been, since 1996, in the Valle delLambro Park.

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icsabrpopuwcechBubesttaaiminPaA view of the Cascina Regondella and, above, the parish church of S. Desiderio



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AlbiateMunicipal website: www.comune.albiate.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 9.5 km. Distance from Milan: 27 km Map reference: C 4

Albiate lies on the basin of the L ambro River inthe Valle del L ambro Park. The first recorded

mention is as early as the 11th century, when it wasunder the rule of the Confalonieri family . It laterpassed to the Mandelli and P allavicini families. In1324, near Albiate bridge, Marco Visconti defeatedGuelph forces. Ludwig, King of Bavaria, also passedhere on his Marc h on Monza. In modernity, thelords of this land where the Balbiani (from 1478) andMellerio (1777) families. In the second half of the19th century, various textile factories developedalong the Lambro, forming the backbone and driv-er of local industry until just a few decades ago. Oneof the most illustrious locals, in recent times, was Vit-torino Colombo who was a senator, minister andeven president of the Senate of the Republic. He wasalso the first person to propose the creation of theprovince of Monza and Brianza.

The sanctuary built in the 17th century is ded-icated to St. Firmus , patron s aint of Albiate. T hesaint is still much loved in the town and, in 1996, abronze statue was placed on the church parvis. Op-posite t he c hurch, a cross t he r oad, y ou f ind t hepublic gardens , with a 1 7th-century column thatwas built in memory of the famous plague that iscentral to some of Manzoni's works. The parishchurch is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist .Built on the site of a 13th-century building that hadbeen altered and enlarged on various occasions, thisstructure was designed by Spirito Maria Chiappet-ta, in the late 19th century, and has clearly neo-Ren-aissance forms. T he bell tower is from b efore themiddle of the 11th century, although it was rebuiltin the early 15th century . Not far away, you findPalazzo Tomini, which was built in the 18th centu-

St. Firmus and the BattleAccording to tradition, thetri-colour flag kept in theAlbiate Town Hall was un-furled during one of themost memorable battlesinvolving Garibaldi's men,namely the Battle of SanFermo. On 27 May 1859,the Cacciatori delle Alpi –a corps that included vol-unteers from Brianza andthat had been created on17 March that year byGiuseppe Garibaldi – de-feated the Habsburg'stroops in the town of SanFermo, near Como, whichthen b ecame S an F ermodella Battaglia in memoryof this historic victory .Four companies of volun-teers – making up justover 3,000 men – withoutany artillery met the Aus-trian troops front on, de-spite the Austrians having16 pieces of artillery . Thevictory was fundamentalas the town, in a raisedposition, was essential fortaking Como.


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ry but redone later . There is also Villa Tanzi, builtin the mid-19th century. Since the 1950s, it hasbeen home to the Casa dei Padri Betharramiti. Theground f loor hall has a numb er of N eoclassicalpaintings. The layout of the surrounding park is stillvery similar to the original design.

Villa Campello , named after the area of townwhere it stands, is only a few dozen metres from theright bank of the Lambro. It was built between 1903and 1907 using an eclectic design by the arc hitectGiuseppe Gmur. The large park has some centuries-old beech, lime, horse-chestnut, monkey-puzzle andcedar trees. Up until 19 72, the Viganò family livedin the villa. The family's wealth was once tied to theManifattura Galeazzo Viganò, although only tracesremain today of this textile factory. In 1976, the vil-la b ecame a municipal possession and, followingrestoration work, it became the Town Hall in 1991.In the Town Hall, there is the banner from a groupof locals that fought in the Battle of S. Fermo in 1859between Garibaldi's men and Austrian troops.

Slightly up in the hills you find V illa AiroldiCaprotti, although it is often called Villa S. Valerio.It was built in the 1 7th century on the site of a ru-ined medieval fort. A part of a tower was even in-corporated into the more modern construction. In1667, an Oratory was built next to the villa. It wasinitially named after the Blessed V irgin of the Im-maculate Conception, but it was later dedicated toSt. Valerius and still contains the s aint's relics.

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Villa Campello, now home to Albiate's Town Hall; above, a view of the entrance

The Feast of St. Firmus In 1609, the relics of SaintsFirmus, Rusticus and Pro-clus were taken to thesmall sanctuary on the out-skirts of Albiate. As such,for the last 400 years, agreat fete has been held inhonour of St. Firmus, in-cluding a livestock displayand other initiatives. Theclimax of the festival is onthe second T uesday afterthe second Sunday in Au-gust, when thousands ofpeople from across Brian-za come together to hon-our the saint. For info :www.sagra-sanfermo.it

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SovicoMunicipal website: www.comune.sovico.mi.it


This town lies in the southern, central section ofBrianza where the hills and hilloc ks gradually

flatten out into the great plain and the Lambro Riv-er gentle washes by. The first known mention of thetown was in the Arc hbishop of Milan Anspert daBiassono's will, when he left the land to his grand-son, a deacon, in 879. A castle was built in this areain the 13th or 14th centuries. It would have b eenpart of the ongoing battle between the Visconti andTorriani families for dominance over the Milan area.Today, the only remnants of this castle are somesmall sections in the V ecchia Osteria section oftown. The old town has a former country mansionthat once belonged to the Viscontis. It has a notablewindow with a pointed arc h, a cornice decoratedwith small arches against a white bac kground andimposing walls. Villa Giovio della T orre, later Villa Rossi-Martini (private), is from the 17th/18thcentury and has an annexed garden.

The town's main square is notable for having twochurches. The Old Church , dedicated to Christ theKing and Saints Simon and Judas T haddeus, was

Famous people The list of famous peoplefrom Sovico includes Gio-vanni da Sovico, after whomthe m ain s treet i s n amed.He was elected as one ofthe twelve "Captains andDefenders of Liberty" underthe Ambrosian Republic(1448). There is also theDominican Friar Teodoro daSovico, author of Il Confes-sionario, which was pub-lished in 1495, with a newversion being released inMilan in 1505. In the book,he explored the importanceof the sacrament of confes-sion given the nascentprotestant revolution. ArturoRiva was an adopted son ofSovico. This many-sidedman was a pharmacist, may-or and provincial councillor .He published various workson the local geology, result-ing in him becoming knownas the ‘geologist of Brian-za’. In 2004, a piazza in thetown was named after him.

Sovico's Old Church


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created in the 16th century on the site of a religiousbuilding from the 12th century . Following the col-lapse of the bell tower, it was rebuilt in the mid-19thcentury, but it was deconsecrated in 1935 and hasremained unused. The New Church was created be-tween 1930 and 1935 by an architect from Bergamoknown as Giovanni Barb oglio. piazza Frette , nowthe commercial and administrative hub of the town,is an excellent example of how old industrial build-ings can be regenerated (these were 'revived' in the1980s and 1990s). The large warehouses that framethe square together with the smokestac k that tow-ers above a small piazza nearby are reminders of theold Tessitura Frette factory. This textile productionplant was located right in the town and, as such, from1865 to 1983, it was central to the town's fate. In1983, the factory was moved to Concorezzo.

An old millstone, known as Molino Bassi, is areminder of when this was a farming landscape,dotted with farmhouses named V irginia, Greppi,Visconti and Canzi. The millstone itself is as old asthe mills that line the L ambro, whic h were de-signed in 1615 by the engineer Pietro Antonio Bar-ca. There were once five water-driven wheels andfive millstones. Closed in 1966, it is now owned bythe municipality.

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The warehouses on piazza Frette, regenerated to become a business

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Feasts and eventsConcert for the Immaculate Vir-gin, 8 December: an eventfilled with religious music inthe parish church of CristoRe. Vocal Music Show, in No-vember at the Cinema Nuo-vo: this event is organisedby Giulio Zappa, a local pi-ano maestro who invites,annually, friends and col-leagues (internationallyrenowned singers) to Sovi-co to delight audiences withthe best-known arias fromoperas and some tradition-al folk songs from acrossEurope. This event reallyshould be put in the diary ofany lover of classical music.Feast of the Patron Saint ,fourth S unday i n O ctober:theatre shows, merry-go-rounds, various exhibitionsand a concert by Corpo Mu-sicale “Giuseppe V erdi”.Christmas Concert , 23 De-cember: a concert by theCorpo Musicale “GiuseppeVerdi” at the Cinema Nuo-vo. The evening is alsowhen the Luigi Cazzanigaaward is presented to an as-sociation that has distin-guished itself for social orvolunteer work.



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MacherioMunicipal website: www.comune.macherio.mi.it


M acherio lies at the foot of the Brianza hills, alongthe Lambro River. The oldest recorded men-

tion of the commune is in Gothofredus de Bussero'sLiber notitiae Sanctorum Mediolani (1220-1289). It wasa part of the Martesana county and, during the mod-ern age, its feudal lords have included the Manriquez,the Pallavicini (1681 on) and the Albertoni (1768 on)families. During the 19th century, the town devel-oped thanks to flourishing mulberry and vine 'indus-tries'. Indeed, many Milanese families – Belgiojoso,Greppi, Maggi, Taverna and Visconti – invested heav-ily in these parts. T oday, farming has given way toservices, metal working (engineering) and the chem-ical industry . Simultaneously, the textile industry,which developed in the 19th century, and the furni-ture industry have also survived (especially in theBareggia area). One of the most important buildingsis Villa Visconti di Modrone , known as Belvedere(private) because it sits on a rise from where one cansee much of Brianza. T his villa was originally thefarmhouse for a 16th-century farm. It was thenbought by Duke Guido Visconti di Modrone and wasalmost entirely rebuilt in a neo-rococo style in theearly 2 0th century using a design by Emilio Ale-magna. The age-old woods around the building werelandscaped into English and Italian gardens.

The parish church originated in the 15th cen-tury, but was changed in 1752 and then enlarged lat-er on. The dome was built in 195 2. The other no-table buildings are: the Oratory of S. Cassiano, nearthe cemetery; it is from the 16th century, but rebuiltin 1702 and 1725; the Oratory of S. Margherita, nearthe Cascina Torrette, might have b een built in the14th century; and the 17th-century Oratory of S. An-na, near the Cascina Maldura in Bareggia.

The parish church, above,and the Macherio Town Hall



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BiassonoMunicipal website: www.comune.biassono.org


B iassono sits on the right side of the Lambro val-ley, at the edge of Monza Park. Excavations car-

ried out in the 19th and 20th centuries showed thatthere were settlements here as early as the 10th/9thcentury BC, in the period b etween the Bronze andIron ages. At the Cascina Marianna, some finds weremade of 5th-century BC objects, while in the S. An-drea farmhouse zone, the ruins of a Roman villa fromthe 1st century have been brought to light.

Biassono was an important centre in the MiddleAges, as can be gauged from the presence of BishopAnspert (9th cent.) and the foundation, in the 13thcentury, of two monasteries by the Humiliati (onlythe place names Corte del Monastero and Cortedegli Umiliati remain). In 1277, following the Battleof Desio, it was occupied by Ottone Visconti. It thenbecame a fief of various families, including theCravennas (1675), whose emblem is part of the mu-nicipal coat-of-arms. F rom the 16th to 19th cen-turies, it was a favoured destination for the Milanese

Basilica o f S. Am brogio, w here t hesepulchral inscription can still be seen.According to Pietro Verri's History ofMilan, this would have been a braveand secret event since the Brescianmonks had opposed the idea. On 31January 876, Anspert was involved inthe coronation of Charles the Bald asKing of Italy in Pavia. Shortly after-wards, he received lands in Cavena-go, V imercate and Ornago from theking. He died in Milan on 7 December881 and was buried in S. Ambrogio inMilan.

Appointed Archbishop of Milan on 26June 868, he was, as is noted byGothofredus de Bussero, a memberof Milan's noble Confalonieri family .One of his first acts was to found thechurch of S. Pietro in Agliate. A cul-tured man, he followed the example ofhis predecessor and used Irish monksfrom Tours to found the archbishop'sscriptorium in Milan, where elegant il-luminated codices were created. On12 August 875, Anspert went to Bres-cia to receive the body of EmperorLudwig II and bring it to Milan, to the

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to build their country villas, with the b est examplebeing Villa Verri. This villa, now the Town Hall, wasowned by the Verri family until 1913. The rational-ist shape that this famous family from the Enlight-enment gave the villa is still clearly visible: an 'open'structure that develops horizontally out from a flightof steps. Unfortunately, the frescoes (1749) have dis-appeared, but they were said to be the work of theGalliari brothers. R ecently, the old ice house andwine room was uncovered. Opposite the villa, youcan see Palazzo Bossi, which has 15th century ori-gins, but was redone in baroque style in the 17th cen-tury. Nearby, you find Villa Crivelli-Sala, which hasan 18th-century layout and portal. This is the sameas at Villa Sagramora, although the latter has someNeoclassical elements.

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The Verri family owned landin Biassono from the 16thcentury on. The villa wascommissioned by Gabriele(1696-1782), a jurist andpresident of the Senate ofMilan. He was also the fa-ther of: Pietro (Milan, 1728-1797), an economist, histo-rian and founder, along withCesare Beccaria, of Il Caf-fè, Italy's first newspaper;Alessandro (Milan, 1741-Rome, 1816), a philosopher,man of letters, collector andart merchant; and Carlo (Mi-lan, 1743-Verona, 1823),who had the closest tie toBiassono. This eclecticcharacter dedicated himselfto the history of art andagronomy, introducing newfarming techniques and thecultivation of mulberries forsilkworms.

The Verri family

The library at Villa Verri

A room in the Museo Civico Carlo Verri


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The parish church of S. Martino was built in the16th century on the site of a 13th-century building.Inside, you can admire some 17th-century paintings(St. Ambrose and the Bishop Saints, The Nativity) and astatue of the Madonna of the B elt. The s acristy hassome wooden furnishing from the same period. Theside aisles were added in 1903. The Sanctuary of theMadonna della Brughiera is another key local reli-gious building. It was constructed in 1834 as a votiveoffering, following a cholera epidemic, on the site ofthe ancient oratory of S. Carlo. The altarpiece of theVirgin Mary is said to be by the school of the Bologne -se painter Francesco Francia (1450-1517). The paint-ing of the Annunciation has been attributed to Panfi-lo Nuvolone or one of his followers (early 17th cent.)and the Passion of Christ and Pietà to Montalto.

The Cascina Cossa has been home, since 1994,to the Museo Civico Carlo Verri. This museum wascreated in 1977 with the bac king of the Gruppo diRicerche Arc heostoriche del L ambro (G RAL). Ithas a collection of arc haeological finds and coinsfrom the zone and an ethnological collection ab outlocal folk culture.

In the environs, in the Mondina section of SanGiorgio al Lambro, some finds were made that arenow kept in Milan's arc haeology museum. In thecentre of this district, the presence of the river meantthat numerous mills, loc ks and wash-houses wereonce built. The town also has a portico (14th/15thcent.) and the church of S. Giorgio. It was the birth-place of Gaetano Osculati (18 08-1894), an explorerand map-maker known as the Marco Polo of Brazil.

Festivals in Biassono

Great Bonfire of St. Anthonyand his pig in January; Dis-trict Palio , a pedal-car racethrough the streets of theold centre on the third Sun-day in September; Feast ofSt. Martin , in November , atraditional animal fair thatnow has a wid e range ofstalls selling various pro-duce and products as wellas stands run by local asso-ciations, collectors, glass-makers, ironworkers andother traditional craftsmen.

Visiting the museum Museo Civico Carlo V erri(via San Martino 11) isopen on Friday from9.30am to noon and 3 to6.30pm and Saturday from3 to 7pm; other days on re-quest. Group and schoolvisits must be booked. The"Segno, Scrittura, Stampa"section is open daily from9.30am to 5.30pm. En-trance is free. For informa-tion: www.museobiassono.it, [email protected],tel. 0392201077.

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Vedano al LambroMunicipal website: www.vedanolambro.it


The municipality sits on the right bank of the Lam-bro, in a somewhat raised position. Finds (from a

necropolis and other items) made in 1880 show thatthere was once a R oman settlement here. Much ofthis land was owned by the Arc hbishop of MilanAnspert, as can be seen from his will of 11 Decem-ber 879. The Order of the Humiliati founded twoconvents here in the Middle A ges. It later b ecamepart of the Martes ana county, falling under the fiefand country church of Desio. As such, it was tied toDesio's fate until 1729, when, following the death ofCount Giovanni Battista Scotti, it passed to the Roy-al Chamber. In the 19th century, a section of thecommune covered what is now Monza Park, but in1928 that area, including the modern site of the fa-mous race circuit, was assigned to the Monza mu-nicipality. Many of the older buildings in the munic-ipality are from the 19th century.

Villa Litta was built on the site of an older man-sion owned by the Gallarati Scotti family . It wascommissioned by Duke Giulio Litta Visconti Aresefrom t he a rchitect Lu igi C hierichetti. The chosenstyle was an unusual combination of l ines that re-calls English neo-Gothic. Inside, there are some love-

Duchess Litta

Eugenia Attendolo Bologni-ni was born in 1837 to Eu-genia Vimercati Sanseveri-no and Count Gian Giaco-mo, a well known collector.In 1855, she married DukeGiulio Litta, who was partof the 1848 revolutionarymovement. The duchess,an extraordinary beauty,shared her husband'sviews and had an intellectu-al circle in Milan. She wasthe mother of two sons –Pompeo and the favouredAlfonso, who died in 1891 –that came from her longlove story with King Hum-bert I. Benefactor of theMain Hospital in Milan, shededicated a wing to her sonwho died prematurely. Shedied in V edano al Lambroas the Great W ar wasabout to break out.

The old centre of Vedano al Lambro


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ly decorations by Luigi Scros ati with romantictastes and the sculpture of Morning Prayer by Vin-cenzo Vela. The sizeable park is a continuation ofMonza Park. It consists of farming land and is hometo the Arc hduke irrigation ditc h, which suppliedwater to Villa Reale.

At the edge of Biassono, you find the churchof S. Maria d elle Selve, a neo-Renaissance build-ing by Pier Fausto Bagatti Valsecchi. Villa Zendali,also known as “Villa Reale di Vedano”, was proba-bly built in the 18th century, but it was redone af-ter Humbert I bought it to use it as a hunting lodge.The property remained in the hands of the royalSavoy family until 1902. Today, it is part of the or-atory of Vedano.

The parish church of S. Stefano , rebuilt in thelast decade of the 19th century, has four frescoes onthe vault above the nave. These were created in 1955by a painter from Monza called F iorentino Vilasco.One of the characters in the frescoes is the BlessedGentile da V edano. Luigi T agliaferri created thepaintings in the dome, apse and the lunettes in theaisles. Some of the baroque paintings are from theprevious church, which dates from at least the 16thcentury. One of the most notable religious buildingsis the Sanctuary of the Misericordia , built on thesite of a chapel that was documented in the 16th cen-tury. In 1896, Tagliaferri restored the fresco that com-memorated the apparition of the Virgin Mary.

The town gate , f lanked by a N eoclassical oc-tagonal gatekeeper's house, was designed by the ar-chitect Luigi Canonica.

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S. Maria delle Selve The Oratory of S. Mariadelle Selve, on the outskirtsof Biassono, dates back along way. The chapel mightbe the same one that exist-ed in the bush land that cov-ered this area prior to the14th century. The courtyardin front of the church wasthe setting, each year, for afestival during carnival thatinvolved much merry-mak-ing by people from theMonza area. This feast wasabolished in 1574. In 1604,Cardinal Frederick Bor-romeo visited the churchand wrote: "In the niche,there is an outstanding de-piction of t he Blessed V ir-gin w ith h er s on C hrist, astatue in white marblesculpted w ith a rt. O n t hedoor, one can imagine animage of the sculptedBlessed V irgin". In 1842,the building was complete-ly r edone as p art o f t heproject to build Villa Litta.The Tudor-style tower is al-so from that period. Theoratory was restored in1891 i n L ombard R enais-sance style by Eugenia Lit-ta. She also had the tombin t he t ower c reated t hatnow holds the mortal re-mains of her, her husbandand her son. Today, the or-atory is owned by the MainHospital ( Ospedale Ma g-giore) in Milan and i t a lsogave its name to one ofthe e ntrances t hat l eadsdirectly onto the Monzarace circuit.

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Archaeological finds have shown that the historyof Lissone b egan in ab out the 1st century AD.

The growing importance of this hamlet, located inthe Martesana country and under the country churchof Desio, can be gauged from the presence, from 13thto 16th centuries, of no less than five monasteries ofthe Order of the Humiliati. T hese monks and nunsused to process wool and produce textiles. T hetown's coat-of-arms still bears the emblem of this or-der: a lamb with the motto Omnia vincit humilitas. Inthe late 18th century, the first carpentry studios open.This production of furniture later developed and wasindustrialised in the 19th century. By the end of thatcentury, it reached what could be termed internation-

begun in 2006, that is for creative youngpeople in the design sector . The muse-um's schedule also includes some majortemporary exhibitions, a range of educa-tional ac tivities f or s chools a nd a dults,events, conferences and concerts. Themuseum, in viale Padania 6, is open onTuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from3-7pm, Thursday from 3-11pm, and Sat-urdays, Sundays and holiday from 10amto noon and 3-7pm. For info : tel.0392145174.

Lissone's contemporary art museum(Museo d’Arte Contemporanea) wasopened in 2000 and has numerous worksrelated to the extraordinary LissoneAward (Premio Lissone, 1946-67), whichwas originally an Italian award but from1953 became international. The initiativeinvolved emerging artists and some of Eu-rope's top critics and historians. Over theyears, a wonderful collection of some in-formal paintings was built up, with worksby people like Birolli, Morlotti, Moreni, Ve-dova, Francese, Dorazio, Scanavino,Romiti, Adami, Schifano, Appel, Tàpiesand Dufrêne. The museum also has a sec-tion on Gino Meloni, a local maestro whodied in 1989, and a section of works thatwere acquired more recently. The PremioLissone was awarded once again in 2002and since then, it has alternated on an an-nual basis with the Premio Lissone De-sign, another international competition,

Museo d’Arte Contemporanea and the Premio Lissone

Out of interest

Inside the art gallery

Lissone's art museum


CentralBrianza


al levels. The industry developed even further afterthe Great War, with the items b eing sent as far asSouth America. T he town's vocation for furnituremaking meant that as early as 19 41, the Library ofFurniture and Furnishingwas established. This spe-cialised library is unique in Italy and has about 6,500works in various languages as well as 4 0 sectoralmagazines. Together, these elements document thehistory of furniture and styles over the centuries, theevolution and theory of design, the recent history offurniture manufacturing, arc hitecture, urbanisationand engineering. Since 2 002, the library has b eenhoused in Palazzo Vittorio Veneto, a building on pia z za IV Novembre that was once home to the lo-cal junior school.

There are various religious buildings in the oldcentre: the provost church of Ss. Pietro e Paolo ,built between 1904 and 19 26 in eclectic style, withLombard Romanesque and Gothic elements; the Oratory of the Assunta or Madonna del Borgo, fromthe 16th century, with a wooden statue of the VirginMary with Child (this remains a much loved work);the Oratory of S. Carlo, begun in 1630 and complet-ed a century later, it was often used as a leper colonywhere sick people could go to recover. Two non-re-ligious buildings stand out. F irst, there is Villa Baldironi Reati, which was built by a family inthe Arese circle that owned the villa from the mid-15th century to the late 19th century . The buildinghas been redone on numerous occasions over thecenturies. From the b eginning, the complex con-tained the family chapel as well as the villa. In 1981,it was acquired by the local municipality . Painstak-ing restoration work made it possible to reopen theground and first floors to the public, allowing manypeople to enjoy the splendid frescoes and the won-derful decorations that adorn the rooms. The secondis Palazzo Terragni, once known as the House of Fas-cism, designed by Giuseppe T erragni and AntonioCarminati (1938-1940). This structure has a theatre,a tower and a communal assembly space. The linesare rationalist. Today, it is owned by the municipal-ity and used for a range of purposes.

Events in LissoneEvery two years (oddyears), at the end of Juneand beginning of July, thereis the Palio di Lissone , anevent involving competi-tions and folk games. Onthe Sunday before Christ-mas, there is a NativityPlay, a costume parade(sta r ting from the Oratoryof Maria Bambina) and var-ious historical pageants or-ganised by the “GruppoAmici del Presepe”. On 6January, the same associ-ation is behind the CorteoStorico dei Re Magi (histori-cal parade of the Wisemen).

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MuggiòMunicipal website: www.comune.muggio.mi.it

Pro Loco Muggio: viale della Repubblica 2. Tel. and fax: 0392144335Website: www.muggio.it E-mail: [email protected] Distance from Monza : 4 km

Distance from Milan: 18 km. Map reference: D 4

The first record of Muggiò comes from 8 79. Likemany other towns in Brianza, the presence of Mi-

lan meant that during the 18th century it somewhatlost its rural farming vocation as it b ecame a centrefor country residences built by the Milanese elite. Themost notable of these buildings is Villa CasatiStampa di Soncino in the old centre. Now the TownHall, it was built on the site of a 16th century build-ing that was already owned by the Cas ati family. In1780, Leopold Pollack was commissioned by Agosti-no Casati to turn the residence into a N eoclassicalmansion (the small rear tower is the most notablefeature). This Viennese architect also designed thesprawling English park. Another notable residenceis Palazzo Isimbardi, a 19th-century holiday homethat was built by Pietro Antonio Croce (on the siteof a home he already owned) when he married Gi-an Pietro Isimbardi's daughter. The name of the ar-chitect is unknown, but the date of construction

The Casati MausoleumThe local cemetery of Mug-giò has the mausoleum(1830) of the Casati Stam-pa di Soncino family . Thisgroup of Milanese nobles,first documented in 1030, isclosely tied to local historysince they bought land herefrom the 15th centu ry on .The structure is like a clas-sic temple with a crypt andit houses the mortal remainsof various members of theline o f the family t hat de-scended from GiambattistaCasati (1557-1617). Someof the most famous mem-bers include: Gabrio Casati(1798-1873), First Ministerfor Public Education of theKingdom of Italy, and Tere-sa Casati (1785-1846), withher consort Federico Con-falonieri (1785-1846).

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CentralBrianza


might well be 1783, since this date is etched into theattic. One of the rooms has some notable N eoclas-sical motifs. Next to Palazzo Isimbardi, you can seePalazzo Brusa , or Cas a Mariani- Gasparoli, whic hwas built in the second half of the 18th century us-ing a 15th-century structure as the basis. Palazzo Bolagnos Andreani Santambrogio (private), on thesquare by the parish church, has clear baroque traits.Unfortunately, the original geometric garden nolonger exists. In the T accona district, on the roadfrom Muggiò to Cinisello Bals amo and Milan, youfind Palazzo Taccona Bertoglio d’Adda. Annexed tothe palazzo is the Re Magi (Wisemen) chapel, whichis older than the main building. T he main buildingis from the second half of the 18th century and it hasa classic U-shaped layout, whic h was very popularfor 17th- and 18th-century villas.

The parish church of Ss. Pietro e Paolo wasbuilt from 18 95-97 on the side of an old Barnabitecollege (and former residence of the Counts Porro).Designed b y t wo a rchitects f rom M ilan, A ngeloSavoldi and Giambattista Borsani, it recalls the Basili -ca of S. Andrea in Vercelli (1219-1297). The bell tow-er was built in 1920/22 and the façade was complet-ed in 1968. Inside, you could once see a canvas paint-ing of Christ on the Cr oss with Mar y Magdalene byFrancesco Hayez. This work was commissioned in1827 by the Isimbardi family (it is now part of theDiocesan museum in Milan). T he S. Rocco chapel

Museo del Fumetto(cartoon museum)Franco Fossati, a journalistfrom Monza and editor ofTopolino (Mickey Mouse)who died unexpectedly in1996, left his extraordinarycollection of cartoons to hisfriends and brother . 500thousand magazines, booksand volumes from all partsof the world over a period ofmore than 50 years havebeen catalogued and nowbelong to the Franco Fos-sati Foundation. The foun-dation, an excellent sourcefor researchers and aca-demics, is really a study andresource centre. It has car-toons from dozens of coun-tries along with essays onthe history of cartoons, onanimation techniques, onscience fiction and on thecinema in general. Premises:via Montegrappa 32, www.fumetti.org/fondazione

The 19th-century parish church of Ss. Pietro e Paolo

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Muggiò


is located in the centre. Construction on the c hapelcommenced in 1524 to honour this saint, protectorof those afflicted with the plague.

There are some notable aspects linked to coun-try life: in the old centre, you can see the Curt diquaranta m artir, the Curt n ova and the Curt deBarus, which are good examples of enclosed court-yards with porticoes and balconies used for every-day activities; outside of town, you can see the Prati,Faipò and S. Giuliana farmhouses. The church of theMadonna del Castano is linked to the ancient wor-ship of Our L ady of Sorrows and was built in the16th century. According to tradition, a sculpture ofthe Pietà appeared on a chestnut tree. This sculpture,now inside, was reshaped in the 19th century andplaced on a polyc hrome baroque marble altar thatwas donated by Count Giuseppe Bolagnos.

On the road (heading south, you get to Milan),you find the oldest sacred building in Muggiò, name-ly the small church of S. Giuliana . Documented asearly as the 13th century, at least one of the bricksfrom the building comes from the year One thou-sand. The building has b een altered over the cen-turies, but it is still a good example of a rural chapel.Indeed, it was once annexed to the Cascina S. Giu-liana (hence the farmhouse's name).

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Feasts and festivals

Folk Festival: last Sunday inJune, a multi-ethnic festivalfilled with music, dancingand folklore topped by chur-rasco meat. Feast of the Pa-tron Saint, the V irgin Mary ofCastano: s econd a nd t hirdweeks in September, a townfete linked to the celebra-tions for the patron saint ofMuggiò. There is a range ofentertainment and events:sports competitions, cultur-al initiatives, small marketsand the amazing cake "thatis the length of the street". Sagra della Castagna : t hirdSunday in October, a chest-nut festival organised by theItalian Alpine Club andbacked by the local munici-pality. You can buy a rangeof local products, enjoysome roasted chestnuts,chestnut cake and vin brûlé. Corteo dei Magi: on 6 Janu-ary, the Wisemen Paradeis a religious event involv-ing music. It is about thetheme of the Legend of theFourth King. This is fol-lowed by a concert of tra-ditional Christmas musicprovided by musiciansplaying a type of bagpipefrom the Bergamo area.

The church of the Madonna del Castano and, right, the S. Rocco chapel



After Monza, Vimercate is the most important centre, with a truly long

history and a substantial wealth of cultural heritage. The list of its no-

table features is long: Roman archaeological materials, the Romanesque

ruins of the rural church of S. Stefano, the church of S. Maria Assunta in

Ruginello (with a 16th-century Romanesque section), the S. Rocco sulla

Molgora bridge (a rare example of a medieval civil construction), the hunt-

ing lodge at Villa Borromeo in Oreno that has profane 15th-century fres-

coes, the rebuilt 17th-century church of S. Stefano and the wonderful

baroque section of the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario, and Morte

di Ruginello (18th-cent. charnel-house). The ‘villa culture’ is central to the

entire layout of the modern town and can be clearly seen in numerous

buildings: the rococo nature of Palazzo Trotti and Villa Sottocasa, and the

Neoclassical work in Villa Casanova, Villa Melzi, Villa Besozzi in Ruginel-

lo and, especially, Villa Borromeo Arese and Villa Gallarati Scotti in Oreno.

The area is just as rich in important religious sites. The Middle Age

has left traces in the names of old churches like S. Anastasia in Villasan-

ta, and S. Antonio and S. Eugenio in Concorezzo. The churches of S.

Giorgio in Caponago and S. Ambrogio in Sulbiate have survived, with the

latter being a precious remnant of a monastic complex with Romanesque

and Gothic frescoes. There is also some Renaissance work by the Mas-

Eastern Brianzaand the noble villas


Eastern Brianza


ter of Camuzzago, who created the paintings in the Oratory of S. Maria

Maddalena (Bellusco). The modern age is represented by the 17/18th-

century Ornago sanctuary, the Germanic restyling of the church of S. Giu-

liana in Caponago on German baroque patterns (one of Carlo Giuseppe

Merlo’s best works, 1738-1742), the decoration of S. Salvatore in Ron-

cello and S. Giovanni Evangelista in Busnago, the Neoclassical statue of

St. George in Cornate by Pompeo Marchesi and the refurbishment of Con-

corezzo’s p arish c hurch ( the w ork o f o ne o f t he l eaders o f M ilan’s

Napoleonic age, namely Luigi Cagnola). The age of communes is repre-

sented by the Germani tower in Busnago (12th cent.), the Bellusco cas-

tle, an example of military architecture from the late Middle Ages, and the

sections of Palazzo Olgiati Lampugnani in Sulbiate (15th-cent.) There was

also the explosion of the villa culture in the 17th to 19th centuries. Large

areas of land are marked by this: Aicurzio, Bernareggio, Lesmo (especial-

ly the elegant Gernetto), Arcore (with the Neoclassical V illa S. Martino,

Villa Borromeo D’Adda with sculptures by Vincenzo Vela, and the unusu-

al Villa Ravizza). There are excellent villas, although they are somewhat

more isolated: V illa Rasini in Cavenago (with a series of frescoes that

drawn on the paintings of the Arese Borromeo Palace in Ceseno Mader-

no and 18th-cent. decorations that are epitomised by the rococo work of

Mattia Bortoloni), Villa Trivulzio in Omate di Agrate (by Giovanni Ruggeri),

Villa Porro Schiaffinati in Busnago, Villa Biffi Soriani in Cornate (designed

by Carlo Amati) and Villa Mylius in Burago Molgora.


EasternBrianza


In 2001, the Vimercate town council purchased the Neoclassical Vil-la Sottocasa, marking the start of a multi-year refurbishment and restora-tion project that will turn these buildings into a cultural centre. The firstphase of this project will be to set up a museum of the local area, calledMUST (Museo del Territorio) in the villa’ s southern wing. This is due toopen in the autumn of 2009. The museum will be spread across 720 m 2

and divided into two sections: Museo delle Tracce, which will use items,symbols and tales to tell the history of the peoples that have lived andshaped the Vimercate area; and Museo del Futuro, which will look moreat contemporary times. For information: toll-free phone 800333722, www.villasottocasa.it

1978 saw the launch of the Vimercate Library System , which wasone of the first efforts in Italy to have a library system involving multiplemunicipalities. This is now the head of the libraries in 27 municipalities,meaning it reaches somewhere in the region of 190,000 people. This en-sures true economies of scale and high quality services. Indeed, it is seenas a national symbol of excellence. For information: www.sbv.mi.it

Molgora Park is a local park that covers a number of municipalitiesand is recognised by the Lombardy Regional Administration. In total, ithas about 1,000 ha of land, largely on either side of the north-south run-ning Molgora River. The park is managed by a consortium that has rep-resentatives from the various municipalities. For information : www.parcomolgora.it

To learn more

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Distance from Monza: 11 km. Distance from Milan: 25 kmMap reference: D 5

Over the years, numerous finds have b een made –altars, noble tombs, tombstones and coins – indi-

cating that the area was once home to a Roman set-tlement. Two of the most notable discoveries are the3rd-century BC necropolis (found in 19 33 on Piaz-zale Marconi) and 22 tombs, filled with grave goods(found from 19 98/99 on, s ame area). T he oldestdocument is the will of R otpert di A grate (745). It

trains to Carnate, Bergamo or Lecco (on-ly the ones via Carnate); Arcore stop,then Autobus NET Nord Est T rasportiz319 or z320, Vimercate stop.By bus , from Milan: from the ColognoNord metro station, Autobus NET NordEst Trasporti z322 (Cologno Nord-Trezzosull’Adda) or z323 (Cologno Nord-Vimer-cate); from Arcore train station, AutobusNET Nord Est T rasporti z319 or z320;from Monza: from Monza train station,Autobus NET Nord Est Trasporti z321 to-wards Mezzago/Trezzo sull’Adda/Portod’Adda.

By car, Vimercate can be reached from Mi-lan along the Tangenziale Est (eastern ringroad) in the direction of Usmate V elate;Vimercate Nord, V imercate Centro andVimercate Sud exits. From Como andVarese, along the A8 or A9 motorways toMilan, then the A4 to V enice, taking theAgrate exit and the T angenziale Est asabove. From Bergamo and Brescia on theA4 m otorway t o M ilan, A grate e xit a ndthen follow the signs for Vimercate or goalong the Tangenziale Est as above.By train, from Milan, from the Porta Gari -baldi or Milano Centrale stations, taking

Getting there

The S. Rocco bridge over the Molgora River

The church of S. Stefano



mentions the c hurch of S. Stefano, whic h was incharge of a country c hurch that, for centuries, gov-erned the religious, economic and social life of a vastarea. Eventually, this area was incorporated into theMartesana county (931), which consisted of 12 dif-ferent country churches and was, in terms of admin-istration and justice, under V imercate. Throughoutthe Middle Ages, Vimercate was an important cen-tre, especially for trade. In the 14th and 15th cen-turies, the Visconti and then the Sforza families for-tified the town. In the 15th century, the V imercatefief was initially entrusted to Gasparo da V imercateand then to Seccoborella. In the 18th century, it cameinto the hands, via hereditary right, of the Trotti fam-ily. Numerous ‘noble villas’ were built in the 1 7th,18th and 19th centuries and a numb er of these arestill around. During the Napoleonic era, silkwormsbecame a major industry and, a few decades later,the early textile industry was b orn, lasting until themid-20th century. In the last few decades of the 19thcentury, two tramways were built, linking Vimercateto the major regional centres: in 18 80 the so-called

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“Gamba del legn” led to Milan; 10 years later, theMonza-Trezzo-Bergamo line came into existence.

In 1929, Vimercate was joined by Oreno con Ve-lasca and Ruginello con Oldaniga (these were for-merly autonomous municipalities). During the R e-sistance, t he 1 03rd d etachment o f t he G aribaldiBrigade, under the command of Iginio R ota, distin-

was a favoured student of Leonardo daVinci and followed him to France. How-ever, thus far no painting has been un-deniably attributed to him. The Risorgi-mento involved some people from theVimercate area: Gaetano de Castillia(1794-1870), who was jailed in Spiel-berg (1824), exiled to the United States(1835), and became a Senator of theItalian Kingdom; and Francesco Vigo Pel-lizzari (1836-1863), who joined an Italianband of revolutionaries (Cacciatori delleAlpi) in 1859 and was part of Garibaldi’sfamous thousand men, where he wasBenedetto Cairoli’s lieutenant and one ofGaribaldi’s commanders, before losinghis life on the Mentana battlefield. Final-ly, Antonio Banfi (1886-1957), an illustri-ous philosopher, university lecturer, wasthe creator and first editor of the journalStudi filosofici as well as being a found-ing member of Milan’ s Casa della Cul-tura (House of Culture).

Just how thriving the city was in the Mid-dle Ages and the Renaissance can begauged from its ‘illustrious sons’. Pina-monte da Vimercate (1120-1187) is oftencredited with being one of the key mem-bers of the l eague of Lombard co m-munes that fought Frederick Barbarossaand was one of the authors of the Peaceof Costanza (1183). In 1171/72 he wasConsul of Milan and then, in 1177,Podesta of Bologna. Stefanardo da Vimer-cate lived in the 13th century. This histo-rian, poet, chronicler and praise singerfor the adventures of Ottone Visconti inhis poem Liber de gestis in civitateMedio lanensi was also a Dominicanmonk and became a professor of moraltheology and canon law in 1289. The fol-lowing year, he was appointed Prior ofthe convent of S. Eustorgio in Milan, arole he held until 1292. Gian G iacomoCaprotti (ca. 1480-1524) was born inOreno and known as Salaino or Salai. He

Illustrious locals

Out of interest

Palazzo Trotti, now home to the Vimercate municipality


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EasternBrianza


guished itself. Local partisans are remembered forhaving arrested the former secretary of the F ascistParty, Roberto Farinacci, who was tried and execut-ed in Vimercate. In 1950, the municipality became acity and, from the mid-2 0th century on, the sur-rounding area, whic h was traditionally a farmingarea, came to be a part of the manufacturing sectorwith the arrival of the VI.MA S and O BM factoriesand the Bassetti textile industry. In the 1960s, the cityexperienced further social, cultural and urban devel-opment with the opening, in 1965, of the T elettraplant, which was a company that made telephoneequipment, and later with the arrival of the IT giantIBM. I n the f inal years o f t he 2 0th c entury, t hegrowth of the services sector led to the constructionof a new district, known as T orri Bianche, that issouth of the centre and the regeneration of parts ofthe old centre (notably, the building of the "south-ern gate", designed by Mario Botta).

The centre of V imercate lies around piazzaUnità d’Italia. The southern side is bordered by the18th-century Palazzo Trotti, which was actually builtby the Seccob orella family . This rococo mansionhas, in the rooms on the ground f loor and the pi-ano nobile, some frescoes with mythological and lit-erary themes that were created throughout the 18thcentury. The highlights were the creations, in the

In the early 1960s, a num-ber of businesses in theelectronics sector set up inthe Vimercate area, includ-ing Telettra, IBM, STM andAlcatel. Consequently, fromthe 1970s on, this area wasa highly sought after zone –and space was not alwayseasy to come by – leadingto it becoming known asthe Lombard ‘Silicon V al-ley’. The 1990s, by con -trast, was a period of de-cline for major industry , assmall and medium-size en-terprises took root. In re-cent times, as the V imer-cate area has experiencedsomething of a crisis, thefocus has turned – in an ef-fort to revitalise this area –towards making this zoneinto a new hi-tech industrialdistrict. Such plans have re-ceived g overnmental s up-port, especially the creationof a so-called TechnologicalPole in the Vimercate area.This project has the supportof the Minister for Econom-ic Development and thenew companies located inthe area. Turning the Vimer-cate area into a hi-tech hubcould open the way for theregeneration of this entireindustrial area.

Palazzo Trotti, a detail from the frescoes inside

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Vimercate


middle of the century, by a team led by AntonioOrelli. The mansion, with painted ceilings, numer-ous paintings, fireplaces and other historical furnish-ings, was b equeathed to the town council in 186 2and is now the City Hall. T he Sanctuary of theMadonna del Rosario stands on the opposite sideof the piazza. It was rebuilt in the 17th century (1622-1644), using designs by the arc hitects Fabio Man-gone and Francesco Maria Richino, on the basis ofan existing structure. On the baroque high altar(1677-1688, Serafino Tencalla), there is a statue ofthe Virgin Mary (1609) that is held to be miraculousfor having stopped the spread of the plague in 1630.The elegant wooden furnishings (1770) are from the18th-century s acristy that was built by F rancescoCroce. The wooden c hoir and the organ, with anelegant rococo singer’s gallery (1759), are also 18thcentury. The Salvatore chapel has a fresco cycle bythe Nuvolone brothers and late -mannerist stuc-cowork by Mic hel Angelo de Prevosti. T he Magichapel has a 17th-century altarpiece and a scagliolafrontal (1757) by L orenzo Retti. The S. Caterinachapel is decorated with baroque stuccowork (1672)and an altarpiece by Giulio Campi.

The Basilica of S. Stefano , which is probablyfrom the 8th century, is a short distance away . ThisRomanesque building (10th/11th cent.) has been re-

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A bird’s-eye view of the centre of Vimercate and the church of S. Stefano

Feast of St Anthonythe AbbotThis traditional local feastis held from 10-17 January.via Cavour and the old cen-tre are the settings for nu-merous events, rangingfrom concerts to exhibi-tions and, of course, eatingtortelli and drinking vinbrûlé. There are also reli-gious ceremonies at thechurch of S. Antonio, witha blessing of the saint’ sshrine and a procession to-wards the S. Rocco bridgethat is marked by light ingthe "St. Anthony bonfire".


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furbished and enlarged on numerous occasions, al-though traces of the original structure remain visi-ble: the 11th-century crypt, given a baroquemakeover in the 18th century, the b ell tower (builton a Roman base in 1261 and restored in 15th-cent.style) and a 14th-century sculpture of the Virgin Marywith Child and Sts Stephen and Damian, on the façade.Frescoes from the first half of the 14th-century havebeen discovered in the modern sacristy. The entranceportal has various elements that are from the Count-er-Reformation. The presbytery has some frescoes in16th-century style, while those in the nave are 1 7thcentury and are by the great classicist Antonio Bus-ca. In 1805-1807, under the supervision of L eopoldPollack, a number of changes were made inside thechurch, including the creation of a new high altar andpulpit.

Not far from the basilica, near piazza Castellana,is the 16th/1 7th-century convent of S. Lorenzo ,which was changed substantially in the 19th centu-ry to use the buildings for industrial, trading and res-

they can be grown and how. Such reg-ulations also take into account environ-mental sustainability and the trans-parency and traceability of the produc-tion p rocess. These same regulationsgovern t he e nvironmental c haracteris-tics, specify the climate and soil com-position, the planting cycles, the meth-ods used to prepare the land, the choic-es of which varieties to use, the equip-ment that can be used, fertilisation, ir-rigation, pest control and harvesting.This potato is planted between 15 and25 March and harvested in late Augustor early September. After the harvest,every two years, there is the PotatoFeast, which is probably the most ea-gerly awaited event in Oreno. The his-torical role of this potato as a basic foodstuff in the local diet along with the re-newed importance of this tuber meanthe event still merits its place on the lo-cal calendar.

The Oreno potato is a white kennec tu-ber that has a distinct taste and origi-nated in Canada. It has a very compacttexture, making it easy to handle andthus ideal for cooking, especially itemslike potato gnocch i or croquettes. Itdoes have one rather unusual aspect:it doesn’t absorb oil and it doesn’t turngolden (meaning it is only good for lightfrying). The somewhat unusual nature ofthis potato is linked to the soil where itis grown. The land in the Oreno areahas a particularly good balance betweenminerals and humus for such potatoessince this soil retains moisture withoutany water stagnation. The result is anespecially rich and tasty potato. The designation of "made in Brianza"for this potato is the outcome of a proj-ect designed to certify and enhancequality local products. As such, the pro-duction regulations define what quali-ties these potatoes must have, where

Oreno Potato

Out of interest

V

The triad of 14th-centurystatues on the façadeof S. Stefano


Vimercate


idential purposes. Villa Casanova lies on what wasonce Contrada S. Lorenzo (now via Garibaldi) andis a late -Neoclassical building constructed in themid-19th century. Opposite this villa stands anoth-er v illa, n amely Villa Visconti G argantini P iatti,whose construction work started in 18 05 using aproject by Pollack.

The old Corsia di S. Rocco – now known as viaCavour – was the main road linking Milan to theford at Trezzo sull’Adda. Along it lies the S. Roccobridge, across the Molgora River (symbol of Vimer-cate), with its two towers and a gate. The ruins of aRoman bridge (3rd cent. AD) were the basis for theMoriano gate (on the city side), built in the late 12thcentury and completed with the addition of a tow-er in the 14th century. The outer tower is from thesame period, although some later work on the ex-terior gave it a 16th-century appearance. This wholeseries of structures is one of the b est surviving ex-amples of medieval civil and military architecture. Itis also the only medieval gate that survived the dem-olition work of the 18th century, although one spanof the bridge was removed.

There are other notable buildings along viaCavour: the Oratory of S. Antonio Abate , from the13th century but redone, inside, in baroque style andconserving some 14th/15th-century frescoes; the19th-century Palazzo Mandelli; and a 15th-century‘noble mansion’. The list of original buildings fromthe 15th century includes the tower-house on via

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Portrait of ElisabettaSottocasa (Mosè Bianchi,1874)


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Crispi, home to the V icario della Martes ana, andCasa Corio, which was redone in the 19th centuryand once hosted Francesco Sforza (1450).

Villa Sottocasa overlooks via Vittorio EmanueleII. This 17th-century building, with a horseshoe lay-out, was transformed in the early 19th century intoa grand Neoclassical mansion, with a façade adornedby a tympanum and a large f light of steps decorat-ed with copies of classical statues. It has various 19th-century paintings by Mosè Bianchi and EleuterioPagliano. A part of the Italian garden, set behind thevilla, has survived, complete with fake caves, statuesand water features. It also has a large park that ex-tends down to the banks of the Molgora River andencompasses a large lemon grove, a small tower andsome neo-Gothic stables. It was b ought in 2001 bythe Vimercate municipality to house MUST -Museodel Territorio (see p. 116).

The church of S. Francesco is located quite nearPalazzo Trotti as are the ruins of an old convent(Casa Banfi). These were founded in the 13th cen-tury by Franciscans from Oreno, but suppressed in1798, which is when the Banfi family (current own-ers) took possession. T he complex has been refur-bished on various occasions, but still b ears traces of

Villa S. Maria Molgora Paveri Fontana

Archivio PlebanoArchivio Plebano di Vimer-cate is an ecclesial archivethat has religious and his-torical documents from thelate 16th to the 20th cen-turies that came into thepossession of the parishchurch of S. Stefano andSanctuary of the BeataVergine del Rosario. It isan excellent source for re-constructing what life waslike in the V imercate areain the past and it is alsoone o f t he m ost i mpres-sive a rchives s till i n e xis-tence in the Milan Dio-cese. One of the highlightsis the musical section,which has around 700compositions and manu-scripts for religious music,some dating back to the16th century.

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Vimercate


the original medieval structure. Both the conventand the church have 14th-century frescoes, includ-ing a notable Crucifixion and S aints (1354) tha t isGiottoesque.

The modern hospital is built over the originalS. Damiano hospital (12th cent.). This building wasaltered in the late 18th century, using a design byPietro Castelli and renovated in 1825 by Pietro Gi-lardoni. Nowadays, you can see the combination ofthe early 20th-century appearance (the work of An-tonio Corbetta, 1901-03) and the enlargement workfrom the 1960s.

South of Vimercate, at the b order with BuragoMolgora and on the side of an old pilgrim hospice(1248), you find Villa S. Maria Molgora PaveriFontana, sometimes called Villa Melzi Meli Lupi diSoragna (private). This building is a combination of16th-century style – the result of work commissionedby Count Aloisio Melzi – and N eoclassicism. TheItalian garden and the English-style park, with nu-merous tall trees, are superb.

In the Oreno district, you can find some of themost h istorically i mportant b uildings i n the z one.The 15th-century Borromeo Hunting Lodge is a goodexample of a type of architecture that was once com-mon in Milan and the environs. It also has a frescocycle from the 15th century – in late -Gothic stylewith t ouches of H umanism – o f b ear a nd f alconhunting. This lodge belongs to Villa Borromeo Arese,which is from the 16th century, but redone on vari-

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Casa Banfi, the ruins of theold convent of S. Francesco

Late-Gothic frescoes at the 15th-century Borromeo Hunting Lodge


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ous occasions up to the 19th century, when it wasgiven its current neo-rococo look. T he 19th-centu-ry park, the result of altering the early Italian garden,forms a vast area of greenery that adjoins the areaaround Villa Gallarati Scotti, which is probably thegrandest of the noble villas in the zone. The originalbaroque structure can still b e seen in various parts,namely the traditional U-shaped layout and variousother interior areas that now have 18th-century fres-coes. It was changed into Neoclassical style, includ-ing the addition of the monumental entrance, in thelate 18th and early 19th centuries, by Simone Can-toni. The 19th-century work also altered the park,creating an English-style landscape where you canstill see traces of the baroque garden with its preciousnymphaeum of N eptune (located at the northernedge of the garden). R estoration work on the villawas completed in 2008 and it now houses a congressand training centre.

Some of the most notable buildings, on piazza S.Michele, are the 19th-century parish church, donein late Neoclassical style, using a project by Giaco-mo Moraglia (1856), and the rococo Palazzo Foppa,built in the 18th century by Marquis Cesare Augus-to Foppa. To the east of the centre, in a dominant

The façade of Villa Gallarati Scotti

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Potato Feast This is a traditional feast inthe Oreno district that isheld in the 2nd and 3rdweeks of September (every2 years; even years). Thereare food and drinks stalls,concerts, dancing, shows,exhibitions, conferences,games and a large parade inthe streets of the old cen-tre. It is an ideal chance tosavour local dishes madewith potatoes.

The nymphaeum of Neptune


Vimercate


position, stands the convent of S. Francesco, whichwas built in the early 13th century. It was altered overthe centuries (15th-18th cent.) until the Franciscans,following the suppression, withdrew into the Vimer-cate monastery, returning to Oreno in the mid-20thcentury. To the west of Oreno, the Cavallera farmbuildings, constructed in 15 91 by the brothersBernardino and Ottaviano Scotti, now have a 19th-century appearance.

The Ruginello district is home to the ostentatiousMorte di Ruginello complex, which was recently re-stored to its 18th-century appearance. This building,dedicated to death, is an unusual example of an issuethat preoccupied muc h of religious thought inbaroque times. T he cemetery has the R omanesquechurch of S. Maria Assunta, redone in the 17th/18thcentury. This was also when the b ell tower wasadded; it now has various religious frescoes from the15th and 16th centuries (the most notable are thelate-Gothic ones in the Ss. Antonio e Caterinachapel). The 18th-century Oratory of the Addoloratastands in the old centre. Villa Besozzi (now Cas aFamiglia S. Giuseppe) is another 18th-century build-ing and enjoys a panoramic setting in the old centreof Oldaniga. Next to it, you find the local church, Ss.Giacomo e Cristoforo chapel , which is 13th centu-

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S.neo-a,s-nt The entrance road to the convent of S. Francesco in Oreno

The “Agrifoppa”farmThis farm (Oreno di Vimer-cate, Cascina Foppa, tel.3203163625, [email protected], www.agrifoppa.it),located in the CavalleraFarming Park, producestop quality cereal and ‘gar-den’ crops, such as Orenopotatoes and a range ofpumpkins. You can buy po-tatoes, courgettes, cauli-flower, broccoli, tomatoesand much more, eitherfresh or stored in oil, di-rectly from the farm. V eg-etables, though, are notthe only thing on sale, withcured meats, cheeses,rice, jam and honey – allfrom local farms – alsoavailable. Of note: an initia-tive called “Raccolta fai date” that allows people toactually harvest or picktheir produce.



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VillasantaMunicipal website: www.comune.villasanta.mi.it


This municipality shares a b order with Monzaand is but a few kilometres from the Brianza

hills. The north-west border is washed by the Lam-bro River. It is likely that the old heart of the cen-tre (La Santa) is of Roman origin, arising as a stop-ping point on the road from Milan and Monza toOlginate at the height of the fork leading to Vimer-cate. The church and annexed hospice are from 961(xenodochium in L atin) and are dedicated to St.Alexander (S. Aless andro), in the district b earingthe same name. The name "La Santa", used to in-dicate the centre around S. Anastasia, comes fromthe Middle A ges; while the modern districts ofSant’Alessandro and San F iorano were known asVillola or Coliate, and later Villa, according to me-dieval documents. During the modern age, La San-ta continued to belong to Monza and Villa to Con-corezzo. Later, Villa became an independent com-mune with the name of Villa San Fiorano. In 1929,La Santa was removed from Monza, b ecoming

Villa Camperio, the oldest lordly home in Villasanta

The Town Hall


Villasanta


part of Villa San Fiorano. This led to the decisionto "merge" the two names and the result was V il-lasanta.

The parish church of S. Anastasia , recordedin a document from 7 68 AD, was completely re-built from 1768 to 1796 and then enlarged furtherin the following two centuries. It houses a fantas-tic organ created by the Prina brothers from V il-lasanta (1884), a 16th-century fresco (no longer onthe wall) of the Madonna of the Rose and the Cru-cified said to be by Panfilo Nuvolone. The churchof S. Alessandro , built in 1603 on the site of anearlier religious building dedicated to the s amesaint, was enlarged in 1951. T he parish c hurch(1967) in S an F iorano replaced a 1 4th-centurybuilding that had been rebuilt in the 19th century(now a private residence). This is also the site of achapel dedicated to St. Roch and the souls ofpurgatory that is often called the "small chapel ofthe dead". It was built in the 15th/16th century inmemory of plague victims and then rebuilt in 1948.

The town’s oldest residence is Villa Camperio,formerly Casnedi, which was built in 1696 and hasa large park. In 1815, the patriot F ederico Con-falonieri was ‘imprisoned’ here by the Austrian au-thorities. It now houses the town library; much ofthe library’s patrimony actually comes from theCamperio family. The Town Hall, complete with aclock tower (rationalist style) designed by PieroBorradori in 1934, is also worth seeing.

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Famous people The list of famous sons ofVillasanta includes Manfre-do Camperio (1826-1899),who was involved in the fa-mous five days of Milaneserebellion against Austrianoccupation and the war ofindependence. He was anexplorer and geographer,making numerous journeysto Africa and Australia. Hefounded and edited themagazine L’Esploratore(The explorer). Umberto No-tari (1878- 1950), who wasactually born in Bologna but‘adopted’ by V illasanta,was a publisher and writer.He founded the Istituto Edi -toriale Italiano (Italian pub-lishing institute) and variousnewspapers, including L’Am -brosiano. Giulio Oggioni(1916-1993), priest, was Bi -shop of Lodi from 1972 to1977 and of Bergamo from1977 to 1991. Andrea Oggioni(1930-61) was one of thegreat mountain climbers ofthe 1950s. He accompaniedthe m ore f amous W alterBonatti on numerous climbs.He died on Colle dell’Innom-inata, on Mont Blanc, duringa climb that ended in tragedydue to bad weather.

and universitiesgetting involved.The ‘intellectuals’are some of th egreat thinkers andleading philoso-phers in Italy, in-cluding Emanuele Severino, Giulio Gio -rello and Umberto Galimberti. For infor-mat ion :www.prov inc ia .mi lano. i t /monzabrianza

Abitatori del tempo is an initiative thatwas initially backed by the V illasantaand Monza municipalities in an effortto give people a chance to reflectthanks to meetings with some of thetop contemporary intellectuals, whoare invited each year to give a speechon a theme of interest to society . In2007, the initiative took a stride for-ward, with the provincial governmentand other local municipalities, bodies

Abitatori del tempo (time dwellers)

Out of interest



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ConcorezzoMunicipal website: www.comune.concorezzo.mi.it


Concorezzo’s origins lie in the age of ImperialRome. Over the centuries, it has b een tied to

the fortunes of the neighb ouring Monza. In the12th century, Concorezzo was the only area un-der the country church of Vimercate to be giventhe title of ‘hamlet’, even though the exact b or-ders of this hamlet are not recorded.

The most notable religious building is the parish church of Ss. Cosma e Damiano, a gigan-tic Neoclassical construction designed by LuigiCagnola in 1810 and built from 1818 on. T hesmall church of S. Antonio , once dedicated to

Parco della Cavallera The Cavallera Park wasfounded by the municipali-ties of Concorezzo, Ar-core, Monza, V illasantaand V imercate. It covers650 ha and gets its namefrom the old Cascina Caval -lera that is located on theland. This park, covering alot of farming land, is dot-ted with a number of oth-er o ld f armhouses. T hereare various cycle and walk-ing t rails a s w ell as en vi-ronmental education pro-grammes and plenty of ac-commodation at the vari-ous farms.

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The church of S. Eugenio

Villa Melzi Zoia, home to the town library


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St. Salvator, probably dates from the 16th cen-tury, but it was redone in the early 20th century.The church of S. Eugenio, restored at the begin-ning of the last century, is documented as farback as 853 AD.

The most notable historic mansions are VillaMelzi Zoia (mid-19th cent.), often called Villa delCarretto, and now housing the town library, andVilla Teruzzi, b uilt i n t he l ate 1 8th c entury a ndnow the Residenza Sanitaria Assistenziale (type ofmedical centre). The Concorezzo area is notablyagricultural, with a numb er of small villages thatare dotted around and often centred on oldfarmhouses. A major effort is underway to learnmore about and improve the local historical, arti-stic, arc hitectonic and arc haeological heritage.This is being led by the local archive, which was

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Feast of the Patron Saint Held on the first Sunday inNovember, it is dedicated toSaints Cosmos and Da-mian. Shops are open, stal-ls set up and desserts andother goods are on sale. Inthe morning, during mass atthe parish church, a ball ofcotton wool – symbol of allthat is bad in the world – isburnt a nd, a t t he S . L uigitheatre, the "Ago d’Oro"awards are given out. At theedge of town, there are, fora number of days, somemerry-go-rounds and othersgames for children.

Piazza della Pace and Concorezzo’s Town Hall

Inside and outside the Oratory of S. Antonio


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Agrate BrianzaMunicipal website: www.comune.agratebrianza.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 7 km. Distance from Milan: 21 km Map reference: E 5

Various digs (1880) uncovered Roman archaeolo-gical ruins in A grate and other items, including

a granite altar (now built into an arc h over a farmgate) and a Christian epigraph from the late 5th orearly 6th century. The centre appears in a documentin 745 AD, namely the will of R ottopert “de vicoAgrate”, who founded a hospice for the poor andfor pilgrims. It also appears in a document from 835recording a donation by the Arc hbishop of Milan,Angilbert II.

The parish church of S. Eusebio stands on themain square and probably has 7th- or 8th-centuryorigins. T he modern building was completedbetween 1925 and 1934, which is also the year whenit was consecrated. The most notable buildings are:the parish church of S. Zenone (Omate district),which dates from at least the 13th century and wasrefurbished in the 16th; the church of S. Pietro(13th cent.); and the church of S. Anna (CascinaMorosina district), built in the 15th century .

Famous people Agrate was the birthplaceof Gian Matteo Ferrario, doc-tor to Duchess BiancaMaria Sforza and a lectur-er at the University of Pad-ua, and Marco d’Agrate, cre-ator of a famous statue ofSt. Bartholomew in the Mi-lan cathedral. More recent-ly, in 1923, Clemente V is-mara was born there. Hewas a papal missionary inBurma, where he lived andeventually died in 1988. InOctober 1996, CardinalCarlo Maria Martini beganproceedings to beatify Vis-mara; these have nearlybeen concluded.

Agrate, the Town Hall

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The parish church of S. Eusebio


AgrateBrianza

Monza and its province

There are numerous villas in the area. VillaSchira-Corneliani, from the 16th/17th century, isnow home to the town library . There is one ex-ceptional balcony with a baroque wrought ironrailing. It conserves a number of old books, pain-tings, period furnishings and documents. Villa Tri-vulzio is in the Omate district. The building, fromthe early 16th century, was turned into a noblevilla using a design by the architect Giovanni Rug-geri (early 18th cent.). The current eclectic appea-rance is the 19th-century work of the arc hitectLuigi Majnoni. T he scenic gardens are notable.The 18th-century Villa d’Adda-Salvaterra has abaroque imprint, with some Neoclassical touches.It has some painted ceilings, frescoes and an im-posing fireplace topped by wonderful friezes anddecorations.

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Feasts and events Feast of St. Anthony the Abbot:held in January , in theOmate district, it ends onthe 17th, which is the feastof St. Anthony the Abbot,protector of country life.Bonfires are lit to symboli-cally repel the hardships ofwinter and to recall the leg-end of the saint stealing em-bers from hell to give themto man, thus protectingfarmhouses from fires. Thebonfire becomes the centreof dancing, drinking vin brûlé(wine with spices) and eat-ing some local delicacies. Palio degli Asini (Donkeypalio): held on the first Sun-day in June in the Omatedistrict, it includes a cos-tume parade, a race for don-keys, games, shows, a culi-nary competition and muchmore. The Feast of the Gallarana :held on the last weekend inJune, this feast in the park(on via Offellera) is organ-ised by residents and spon-sored by the municipality .There is dancing, with theoption of eating in the park.The main dish is a mixed fishdish, although sandwiches,hamburgers, sausages anddesserts are also available. Feast of the Melonera: held onthe Fridays and Saturdaysof the first three weeks ofJuly, this traditional feast inthe Omate district, focuseson fresh fruit and eveningsof dancing. Feast of St. Anne : held in thelast week of July, this feastfor the patron saint of theOratory of Cascina Morosi-na combines religious withpopular music.

A view of Villa Trivulzio and the gardens

Aldo Moro Park

133



Burago di MolgoraMunicipal website: www.comune.buragodimolgora.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 11 km. Distance from Milan: 25 km Map referenc: D 5

Various arc haeological remains of the Imperialera have b een found in this area, including

locules, coins and s arcophaguses, suggesting thiswas once a Roman settlement. In 1860, Burago, fol-lowing an order from the King of Italy, b ecame amunicipality (or commune) with a population ofnearly a thousand. This former farming settlementsaw major industrial growth in the 20th century.Today, it is home to a number of small and medi-um-sized enterprises and one of Europe’s most fa-mous nurseries. One of the best-known companiesto have been based here was Folgora, which pro-duced toy guns in the 1960s and 70s. The other fa-mous names in the world are: Burago model cars,long the international leader in this sector; andPasini Laboratorio, (chemistry laboratory) whichmade the Crystal Ball.

The most famous residential buildings are the17th-century Villa Penati Ferrerio (redone in lat-er centuries), although it is now used as the TownHall and library and the Neoclassical Villa MyliusOggioni, which was owned by the German busi-ness man Enrico Mylius (1769-1854). Mylius wasone of the first business leaders in L ombardy tomake use of technology in his spinning mills andto realise the value of educating and training hisworkers. The villa, with a traditional U shape, hasa tympanum on the front and also has the origi-nal English garden.

In the Santa Maria district, you can see thebeautifully set 18th-century Villa Melzi and theCascina Magana and Cascina Baraggia. It is alsoworth seeing the parish c hurch o f S s. V ito eModesto, with origins dating from 1106.

Burago in FestaIn the 2nd and 3rd weeksof September, there is thesmall “Profumi e sapori”craft market, with localproducts, hobby items andart exhibitions. Events forchildren, comedy showsand dancing and fireworksin the evening.

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The church of Ss. Vito eModesto

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Cavenago di BrianzaMunicipal website: www.comune.cavenagobrianza.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 13 km. Distance from Milan: 27 km Map reference: E 6

C avenago lies b etween the Molgora River andRio Vallone, on the plain to the north of the Vil-

loresi canal, halfway between Bergamo and Milan.The first records of this area are from 8 73 AD,when certain plots of land were b ought by theArchbishop of Milan, Anspert, from the Albuzzi diBiassono family.

Palazzo Rasini, owned by the municipality, is ofreal interest. The 17th-century section of the build-ing might have involved work by Martino Bassi andis built over a 16th-century structure. In the late 18th-century alterations were carried out (creation of alarge lounge) using a project by Simone Cantoni. Ithouses two decorative cycles: the large numb er offragments from a 17th-century cycle coordinated byGiovanni Ghisolfi and the 18th-century lounge byMattia Bortoloni, who was the most famous L om-bard artist working in Tiepolo’s rococo style. The ar-eas open to the public are on the ground floor. Youenter through a large entrance courtyard and a door-way located on one side of the portico. All of the

The Rasini familyThis family rose to powerin the 16th century and be-came part of the Consor-teria Arese, which exer-cised s ubstantial po liticalpower in Milan in the 17thcentury under the Presi-dent of the Senate, Bar-tolomeo III Arese. The fam-ily lived for three centuriesin P alazzo d i C avenago.Even today, i n M ilan nearpiazza San Babila, you cansee via Rasini, where theyowned a house.

A part of the interior and exterior of Palazzo Rasini, including the entrance


EasternBrianza


floors are made with polychrome Venetian marblegranules. Behind the house, you can see the garden(partially transformed).

The key religious buildings are: the 18th-centu-ry parish c hurch dedicated to St. Julius and thechurch of S. Maria(in the Campo district), that wasbuilt in the 12th century by the Humiliati and redonein the mid-15th century. The cycle of frescoes, in thestyle of Luini, are found both inside and in the parishchurch (removed from the wall). T he Lazzaretto –a private funerary chapel built where victims of theplague in 1630 were buried – is also worth seeing.

the dormouse and the harvest mouse.The park also includes some notablebuildings, such as the Sanctuary of Ornago and t he C avenago d i B rianzaleper colony. It also has the Le Foppeprotected area: a former clay quarry, ithas recently been regenerated by themunicipality and the Consorzio Pubbli-co d’Igiene Ambientale (C.E.M.) to en-able the public to enjoy i t. The head-quarters is in the Cascina Sofia. There a re c ycle, w alking a nd r idingpaths in the park as well as bird watch-ing hides and other outdoor educationactivities.

From via Manzoni, you can head, alongcycle paths or on foot, into the Rio Val-lone Park. This is the starting point fora number of protected areas that bor-der, to the west, with the MolgoraPark, to the south, with the Sud MilanoFarming Park, to the east with the Ad-da Nord Park, and to the north with theMontevecchia e Val Curone Park. Thepark covers a total of 480 ha along theRio Vallone (r iver), forming a ‘greenlung’ in a heavily built-up area. The veg-etation is quite ab undant and the ani-mal life is remarkable diverse, with 13species of small mammal s, inclu ding

Parco del Rio Vallone

Out of interest

Town feasts On the first Sunday in Oc-tober, there is the feast ofthe patron saint, St. Julius.The day includes craft andcharity markets, art exhibi-tions, puppet shows, read-ings in the library, fireworksand a parade.

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The 18th-century parish church of S. Giulio at Cavenago di Brianza



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OrnagoMunicipal website: www.comuneornago.it


The oldest records of the municipality are from876, when it was mentioned in the will of the

Archbishop of Milan, Anspert da Biassono. It waspart of the country church of Vimercate and, as su-ch, tied to its history. The municipality of Ornago,like Biassono, is strongly tied to the V erri family.Count Pietro Verri (1728-97) particularly favouredthis centre, living out the final stage of his life the-re and undertaking numerous farming experiments.

The Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Laz-zaretto, built in the 18th century, has an altarpie-ce by Carlo Verri portraying St. Martin, a canvaspainting of The Prodigal Son by Francesco Corne-liani (a favoured artist of Milan’s nobility) and anAmati organ from the 19th century.

The Verri chapel, an exceptional example of afunerary c hapel, is located outside the s anctuaryand was built for Pietro by his wife Marietta Casti-glioni. It is the resting place for this famous expo-nent of the Enlightenment and members of his fa-mily. The monument was inspired by the one of thefamous German philosopher Kant in Kaliningrad.

The other buildings of historical and artisticinterest are: the parish church of S. Agataand theannexed 17th-century rectory; the small chapel ofOur Lady of Sorrows , built in 1777; the Miracolofountain, a 18th-century votive location; and theCascina Borella.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a sanc-tuary was built on the expansive woodlands. It hasnow become the Vimercate hospital.

The modern economy of the town is linkedboth to small and medium-sized enterprises (espe-cially in the mechanical sector) and to devices fornurseries.

The Sanctuary of the BeataVergine del Lazzaretto


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BelluscoMunicipal website: www.comune.bellusco.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Rimembranze. Tel.: 3922586438. Fax: 039623669Website: www.prolocobellusco.it E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Monza: 14 km. Distance from Milan: 29 km. Map reference: D 6

B ellusco lies in the middle of the plain, near theglacial hills of Brianza and Lombardy’s Alpine

foothills, with the most notable peaks beingGrigna (2,410m) and R esegone (1,975m). Thiscentre lies on a major crossroad between the Mi-lan, Como and Bergamo areas. T he land ismarked by a number of hills and rises that origi-nated in the Quaternary period due to torrentialrain. Today, the area is washed by two water-courses: Cava and Rio Vallone. The south-west-ern section of the municipality, a "hunting re-serve", has some local wildlife: hares, pheas antsand starlings.

The first documents ab out the centre, fromBergamo’s Chapter Arc hives, are from the 9thcentury. Until a few decades ago, the local econ-omy was based on cereal crops and silkworms. Inrecent times, the textile, metalworking, plastic andelectronic industries have taken off.

The Da Corte castle , in the old centre, is arobust medieval structure that was redone in theSforza era (around 14 67) by Martino Da Corte

Educational farmThe Ronchia Lorenzo Mariafarm (via San Nazzaro 40,tel. 039623216, email:[email protected])is a farm that special isesin growing cereal cropsand small fruits. It has un-dertaken the experimentalcultivation of sweet peasto produce F1 seeds (firstgeneration, completelywhite or red flowers). Var-ious educational eventsand activities are organ-ised. It is part of a seriesof educational farms.

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The Da Corte castle, in the centre of Bellusco


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(you can still see the coat-of-arms). It has a squarelayout, with an entrance marked by a ravelin andtowers.

Around the main piazza, you can see a num-ber of 17th-century courtyards. To note: “Stalledi Mantova” (Mantua stables), the Lazzaretto (orleper colony) courtyard, the Tegole (or tile) court-yard, the V ismara courtyard, the Mis ani court-yard, Dosso, the Lattaio (or dairy) courtyard, thePozzo (or well) courtyard, the Sangalli courtyardand the Frati (or friars’) courtyard, which is hometo the “Mario Rigoni Stern” library .

The eclectic parish church of S. Martino ,built in 1864, has frescoes ab out St. Martin’s lifeby Luigi Tagliaferri, the much venerated shrine ofSt. Justina and a mechanic pipe organ built by thebrothers Pietro and L orenzo Bernasconi (1875).There are also numerous old farmhouses, includ-ing the Cascina S. Nazaro, with a church that has18th-century paintings. In the Cascina Camuzza-go district, you can see the Oratory of S. MariaMaddalena (being restored). Once an abb ey forthe monks of St. Sepulchre (the original structureis from 1152), it has a vast cycle of frescoes withstories of the saint by an artist, known as the Mas-ter of Camuzzago, in the style of Bernardino Buti-none (ca. 1510). The altarpiece of the Descent fromthe Cross is now in the Brera Gallery in Milan.

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Feasts and eventsFeast of San Nazaro : on thelast weekend in July , it isheld in the barn of CascinaS. Nazaro; singing, danc-ing and tasting of localdishes. Feast of the Patron Saint andthe S. Giustina palio, secondSunday in September , forthe feast of the patronsaint: the S. Giustina paliois organised by a specificcommittee with the back-ing of the municipality. Thefeast was originally organ-ised b y a yo ung g roup o fparishioners (1955) and cli-maxes with a parade offloats inspired by biblicalthemes. The parade is ledby the S. Giustina float andby the standard bearersfrom each district. Theroute takes in most of themain town streets. A jury ,elected annually, choosesthe best float, awarding itthe Palio di S. Giustina. Theactual prize is a standardcreated by a local artist anda small, gilded urn thatholds a miniature copy ofthe saint. This ‘trophy’ islooked after by familiesfrom the winning district. Feast of St. Martin: held dur-ing the week of 11 Novem-ber: it includes a variety ofevents and shows centredon the themes of solidarityand volunteer work.

Inside the Oratory of Camuzzago and, right, theparish church of Bellusco



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MezzagoMunicipal website: www.comune.mezzago.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Stefano Biffi 28. Tel. and fax: 0396020288Website: www.prolocomezzago.it E-mail: [email protected]


M ezzago was originally a farming village cen-tred on the churches of S. Vittore (no longer

around) and S. Maria (current parish church) andthe tower of Palazzo Archinto. Cereal crops werewidely grown, although the local c hestnuts, oak,hazelnut and durmast woods also provided an im-portant source of income. In the 15th century, fol-lowing the wars between the Visconti family andthe Venetians, the Mezzago area was s acked andsuffered severely from diseases, resulting in a sub-stantial decrease in the population.

Some of the old dwellings, called ‘ sedine’, arestill around, suc h as the Cascina Orobona. Thisparticular structure is typical of residences centredon a well in a courtyard, with the living quarters,stables, barns and haylofts all around. The De Corteand Biffi families were the prominent families in thearea. In the second half of the 1 7th century, mul-berries caught on as a crop along with breedingsilkworms. Today, this area is known for its aspara-gus, but this was only introduced in the 19 30s.

Palazzo Archinto stands in the town centre andwas once home to the Jesuits. From 1779, it housednumerous noble families, starting with the Archin-tos. The tower – except for the 18th-century lastfloor or b elfry – and many of the older parts arefrom the 12th century, when the complex houseda thriving community of monks from the Humil-iati order. The monks were famous wool makers.

The parish church of S. Maria Assunta wasbuilt in the 18th century. It has two notablechapels in the left aisle, one dedicated to the Pietàand the other is where the Maggi family is buried.The old centre is also home to the Oratory of S.Gerolamo, founded by the De Corte family in

FarmsIl gelso (“Le Solvette” area,sales outlet via Matteotti 5,tel. 3407772992, T uesdayand Friday, 1 to 7pm, Sat-urday 9-noon. Contact: viaUnione 3, tel. 3389219171,[email protected], www.azilgelso.it). Production andsale of organic, seasonalvegetables. Rino di Gualtiero Mattavelli(via Don Minzoni 8/c, tel.3472232288, fax 0396022812, [email protected],www.agricolarino.it. Salesoutlet, via Marconi 1). As-paragus and some otherfruit and veg. Sale of as-paragus in April and May. La Valle del Re (sales outletvia Vite Lunga 1, tel. 3474003642, fax 0396010707, [email protected],www.lavalledelre.it). Corn,wheat and pink asparagus.Sales outlet open all year(pink asparagus available inApril and May). CAAM - Cooperativa AgricolaAsparagicoltori Mezzago(sales outlet via V itelunga1, tel. 3473403457).

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about 1674. It later passed into the hands of theArchinto family, who purchased some of the 19th-century furnishings that can b e seen inside. VillaBrasca, with its park, is also worth noting, as isBosco della Cappelletta, a wood with lovely treesand some of the only rural chapels in the territo-ry in reasonable condition.

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Maggio Mezzaghese This is a traditional musi-cal, social and cultural fes-tival that is held throughoutMay. It includes concerts,sports competitions, cul-tural events, small marketsand tasting of local dishesmade with pink asparagus(a speciality of Mezzago).For info : www.prolocomezzago.it/maggio.htm

in May has been doing well since thefirst one held in 1960. About a year ago,the product received DenominazioneComunale di Origine status, which isone of the Italian labels designed to pro-tect local products. It is normally abbre-viated to De.C.O. For info: www.asparagorosa.it

Pink asparagus – Asparago Rosa – is atype of asparagus that is only grown inMezzago. Unlike other varieties that areentirely green, white or purple, this onehas a top (3-4 cm) that is pink, while therest is completely white. The colour andtaste are the result of the specific localconditions (clayey soil that has a highmineral content). These same conditionsensure that Asparago Rosa di Mezzagois a healthy and sought after product.The season for this asparagus starts inApril and ends towards the end of May.It is usually gathered at the end of Aprilor beginning of May using traditionalmethods: by hand, using an iron tool tolift each asparagus plant out of theground, one by one. Unfortunately, inrecent years, cash crops have becomemore popular, especially as the numberof farmers has dropped greatly. Eventhough the asparagus itself is disappear-ing, the festival held for this asparagus

Asparago Rosa di Mezzago

Out of interest

Inside and outside the 18th-century parish churchof S. Maria Assunta


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SulbiateMunicipal website: www.comune.sulbiate.mi.it


This municipality consists of the old communesof Sulbiate Inferiore, Sulbiate Superiore and

Brentana as well as the Cà and Cazzullo farmsteads.The Roman origins can be guessed from the tracesof ponderous walls that form part of a ‘noble house’(13th/14th cent.) with an annexed tower near theparish church – the house has been owned by twoprominent local families, namely the Scaccabarozziand the Arcimboldi – and from a 3rd-century ADsarcophagus against a wall in the courtyard of Palaz-zo Baraggia.

The icon of the town is the 15th-century Lam-pugnani Olgiati castle that was built from 145 2-1455 by a Milanese merc hant (Paolo Lampugnani)after he received a concession from Francesco Sforzato build a fortified residence. The castle was later en-larged, with the addition of baroque courtyards, andhas changed hands numerous times over the cen-turies. The involvement of Giovanni Andrea L am-pugnani in the plot that led to the death of Duke

The 15th-century Lampugnani Olgiati castle has some baroque sections

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Feasts and events The Committee for Cul-ture, Sport and Free T imeorganises, from 14 to 16July, a Beer Festival withconcerts and stalls at themunicipal sports centre.The town fete is held onthe last Sunday in Septem-ber and involves a seriesof cultural and recreationalevents and initiatives. Thefestival is organised by thelocal town council in con-junction with the array ofassociations from the area.


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Galeazzo Maria Sforza was punished, not only withthe ass assins b eing executed or lync hed, but alsowith the upper section of one of the corner towersbeing pulled down.

In the Sulbiate Superiore district, you find the Oratory of S. Ambrogio , a R omanesque buildingcentred on a large main hall. It was built in the firsthalf of the 11th century on the site of a large Bene-dictine convent. It has a notable cycle of frescoesfrom the 13th-15th centuries. The church of S. Pietro was originally commissioned by the pow-erful Figini family (16th cent.), but redone in 1931.The parish church of S. Antonino , recorded wayback in 1138, was rebuilt for the first time in the late16th/early 17th centuries and then again from 1780to 1783. The interior was completed during the 19thcentury, with the addition of new altars, a majesticorgan (1820) and paintings by Luigi Pedrazzi (1843-1844). The final alterations were in 19 32, with thebuilding of the transept for the dome and the addi-tion of new decorations by Marigliani di Bergamo.

Palazzo Baraggia stands next to the old T ownHall square and the church of S. Pietro Apostolo(and the annexed rural houses). T his palazzo wasbuilt by the Figini family and passed into the handsof the Biffi family in the 18th century . The coat-of-arms can still be seen in the arch over the entrance.The complex is centred on a courtyard that is sur-rounded, on three sides, by warehouses, porticoes,workshops and the villa. There is also a large gardenthat stretches out behind the villa.

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The church of S. Pietro and, right, of S. Ambrogio in Sulbiate

The church of S. Antonino,rebuilt in the 18th century

Attack in MilanIn 1476, Giovanni AndreaLampugnani, o nce a l ead-ing light at the Sforza court,Girolamo Olgiati and CarloVisconti organised a pl otagainst Duke GaleazzoMaria Sforza. The attacktook place on 26 Decem-ber 1476 in the church ofS. Stefano in Milan, duringa procession in honour ofSt. Stephen. The Duke wasassassinated, but Giovanniwas also killed by thecrowd and the others werelater put to death. This wasfollowed by Lampugnanifamily possessions beingconfiscated, with manyfamily members either leav-ing Milan or being exiled.


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AicurzioMunicipal website: www.comune.aicurzio.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Croce 5. Tel.: 0396884181 E-mail: [email protected] from Monza: 16 km. Distance from Milan: 31 km. Map reference: D 6

Aicurzio was probably home to a small R omangarrison. In the Middle Ages, due to its strate-

gic location, it remained a military outpost,favoured by the Knights T emplar. This militaryvocation can be gauged by various buildings in thearea: Casa degli Umiliati, Castel Negrino andCommenda. These buildings, following the sup-pression of religious orders, passed to the Knightsof Malta, and were incorporated into Villa Biffi-Rigorini-Colnaghi (private property), whic h isfrom the late 18th and 19th centuries. Only the lay-out and placement of the buildings recall the oldmedieval structure. Even the annexed church, ded-icated to St. James, was rebuilt (16 23) and dedi-

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Villa Pasqualini Malacrida Aceti and, right, Villa la Commenda

The Templars The old Templar settlementsin Aicurzio, linked to the Mi-lan churches of S. Croce andS. Maria del T empio, werebuilt thanks to Friar Dalmazioda Verzario (Verderio). Themilitary and religious order ofthe T emplars, created in1118-1120, by Hugues dePayens, Godfrey de Saint-Omer and some otherknights, was tasked with en-suring safe passage for pil-grims heading to the HolyLand, especially Jerusalem(where the order had its firstcentre). In the coming cen-turies, the order gained no-table political and economicpower, but was eventuallydissolved by Pope ClementV in 1312-1314 through aseries of papal bulls.


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cated to the Virgin Mary of the Snow. From the16th century on, certain noble families came toprominence, suc h as the Paravicini, Malacrida,Cottini and Rigorini. The most evident remains ofthese families are the villas dotted around. F romthe 15th century on, silkworms became central tothe local economy.

Villa Pasqualini Malacrida Aceti is located inthe old town centre. T his 16th-century building,with a typical U shape, was enlarged in the 1 7thcentury and redone on a number of occasions, es-pecially in the early 19th century . The rooms onthe piano nobile have some pretty old furnishingsand paintings. T he garden is currently b eing re-stored. The villa now houses the Town Hall.

The 17th-century Villa Paravicini, home to thetown library, has a large park that is the annual set-ting for the Sagra del Giugno Aicur ziese (Feast ofAicurzio in June). The building, with some lovelybaroque decorative elements, has a small muse-um on local customs. This museum, only open bybooking, has photographs and farming and crafttools linked to local rural culture. The 19th-centu-ry parish church of S. Andreahas a painting of St.Cecilia by Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, a Lombardpainter who worked in the 17th century. There areother paintings on loan from the famous BreraGallery in Milan. The Sanctuary of Campegorino,which has a small cemetery next to it, has a littlechapel built in memory of those who died from theplague in 1576 and 1630.

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Feasts and events Town fete, last Sunday in Au-gust: this traditional localfestival lasts for 3 days.One of the highlights is thechance to taste a number oflocal delicacies, like “Pacia-rela”, or milk cake, andsausages and beans. Feast of St Andrew the Apostle ,the Patron, Sunday closestto 30 November: a religiousfeast centred on the churchof S. Andrea Apostolo.

Legends of Campegorino According to legend, thedeceased buried in thesmall piece of holy groundnext to the Sanctuary ofCampegorino rose up tobattle side-by-side with theliving to defend the townfrom an attack during theWar of the Spanish Suc-cession (1705).

A view of the Sanctuary of Campegorino and, right, the parish church of S. Andrea


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BernareggioMunicipal website: www.comune.bernareggio.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Prinetti 29 c/o Town Hall. Tel.: 0396900763 E-mail: [email protected]


Bernareggio probably began life as a Roman set-tlement in the 3rd century AD. In the Middle

Ages, it b ecame a seigniory of the Bernareggiofamily and 2 monasteries for the Humiliati orderwere built. These remained in use until the 16thcentury, when Archbishop Charles Borromeo sup-pressed them. In the modern age, the town wasruled, as a fief, by the F oppa, Seccob orella andTrotti families. In the second half of the 19th cen-tury, the largely farming economy turned towardssilkworms and a textile industry arose. Wood craftsalso gained some importance, reaching a peakingthe 1930s.

One of the most notable religious buildings isthe Oratory of Ss. Gervaso e Protaso , which is a16th-century building with some frescoes from thatperiod. The adjacent parish church (1865) has apainting ( St. J ohn the E vangelist) by BernardinoCampi, a well-known artist from Cremona. In theVillanova district, there is theparish church of theImmacolata e S. Bartolomeo .

Feasts and eventsBernareggio in Fiore: on thelast weekend in May , thisflower market and exhibitionalso has a number of otherobjects. It includes an ad-libcompetition for painting,called “Pennellate originali”(original brush strokes), dur-ing which the participantshave to draw views of thetown on the spot! Feast of the Nascent Madon-na: the whole second weekof September, this tradi-tional feast is linked to thechurch of S. Maria Na -scente and involves bothreligious and recreationalevents. Feast of the Corncob : secondSunday in October, this isan exhibition of farming ma-chinery and tools; there arealso theme stalls, work-shops for children and thechance to taste some po-lenta dishes.

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The old centre has some ruins from a 10th-cen-tury castle; on piazza della R epubblica and in viaPrinetti, you can see the ruins of the old monaster-ies of the Humiliati order.

Away from religious buildings, Villa LandrianiBonacina is worth noting. This 18th-century con-struction is now the Town Hall. There is also thebuilding where Garibaldi’s staunch follower, Lau-ra Solera Mantegazza, lived and that was the firstTown Hall. F inally, Villa De Azzi Lanfranconi inVillanova (private property) was built in the open-ing decades of the 18th century and has a land-scaped park designed in the 19th century byGiuseppe Balzaretto. Note the small hunting lodgeand greenhouses.

Nearby, there is the A dda River with an ironbridge from 1889.

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Famous people Two important people fromthe Middle Ages from thiscommune bore the nameof Obizzone da Bernare ggio.The first was the secretaryof the Milan seigniory ,Bishop Ottone V isconti,and Provost of the CountryChurch of V imercate. Thesecond, feudal lord of theMartesana area a nd h eadof the Melosi family , wasthe progenitor of the branchof the family that, in the 10thcentury, was responsible forthe t own’s n ame a nd b uiltthe castle. Bernareggio wasalso the birthplace for a fa-mous character in the ItalianRisorgimento, namely LauraSolera Mantegazza, who, as afriend of Giuseppe Mazziniand Garibaldi, undertook tofind financing for Garibaldi’stroops from 1848 on. Bothof her sons were part of theRisorgimento: Paolo, a sci-entist and writer , was in-volved in the Roman Repub-lic (1849); Emilio fought withGaribaldi at the battle ofBezzecca. This noble ladywas also a local benefactor,founding hospitals, schools,orphanages and the firstwomen’s mutual aid union.

Villa Landriani Bonacina, now the Town Halleo

Inside and outside the church of S. MariaNascente in Bernareggio



Ronco Briantino Municipal website: www.comune.roncobriantino.mi.it


This town lies against a bac kdrop of mountains:Montevecchia, Corni di Canzo, Grigna and Re-

segone. The rural vocation of this land is illustrat-ed in a local museum – Museo Agricolo – housedin the Centro S. Antonio. Set up in 19 81, the basisof the collection was a set of farming tools from afarmhouse that was to b e demolished. It now has400 pieces, many of which were donated by localcitizens or were saved from other unused buildings.The museum has two real points of interest: someof the tools are unique in that they were handcraft-ed solutions designed by farmers to meet specificneeds; and about 250 of the items are also describedin the local dialect of Brianza.

The 20th-century parish church is dedicated toSt. Ambrose "Ad Nemus". The original building, be-ing restored, is from 1415. T he small Morti dellaBrughiera chapel, on the road to Carnate, was al-so built in the early 2 0th century. It lies on a foot-path that was used, from the 16th century on, bypeople attempting to flee from the plague in Milan.

A number of old villas provide clear evidencethat this was once a favoured countryside locationfor the well-heeled Milanese. Villa Alfieri-Peregois 18th-ce ntury, but is eclectic in style; the neo-Gothic Villa Brioschi, also called La Torretta, wasonce a lordly residence and now houses the TownHall. The Ronco Briantino municipality becameautonomous in 1909 when it split from Bernareg-gio. The town is in the Montevecchia RegionalPark, in the south-eastern Brianza section, and itcovers a numb er of diverse habitats: areas of realenvironmental interest, urban centres, manufactur-ing zones, farming and animal rearing land, and his-torical/artistic monuments.

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The church of S. Ambrogio

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CarnateMunicipal website: www.comune.carnate.mi.it


The municipality, which also includes Passirano,is washed by the Molgora River and is partial-

ly surrounded by the hills of Brianza. Various findsfrom the Roman era have been made, but despitethese, the actual origins of Carnate remain uncer-tain. The first documented evidence only comesfrom 1021. In 1483, the Carmelites from Milantook up residence in the zone (suppressed byMaria Theresa of Austria in 1769) and built somestructures that, despite no longer being accessible,can still be seen. This religious order had a pow-erful grip on the local area. F rom 1869 to 19 09,Carnate was under the Bernareggio municipality.In the second half of the 19th century, like manyof the major centres in the Brianza area, the silkindustry developed substantially. Indeed, even to-day there is a complex known as "L a F ilanda"(spinning mill) in the part of Carnate that washome to the most important spinning mill. T heold mill can actually still b e seen, although it isnot in good condition at all.

The most important element of the local histor-ical and cultural patrimony is Villa Fornari PrinettiBanfi, which was built in 1685. The S. Probo chapel

Inside and outside the 17th-century Villa Fornari Prinetti Banfi

Feasts and events Maggio Incontri (May meet-ings), in May and June, isa popular event that hasbecome part and parcel oflocal tradition. It includes arange of sporting, recre-ational and cultural events.During the town fete, held onthe first Sunday after East-er, Carnate comes alive asmany stalls are set outaround the church. Thereare also merry-go-roundsand the like for children andan array of other initiatives(including a typical localdinner).


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was built in 1732. This baroque structure is the finalresting place of St. Probus, who the local peas antscalled on for help in times of drought. T he resi-dence, set against a b eautiful landscape, has someceilings with wonderful frescoes and two monumen-tal fireplaces from the 17th and 18th centuries. Thetypical U-shaped layout is bordered by a courtyardthat opens, to the west, onto the Folgora valley. Thisgently sloping landscape is home to an English parkthat conserves some wonderful trees.

The 19th-century parish church was enlargedin the 19 30s. Dedicated to Saints Cornelius andCaprasius, the first records of it are from 1494. Thelink between the parish church and the Carmelitesis evident in the cycle of 18th-century frescoes be-hind the current apse (it is of the Madonna ofCarmine). The other notable local religious build-ings are the Neoclassical Oratory of S. Croce in Pas-sirano (Gargantini Oratory), built in 18 44. The‘youngest’ church in the municipality is from 1971and is near the train station. It has a series of paint-ings by Marco Carnà and Lino Mar zulli. The for-mer, who was born and lives in Passirano, has re-ceived international acclaim for his illustrations ofthe Divine Comedy and of Gogol’s Dead Souls. Since2003, the local administration has used works bythis master to reward citizens at the town fete,which is held on the first Sunday after Easter .

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Villa Fornari Prinetti Banfi, surrounded by a park

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Usmate VelateMunicipal website: www.comune.usmatevelate.mi.it


The municipality lies between Bosco della Cassinet-ta and Noceto del Molgora, on the southern bor-

der of Brianza. The territory was long ruled by thecountry church of Vimercate and, as such, was tiedto its fate. Guidotto da Usmate was, in 1219, one ofthe backers of the Peace of Lecco that allowed thenobles in exile to return to Milan. V elate also s awsome fighting: in 1322, Marco Visconti’s Ghibellinearmy was defeated here. Some of the most famousfeudal lords in Usmate include the Counts of Osio.The most famous memb er of this family was GianPaolo, who is better known as the man who seducedthe nun from Monza in Manzoni’s famous novelPromessi Sposi. The Usmate Velate municipality wasfounded in 186 9 when U smate, already an au-tonomous commune, was joined with V elate Mi-lanese. Velate only received authorisation in 1930 totransfer its municipal offices to U smate, thus result-ing in the name becoming Usmate Velate.

The church of S. Margherita, the parish churchsince 1571, was rebuilt from 1930-33 using a designby Antonio Casati, an engineer from Milan. He gavethe building a neo-L ombard Romanesque look.

Tutti in PiazzaThis event, held on the pi-azza in front of Villa Bor-gia, takes place on the firstSunday in October in col-laboration with the munici-pal offices for sport, cul-ture and free time, thesport council, the commit-tee for the former Festadella Solidarietà, the youthcentre and the library. Vol-unteer associations alsoset up stands that add tothe numerous tournamentsand sporting activities.

Usmate, Villa Scaccabarozzi and, right, a panoramic view of the surrounds


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There are paintings by Giovanni Briani in the apseand transept. It also has some of the furnishings fromthe p revious c hurch, no tably t he b alustrades a ndpolychrome marble altars in baroque style and a16th-century fresco (removed from the wall) that issaid to be by the school of Bernardino Luini and de-picts the Virgin Mary with Saints John the Baptist andMargaret. The Crucifix by the Milanese sculptor Sil-vio Monfrini (1894-1969) is from 19 38. He createda number of other important works that are in thecemeteries of Monza and Usmate. The lower sectionof the bell tower is from the 12th century. The parishchurch of Velate is dedicated to Our Lady of the As-sumption and dates from the 12th century. It was en-larged in 1884 and rebuilt midway through the 20thcentury. The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carme-lo, with its circular layout, is also notable. It was builtin the first half of the 19th century, in a zone knownas Dosso di Velate, which is the highest part of themunicipality (280 m).

There are a numb er of summer residences, butthe b est example is the N eoclassical Villa Scac-cabarozzi (former Villa Casati Stampa Giulini Belgio-joso) in Velate. It was built in the late 18th centuryby Count Rinaldo Barbiano di Belgioioso. It has anumber of impressive halls, including the so-called"Hall of Columns". It has a park and a private orato-ry. Today, it is normally used for municipal functions.

The dominance of the Belgioioso family in theVelate area in the first half of the 19th century canbe gauged from the building, in 1851, of the S. Fe-lice chapel. Designed by Giacomo Moraglia, it wascommissioned by Maria Beatrice Barbiano to housethe mortal remains of her husband, Count Giovan-ni Giorgio Giulini della Porta. The structure, shapedlike a small Neoclassical temple, has three sculpturesby Vincenzo Vela.

Villa Ala Ponzoni is an 18th-century palazzothat was built on the site of an older mansion. Vil-la Borgia, built in the first half of the 19th-centu-ry on the site of a (probably) medieval construc-tion, has an age -old park and is now home to thecouncil chamber.

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The Barbiano familyof Belgioioso Este This dynasty, originally fromRomagna, is recorded asearly as the 11th century butreally rose to prominence inthe 14th and 15th centuries,with a number of famousmilitary men, politicians anddiplomats. The family be-came part of the Milan pa-tricianship in 1456 and Lu-dovico (d. 1527) becamegovernor of Milan with thebacking of Emperor CharlesV. T he B arbiano f amily r e-ceived the important Bel-gioioso fief in Lombardy ,turning it into an elegantmansion over the centuries.Throughout the 17th and18th centuries, the familyheld important military andpolitical posts, eventuallybeing granted the title ofprince in 1769. Rinaldo, whocommissioned the villa inVelate, was an imperialchamberlain. Father Alberi-co XII was an imperial coun-sellor, general, a Knight ofthe Golden Fleece and ofthe Iron Crown, first prefectof the Brera Academy, anda friend of numerous artistsand writers. Uncle Ludovi-co, another lover of the arts,followed the diplomatic ca-reer path, becoming deputygovernor of the AustrianNetherlands (1784-87).

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CamparadaMunicipal website: www.comunecamparada.it


This municipality lies in the countryside of the Col-li Briantei P ark, which combines wooded zones

with farm land and sits on the b order with theprovince of Lecco. It consists of a number of districts(Masciocco, Masciocchino, Cabella, Torre, Valmoraand California), with all of them enjoying a view ofthe Alpine foothills. T he first recorded evidence ofthe town is from 1399. A number of important andstately families from Milan were feudal lords of thisarea, including the V isconti, Se ccoborella (1475),Casati and T rotti families. T he actual municipalitywas instituted in 186 0. In 1865, it was annexed toLesmo by royal decree, but it later became au -tonomous once more.

The presence of places like the Cascina Ma -sciocco, with the annexed Oratory of S. R occo(home to the festival bearing the same name) and thesmall church of the Beata Vergine del Carmelo, areindications of the farming vocation this land.

Parco dei ColliBrianteiThe Colli Briantei Park cov-ers an impressive 550 ha ly-ing between the V alle delLambro Park and the Mol-gora Park. This zone ismarked by the first rises inthe landscape in the east-ern Brianza area and it is animportant part of the ‘Milanecological network’. Theland itself is a combinationof woodland and farming ar-eas. The two branches ofthe Molgora River are cen-tral to the environment here,as they run through the eastand w est se ctions o f t hepark. Indeed, the whole areais made up of cross valleysand plateaux (V alfredda,Valfazzola), thus enrichingthe local plant and animallife. The final sections of thepark i nclude t he w etlandsaround Laghettone andLaghettino, two lakes in theBernate forests. The parkhas numerous activities:environmental education,walking and mountain bik-ing trails, picnic areas andagritourisms.

The modern look of the Cascina Masciocco


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LesmoMunicipal website: www.lesmo.org


L esmo lies to the east of Monza Park, on the bor-der with the area where the famous racetrac k is

located (indeed, one of the corners b ears the townname). There is evidence of a settlement in the P e-gorino valley in the 1st century B C. In the 5th/6thcentury, a stronghold with a tower was built on theGernetto hill to defend the L ambro valley. The ter-ritory then became part of the Martesana county. In1449, during the war between Milan and Venice, thecommander of the troops of the Ambrosian Repub-lic, Iacopo Piccinino, was ambushed and defeated byFrancesco Sforza’s men as he made his way throughthe Peregallo woods. In 1475, Lesmo (and districts)became part of a fief ruled by the Seccoborella fam-ily, who held it until 1733 when it passed into thehands of the T rotti family. Until the middle of the20th century, the economy was largely based onfarming, leaving traces like the Brughiera and V ari-ona farmhouses at Peregallo. Later, silkworms be-came a major component of the local economy .Many locals also worked in the cotton mills at Foladi Peregallo, which is now a site of arc haeologicalinterest. Various important residential buildings are

ried with the help of Friar Lorenzo (a her-mit at S. Maria delle Selve), who acted asan intermediary between the families. Allseemed well for a while, but then GianGuidotto was killed by Guido de’ Peregal-li, a relative of Rosa. The latter , wrackedby grief, agreed to drink poison given toher by Gasparino de’ Lesmi, thus bring-ing her life to a tragic end. According tothe tradition, the tomb stones of the twolovers were kept until the 18th century.

In the 19th century, a legend arose abouta dramatic love story , supposedly fromthe 14th century , involving two lovers –Peregallo and Lesmo – whose surnamesbecame the town names. Two rival fami-lies – the Peregalli family from Peregalloand the Lesmi from Lesmo – lived nearBosco Bello (in the Monza Park). Rosawas a member of the former , while GianGuidotto was part of the latter. They se-cretly fell in love and decided to get mar-

A romantic legend from Brianza

Out of interest

VIlla Simonetta Rapazzini


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dotted around the territory. In the heart of the actu-al town, you find Villa Ratti Fenaroli (19th cent.) andthe 2 0th-century Villa Sala-Cega , Villa Fontana-Novecento and Villa Frattini-T remolada. VillaBelvedere, in the California district, is from the 17thcentury and was once owned by the poet CarloMaria Maggi. Gerno is home to the most notable res-idence, known as Villa Mellerio Somaglia or Ger-netto. It was built in the last quarter of the 18th cen-tury and enlarged at the b eginning of the next cen-tury by the Mellerio family. This Neoclassical build-ing is scenically located ab ove the L ambro valley.There is a watchtower built over a Renaissance for-tification. The villa (private) has a terraced Italian gar-den. The actual villa and the annexed Oratory of S.Carlo house some sculptures by Antenore Fabris.Peregallo is home to Villa Simonetta Rapazzini (pri-vate), built in the late 17th century but redone in Neo-classical style in the early 19th century . The, land-scaped park conserves the ruins of a Coffee House,turned into a small oratory in the early 2 0th centu-ry. There are also old caves where a spring bubblesto the surface. This is the source of the Ghiringhel-la, which was a watercourse that once ran as far asAgrate. Massimo D’Azeglio – a friend of Emilio Ra-pazzini – stayed in the villa on numerous occasions.Villa Mattioli V ismara Mazzoleni was built in thelate 19th century by Savoy minister Giuseppe Mat-tioli. It is in neo-R ococo style and was constructedover an 18th-century residence.

The parish church of S. Maria Assunta, record-ed as early as the 13th century, was redone and en-larged in the 18th and 19th centuries and then re -consecrated in 1907. Gerno is the setting for the 18th-century parish church of S. Carlo. The small churchof S. Antonio in Peregallo once belonged to the com-plex run by the Minim Friars of St. Francis of Paola.The parish church, dedicated to the Annunciation,in Peregallo is newish (196 9-1992). It was designedby Francesco Cetti Serb elloni and has works byBruno Chersicla. The church of the Presentazionedi Gesù (1964), in the California district, is namedafter emigrants returning from the United States.

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Famous people Giacomo Mellerio (Domo -dossola, 1777-Milan 1847),closely t ied to t he V iennaimperial court, was theGrand Chancellor of Vene-tian Lombardy from 1814 to1819. A devout catholic, heused a portion of his wealthfor charitable works. Hestarted with where he wasborn, leaving various dona-tions in his will, including fora junior school for girls anda high school for the clas-sics. He was also a majorcollector and commission-er of art. He involved Can-toni (1739-1818) in his proj-ects (these fam ilies be-came acquainted when theMellerio family commis-sioned a palazzo in Milanfrom the architect) and alsoasked, in 1811, for AntonioCanova to make memorialstelae for his wife, Elisabet-ta Castelbarco, and uncle,Giambattista Mellerio, plac-ing them in the Gernochapel in 1814. T oday, fol-lowing the ‘dispersion’ ofthe v illa’s f urnishings(1978), they are owned bythe Sicilian regional govern-ment. Other illustrious lo-cals include: Gaetano Casati,a great traveller and explor-er in Africa, born in 1838 inthe Boffalora district; andPasquale Morganti (1853-1921), Bishop of Bobbio(1902), and Archbishop ofRavenna (1904) and Cervia(1909).


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ArcoreMunicipal website: www.comune.arcore.mi.it

Pro Loco: piazza S. Pertini 28. Tel.: 0396013383 Website: www.prolocoarcore.it E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Monza: 7.5 km. Distance from Milan: 24 km. Map reference: D 5

The oldest documents discovered date from the9th century and record donations to the local

churches by the people from "Vico Arcole" or "Lo-co Arculi", which lay on the left side of the L am-bro valley. From the Middle A ges on, Arcore b e-longed to the Vimercate country church and fiefand was, as such, tied to the fortunes of Vimercate.Interestingly, in the Middle A ges, there were alsotwo monasteries in the area: a Benedictine one, S.Martino, and one belonging to the order of the Hu-miliati of St. Apollinaire (the oratory b earing thesame name still exists). From the 16th century, thetown became a holiday destination and rural estatefor many noble Milanese families who built out-standing residences here. The most notable of theseis probably Villa Giulini Casati Stampa, which hasbecome known as Villa S. Martino since it was pur-chased by Silivio Berlusconi in the 19 80s. He hasused the villa not only as his home, but also as theheadquarters of his business empire and a favouredmeeting location since his entrance into politics(1994). The current layout dates from 1 713 when

From the farm to the fork

The F.lli Mapelli farm (CascinaMisurato, via Cascina Mis-urato 30, tel. 328 4148160,Annamaria) breeds pigs andcharolaise, Limousine andBelgian Blue cows as wellas breeds of Italian dairycows. The animals, fed withhome produce, are slaugh-tered on the farm. The farmshop sells pork, beef, poul-try, eggs and cured meats.

Villa Borromeo D’Adda and, left, a detail from the Pietà by Vincenzo Vela

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the 8th-century monastery of S. Martino was re-done and incorporated into the villa. In the sec-ond half of the 18th century, Count Giorgio Giuli-ni gave it a N eoclassical taste, creating the typi-cal U shape facing the town centre. The vast cen-tury-old park stretches almost as far as the Lam-bro River and contains a N eoclassical lemon-house. The Villa passed to the Cas ati family in1840 through marriage and this family went onto play a prominent role in Arcore in the 19th and20th centuries. Camillo (18 05-1869) was a localcouncillor who backed the building of the Mon-za and L ecco railway . Aless andro (18 81-1955),once Minister of Education and a good friend ofBenedetto Croce, was involved in the partisanfight a gainst N azism a nd Fascism. Many localswere involved in the attac ks on the airfield andthe Valaperta massacre.

One of the oldest buildings in Arcore is VillaCazzola (private). This 16th-century construction isbased on an older building and was used as a hunt-ing lodge before being modified by the Durini fam-ily in 16 30 and in 1812, using a project by CarloAmati. In the final decade of the 19th century, dur-ing major restoration work, the chapel was built us-ing a project by the brothers Fausto and GiuseppeBagatti Valsecchi. It is surrounded by a wonderfullandscaped garden that has 18th-century elements.

The scenically located Villa Borromeo D’Addais the result of an eclectic-rococo transformation(1840-1845) by Giuseppe Balzaretti of an 18th-century building owned by the D’Adda family. The

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Fair and Palio of S. Eustorgio In September, during thesecond weekend of themonth, the feast of the pa-tron saint is held. It is or-ganised by the local ProLoco in collaboration withthe municipal administra-tion and some local asso-ciations. Marching bandsand traditional dancegroups are all actively in-volved. The event includes:photographic exhibitions,games for children, tastingof traditional foods and thePalio dei Rioni, dedicatedto games from bygonetimes, including tug-of-warand a wheelbarrow race.The winning district isawarded a standard by themayor. There are otherevents at the parish churchof S. Eustorgio: religiousceremonies, theatre, musi-cal evenings and fireworks.

Villa Borromeo D’Adda, the chapel: dome and monuments by Vincenzo Vela


EasternBrianza


villa was completed in 1880 by Emilio Alemagna,who also designed the garden now open to thepublic. The whole complex has belonged to themunicipality since 19 80. The entrance buildings,currently housing the municipal offices, were oncethe wings of the lower villa. T he central part wasknocked down in the middle of the 19th centuryto create the entrance facing the town. It is worthnoting the neo-Renaissance c hapel topped by adome. It was built by Balzaretti on the orders ofMarquis Giovanni D’Adda after his young wife died(1849). It houses the Pietà and the monumentalshrine of Maria di Isimbardi by Vincenzo Vela (ca.1853) from the Ticino canton.

There are other interesting buildings, suc h asPalazzo Durini, in Bernate, Villa Buttafava, built atthe end of the 18th century and now a residence,and the eclectic Villa Ravizza. The latter is famousfor its Italian garden designed by Mansueto Raviz-za, with the help of the arc hitect Ludovico Bel-gioioso (1920). The garden is a sort of ‘period’ re-construction of a baroque garden. It is b eautifullyterraced and decorated with a f light of steps, stat-ues and wrought-iron decorations, dotted amongsome lovely plants.

The parish church of S. Eustorgio was firstrecorded in the 13th century, although the build-ing is from the 18th century. The façade was redonein t he e arly d ecades o f t he 1 9th c entury. Inside,there is furniture from the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Italian garden at Villa Ravizza, designed in 1920 in neo-baroque style

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CaponagoMunicipal website: www.comune.caponago.mi.it

Distance from Monza: 9.5 km. Distance from Milan: 21,4 km Map reference: E 5

Caponago is located on the left bank of the Mol-gora River, 7 km from V imercate. It was prob-

ably founded by the Romans and is mentioned forthe first time in the will of the Milan BishopAnspert da Biassono (8 74). In 14 32, the Crivellifamily became the landowners, maintaining posses-sion until the 18th century. In 1896, Senator LuigiSimonetta opened a building for isolating cases ofinfectious diseases that was later named Ospedalet-to. It was amongst the first buildings entirely madeof concrete.

The parish church of S. Giuliana is worth a vis-it. It was first altered in 1581-1584 and was then re-built between 1738 and 1742 using a project by thearchitect Carlo Giuseppe Merlo. He used an unusu-al elliptical shape, drawing inspiration from contem-porary examples in Austria and Bavaria. T he fres-coes, from 1895, are by Antonio De Grada. P artialalterations a nd e nlargements w ere u ndertaken i n1939/40. The organ (1768) by Antonio F ontana isvery valuable and was restored in 1896. The churchof S. Giorgio is another interesting religious build-ing, probably dating from the 9th century. It hassome 14th century traces. The chapel of S. Vigiliohas ancient origins and was turned into a lepercolony during plague outbreak of 15 76. In the oldcentre, Palazzo Prata Galbiati has been home to theTown Hall since 1962. It is a beautiful building withprecious 18th-century decorations. Palazzo Cagliois an interesting holiday residence that eventuallypassed into the hands of the Counts Volta. The orig-inal core of Villa Simonetta-Arcidini is 16th centu-ry, but its current appearance is 19th century . It issaid that Cardinal Charles Borromeo stayed hereduring his pastoral visit in 15 84.

The first balloonOn 13 March 1784, CountPaolo Andreasi, with twotechnicians, Gaetano Rossiand Giuseppe Barzago, un-dertook the first trip in Italyin a balloon. He left fromVilla Moncucco and landedsafely in the countrysidebetween Carugate andCaponago. Cardinal Ange-lo Durini even drafted aleaflet to celebrate thisachievement.

Tomaso da Caponago He lived in the 15th centu-ry and was a famous jurist.He is famous for ordering,in 1448, the following in-scription to be placed onthe stairs of the then Courtof Milan (Broletto Nuovo inpiazza dei Mercanti): "liti-gations are the ruin forboth litigants".


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Cornate d’AddaMunicipal website: www.comune.cornatedadda.mi.it

Pro Loco: via Volta, 29 c/o Town HallWebsite: www.cornatedadda.eu E-mail: [email protected]

Distance from Monza: 20 km. Distance from Milan: 33.3 km. Map reference: D 6

P aolo Diacono in his Historia Langobardorum re-calls the battle b etween Alac hi’s armies and

King Cunibert in Cornate (609). The archaeologi-cal excavations in the Villa Paradiso district broughtto light a dozen Lombard tombs from the 7th/8thcentury, on the site of a rural roman villa (1st cent.AD). Finds from the 5th century in the Rocchettaarea suggest that a R oman settlement once stoodon this land. This was confirmed in 2 005 when anecropolis was found in the Cascina Preti district.The items recovered from here on are conservedby the Sovrintendenza per i Beni Arc heologici inMilan. A tomb, dating from the 3rd century BC,and a funerary urn from the s ame period are ondisplay in Cornate’s Town Hall. In 15 38, the landwas given as a fief to Marquis P agano d’Adda andthen to the Moroni Stampa and V imercati Sozzifamilies. The town maintained its rural vocation un-til the end of the 19th century, when two powerplants – Bertini and Esterle – were built. These act-ed as the main drivers for industrialisation, provid-ing electricity for Milan. Cornate became an inde-

NaviglioThe Naviglio (canal) knownas " Paderno" w as d e-signed b y L eonardo d aVinci f or L udovico t heMoor in 1482 to enable theAdda to be crossed at TreCorni. It was only openedin 1777, under the reign ofMaria Theresa of Austriaand the supervision ofPietro Nosetti. It is about 6km long and has 7 basins:a major "water staircase"designed by Leonardo whocaptured the landscape ofthe Adda in his most fa-mous paintings.

The church of S. Giuseppe at Porto d’Adda and, right, Villa Sandroni in Colnago

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pendent municipality in 1870 (combined with thedistricts of Colnago and P orto). The history ofthese districts is somewhat detac hed from that ofthe main town. Porto’s existence was documentedin the 12th/13th century. Located near a ford ofthe Adda River, it was of strategic importance be-cause, from 1428 to 1797, it was on the border be-tween the realms of Venice and Milan.

The parish church of S. Giorgio, which under-went major changes in the last quarter of the 16thcentury, was enlarged in 1771 and in 1873-1887 wasreduced to a nave and two aisles by Felice Monzi-ni. The parish c hurch also had some importantpaintings, such as the Visitation by Camillo Procac-cini (on loan from the Brera Gallery in Milan) anda 17th-century St. Francis of Assisi being comforted byan Angel . The Neoclassical St. Joseph is said to b ethe work of the sculptor Pompeo Marchesi. It is al-so worth seeing Villa Biffi Sormani , designed byCarlo Amati (1802-1804) and the 18th-century Vil-la Comi, redone in the 19th century.

The Sanctuary of the Madonna della Roc-chetta sits on a roc ky outcrop. T he church wasbuilt in 1386 by the physicist Beltrando Cornatese,who invited the hermit friars of St. Augustine to thelocation. This order, though, occupied the site foronly a few decades, because, at the beginning of the15th century, Filippo Maria Visconti turned it intoa fort, but left the church intact.

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Parco Adda NordThe Adda Nord Park is a na-ture reserve that was insti-tuted in 1983. It follows theAdda valley for about 54 km,from north to south, fromLake Lecco to Truccazzano(and the border with the Ad-da Sud Park). The total areais 7,437 ha. It includes somelarge wooded areas, filledwith lush vegetation and nu-merous water species, birdsand even terrestrial animals.It also has its fair share of ar-chaeological elements, suchas remnants from the Cluni-ac monks (farmhouses andmonasteries), Renaissancehydraulic works (Leonardo’slocks), noble villas, and ex-amples of industrial archae-ology (Paderno bridge, theCrespi d’Adda model work-ers village, spinning mills andfactories). The raised tow-path, now a cycle path, runsalong the r iver f rom Leccoto T rezzo sull’Adda (andthen on to Milan along theMartesana canal) is an idealway to explore the key partsof the park easily and calm-ly. The park also offers guideservices, bicycle hire andboat trips (rubber ducks andon the Addarella, an ecolog-ical boat that has zero envi-ronmental impact). For info:Adda Nord Park, Villa Gina,via Benigno Calvi 3, Conce-sa district, tel. 0292273118,www.visitadda.com

On the Adda on the Addarella


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In the Villa Paradiso district, a Jesuit college wasbuilt in the second half of the 17th century. This re-mained until the suppression of the order in 1773.The block of buildings has been altered substantial-ly, but the small church of S. Ignazio di Loyola(18th cent.) has survived largely intact.

In Colnago, there are two medieval towers (re-done on various occasions) and Villa Sandroni ,built in the mid-1 7th century and refurbished inabout 1860. A stone column in front of the parishchurch of S. Aless andro records the plague yearsof 1628-30.

In the Porto d’Adda district, you can see VillaMonzini, which was first recorded in the mid-16thcentury. The annexed chapel of S. Nicola has afresco that is in the style of Luini. T he parishchurch of S. Giuseppe was completed in 1937 us-ing a project by Giovanni Maggi. The bell towerwas designed by Oreste Scanavini. T he interior isdecorated with Stories of the Old and New Testamentsby Vanni Rossi (1940-45) from Bergamo.

produced more powerthan anywhere else in theworld, bar those drivenby the mighty NiagaraFalls in the United States.In 1914, a little further

downstream, the Esterle power plant wasconstructed and it is now an excellent ex-ample of industrial archaeology , recall-ing the Lombard Renaissance. The twoplants (not open to the public, but visi-ble from outside) lie along the Adda, offthe tow path. From Porto d’Adda Inferi-ore, head along via XXV Aprile and fol-low the signs for the river (‘Al fiume’) andthen head along the unpaved road. Nextto the Bertini plant, there is a museum,in a small building, that illustrates the his-tory of the Edison company. The Cornated’Adda (www.cornatedadda.eu) sectionof Pro Loco organises guided tours ofthe power plants and museums as wellas trips along the river.

The series of power sta-tions along the banks ofthe Adda are an excellentindication of engineeringwork from the beginningof the last century . Thepower stations, originally created in thelate 19th and early 20th centuries by pri-vate industrialists, have long ceased tomeet local power demands, necessitatingthe building of an Enel power station alongthe Adda. This does not mean, though,that the old power stations are no longerused and, in addition, some of them caneven be visited by the public. Porto d’Ad-da, which is a district of Cornate, is hometo two of the earliest plants built by theEdison company along the Adda River:the Esterle and Bertini power plants. TheBertini power plant , in action since 1898,was built by Edison to supply Milan withpower following the construction of thetram network. At the time, its turbines

Out of interest

Ecomuseo Adda di Leonardo Ecomuseo Adda di Leonar-do’s remit is much morethan a simple museum: it isdesigned to ensure thematerial and immaterial cul-tural heritage of the AddaRiver, from Imbersago-V il-la d’Adda to Cassanod’Adda, i s f ully ex ploitedin a positive and sustain-able manner by promotingthoughtful tourism and lo-cal communities as wellas developing relationswith other eco-museums.This e co-museum h as atrail, exploring the natureand culture tied to the riv-er. It runs through 10 mu-nicipalities and can be doneeither on foot or by bike.For info : tel. 029091229,www.addadileonardo.it

The Porto d’Adda power plant

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RoncelloMunicipal website: www.comune.roncello.mi.it

Website: www.prolocoroncello.it E-mail: [email protected] from Monza: 18 km. Distance from Milan: 30.4 km

Map reference: D 6

Until recently this town, lying a few kilometres fromthe right bank of the A dda, was a farming area.

The oldest recorded mention of this town is in thewill of “vir magnificus” Roberto di Agrate (745). It islikely that there was a Humiliati complex here in theMiddle Ages. Some sources suggest that a castle –or at least a fortified building – once stood in the areato the north of the Cascina Gallo, near Rio Vallone,heading towards Bellusco. There is also document-ed evidence of the Benedictine convent of S. Michele,which must have existed until at least the middle ofthe 14th century in the Borgonovo zone. In the 16thcentury, there were three noble families that livedpermanently here: the Da Vimercate, Guizzardi andDa Balsamo families. In 1538, it was granted as a fiefto Pagano d’Adda. In 1652, along with Busnago, itpassed into the hands of the Sc hiaffinati family andthen, in 1756, to the Alamagna.

The old centre still has some 16th-century ele-ments, both in the way the streets are laid out andin the set up of the houses. T he church of Ss. Am-brogio e Carlo is recorded even earlier than the 11thcentury. It was rebuilt in 1863 and then consecratedin 1901. It only became an autonomous parish (sep-arate from Busnago) in 18 85 and, indeed, muc h ofthe town’s history is ‘shared’ with Busnago. T hesmall church of SS. Salvatore is from the secondhalf of the 18th century.

Famous people The footballer Paolo Puliciis from Roncello. This at-tacker was born on 27April 1950 and, togetherwith Francesco Graziani,formed a formidable at-tacking partnership. Thesetwo were responsible, inno small part, for h elpingTorino to win the cup in1970/71 and the league in1975/76.

Roncello’s parish church

Panoramic view of the Roncello countryside



BusnagoMunicipal website: www.comune.busnago.mi.it


The town lies on the plain, between the Adda andthe Molgora, in the A dda Park. It might have

been a R oman military settlement, but the firstdocumented evidence of the commune's name isa deed listing the possessions of the Bishop of Mi-lan, Anspert (8 73). Gothofredus de Bussero'sChronica mentions both the church of S. Pietro andof S. Giovanni Evangelista. In 1538, the fief of Bus-nago was granted to the D'A dda family. In 1652,it passed into the hands of the Schiaffinati family,who in 1865, through a diploma issued by theKing of Spain, became Counts of Roncello andBusnago. In 1756, it b ecame the property of theAlemagnas.

The Germani tower has some 13th-centurysections and was, probably, one of the four defen-sive elements that, from the 12th century on, weresupposed to have encircled the town.

The parish church of S. Giovanni Evangelistawas rebuilt in about 1774 by Giovanni Cattaneo andconsecrated in 1814. It houses some 18th-centurypaintings. The lovely Palazzo Porro-Schiaffinati ,housing the T own Hall, is 18th century . VillaRadice-Scotti was built in the early 19th centuryand was later used for the Busnago college for boys.

Palazzo Porro-Schiaffinati, now the Town Hall

Festival in Busnago Sfilata dei Magi (parade ofthe Wisemen), Epiphany:the traditional event in-volves a parade through thetown's streets that ends onthe parvis in front of theparish church.Feast of St. Anne on 26 Ju-ly: this is the feast of thetown's patron saint and in-volves religious eventsand an evening proces-sion. There are also gamesand entertainment foradults and children alike onthe main square (jumpingcastles, theatre, old-fash-ioned sports). Feudo in Festa, end of Sep-tember: this historical pag-eant takes one back to1471 and the investiture ofPino Ortodossi as gover-nor of some holdings inRomagna. It is organisedby the “Torre dei Germani”flag-throwers of Busnago.There are also various din-ners, using local products,that are held in the differ-ent town districts and theflag-throwers themselvesparade through the town inmedieval garb.

Agrate BrAicurzioAlbiate 9Architect

Casa RCasa VChurch155Iron brParish – S. GiParish 155Palazzo– TerraRAI TSchoolTorri B

Arcore 15Industrial

CartierFola diFornacManifaMolinoMulinoPiazza Porto d

BarlassinaBelluscoBernaregBesana inBiassonoBovisio MBriosco 7BrugherioBurago dBusnagoCamparadCaponagoCarate BrCarnate 1CavenagoCeriano LCesano MChurches

Abbey BaptistBasilica– Ss. Si– S. SteBeata VCappelCasa DChapel– S. Ro– St. R(San FiChapel– Our

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Index of places


Agrate Brianza 132Aicurzio 144Albiate 99Architecture (20th cent.)

Casa Rossini (Briosco) 80Casa Vegni (Barlassina) 46Church of the Presentazione di Gesù (California)155Iron bridge (Bernareggio) 147Parish church of Passirano (Carnate) 150– S. Giuseppe (Porto d’Adda) 160, 162Parish church of the Annunciazione (P eregallo)155Palazzo Cassa Rurale e Artigiana (Barlassina) 4 6– Terragni (Lissone) 110RAI TV Broadcasting (Monza) 25Schools in via Colombo (Barlassina) 46Torri Bianche (Vimercate) 120

Arcore 156Industrial and historical areas

Cartiera Villa (Briosco) 80Fola di Peregallo (Lesmo) 155Fornace Pizzi (Cogliate) 43Manifattura Caprotti (Ponte Albiate) 97Molino Bassi (Sovico) 102 Mulino Ronchi Peregallo (Briosco) 79Piazza Frette (Sovico) 102Porto d’Adda power plant 162

Barlassina 45Bellusco 138Bernareggio 146Besana in Brianza 83Biassono 104Bovisio Masciago 59Briosco 79Brugherio 33Burago di Molgora 134Busnago 164Camparada 153Caponago 159Carate Brianza 87Carnate 149Cavenago di Brianza 135Ceriano Laghetto 44Cesano Maderno 55Churches and religious buildings

Abbey of S. Benedetto (Seregno) 73Baptistery of S. Giovanni (Agliate) 88Basilica of Ss. Pietro e Paolo (Agliate) 87, 88, 89– Ss. Siro e Materno (Desio) 6 9– S. Stefano (Vimercate) 117, 121, 122Beata Vergine del Carmelo (Camparada) 153Cappella Espiatoria (Monza) 23Casa Don Bosco Martire (Triuggio) 95Chapel of S. Nicola (Porto d’Adda) 162– S. Rocco (Muggiò) 112, 113– St. Roch and the souls of Purgatory (San Fiorano) 129Chapel of the Madonna del Rosario (Birago) 48– Our Lady of Sorrow (Ornago) 137

Church of the Immacolata e Tre Fanciulli (Fornaci) 80– Madonna del Castano (Muggiò) 113– Madonna di Caravaggio (Verano in Brianza) 94– Vecchia (Sovico) 101Collegiate church of S. Giuseppe (Seregno) 72,73Convent of S. Francesco (Oreno) 126– S. Francesco (Vimercate) 124– S. Lorenzo (Vimercate) 122Duomo di S. Giovanni Battista (Monza) 9, 13, 14Morte di Ruginello (Vimercate) 127New Church (Sovico) 102New S. Stefano (Cesano Maderno) 57Old S. Stefano (Cesano Maderno) 57Oratory of the Addolorata (Ruginello) 127– Assunta (Lissone) 110

– Beata Vergine Assunta (Grugnotorto) 67– Madonna (Mocchirolo) 48– Ss. Gervaso e Protaso (Bernareggio) 14 6– Ss. Nazaro e Celso (Montesiro) 86– Ss. Rocco e Sebastiano (Seregno) 73Oratory of S. Ambrogio (Sulbiate) 14 3– S. Anna (Cascina Maldura, Bareggia) 10 3– S. Antonio Abate (Vimercate) 123– S. Carlo (Gerno, Lesmo) 155– S. Carlo (Lissone) 110– S. Carlo (Seregno) 73– S. Cassiano (Macherio) 103– S. Croce (Passirano) 150– S. Francesco (Limbiate) 62– S. Francesco Saverio (Copreno) 48– S. Gerolamo (Mezzago) 140– S. Gregorio (Monza) 17– S. Margherita (Cascina Torrette) 103– S. Michele (Bruscò) 78– S. Stefano (Lentate sul Seveso) 47– S. Vincenzo (Cimnago) 48Provost church of Carate 88Rotonda (Tregasio) 96Sanctuary of Campegorino (Aicurzio) 145– S. Fermo (Albiate) 99– S. Maria Assunta (Ponte di Rancate) 96– S. Maria della Frasca (Cesano Maderno) 58 – S. Maria delle Grazie (Monza) 18– S. Mauro (Copreno) 48– S. Valeria (Seregno) 73Sanctuary of the Beata V ergine del L azzaretto(Ornago) 137– Beata Vergine di Caravaggio (Lazzate) 39– Madonna dei Vignaioli (Seregno) 73– Madonna del Carmelo (Usmate Velate) 152– Madonna del Rosario (Vimercate) 121– Madonna della Brughiera (Biassono) 106– Madonna della Rocchetta (Cornate d’Adda) 161– Misericordia (Vedano al Lambro) 108S. Agata (Ornago) 137S. Alessandro (Copreno) 48S. Alessandro (Villasanta) 129S. Ambrogio (Brugherio) 34S. Ambrogio ad Nemus (Ronco Briantino) 148S. Anastasia (Villasanta) 129S. Andrea (Aicurzio) 145S. Anna (Agrate Brianza) 132

Index of places


Lentate sLesmo 15Libraries

ArchivLibraryLocal a

LimbiateLissone 1MacherioMeda 49MezzagoMisinto 4Monume

MonumWar MWar M

Monza 9Monza AMuggiò 1Museums

DuomoEcomuMuseoMuseoMuseoMuseo(BovisiMuseoMuseoRossinSmall mSwatch

Nova MilOrnago 1Palazzos,

ArengaBorromBridge Casa CCasa dCasa GCasa SCastel CollegiDa CoGermaHospitLampuLazzarLeoni bMombPalazzo– Arch– Arese– Arese– Barag– Bola112– Bossi– Brusa– Cagli– Carc– degli– di Gi

A provinceto be

explored


S. Anna (Brugherio) 34S. Antonino (Sulbiate) 143S. Antonino Martire (Nova Milanese) 66, 67S. Antonino Martire (Triuggio) 95S. Antonio (Concorezzo) 130, 131S. Antonio (Peregallo, Lesmo) 155S. Apollinare (Desio) 71S. Bartolomeo (Brugherio) 33S. Bernardo (Cascina Meda) 67S. Bernardo (Misinto) 41S. Carlo (Gerno, Lesmo) 155S. Caterina d’Alessandria (Besana in Brianza) 85S. Damiano (Cogliate) 42, 43S. Desiderio Martire (Correzzana) 98Seminario Minore (Seveso) 52, 53S. Eugenio (Concorezzo) 131S. Eurosia (Canonica) 97S. Eurosia (Cesano Maderno) 58S. Eusebio (Agrate Brianza) 132S. Eustorgio (Arcore) 158S. Felice chapel (Usmate Velate) 152S. Francesco (Vimercate) 124S. Gerardo al Corpo (Monza) 17S. Giorgio (Caponago) 159S. Giorgio (Cornate d’Adda) 161S. Giorgio (Limbiate) 62S. Giorgio (San Giorgio al L ambro) 106S. Giovanni Evangelista (Busnago) 164S. Giuliana (Caponago) 159S. Giuliana (Muggiò) 113S. Giulio (Campo) 136S. Giulio d’Orta (Barlassina) 45, 4 6S. Ignazio di Loyola (Villa Paradiso) 162S. Lorenzo (Lazzate) 39S. Margherita (Brugherio) 34S. Margherita (Usmate Velate) 151S. Maria (Cavenago di Brianza) 136S. Maria (Desio) 71S. Maria Assunta (Lesmo) 155S. Maria Assunta (Mezzago) 140, 141S. Maria Assunta (Ruginello) 127S. Maria Assunta (Usmate Velate) 152S. Maria del Carrobiolo alle Umiliate (Monza) 13S. Maria della Neve (Canonica) 97S. Maria delle Selve (Vedano al Lambro) 108S. Maria in Strada (Monza) 12S. Maria Nascente (Bernareggio) 146, 147S. Maria Nascente (Meda) 51S. Martino (Bellusco) 139S. Martino (Biassono) 104, 106S. Martino (Bovisio Masciago) 59S. Martino (Veduggio con Colzano) 78S. Maurizio (Monza) 16S. Mauro Abate (Renate) 81S. Michele (Oreno) 126S. Pancrazio (Bovisio Masciago) 59, 60S. Pietro (Agrate Brianza) 132S. Pietro (Sulbiate) 143S. Pietro Martire (Monza) 13S. Siro (Misinto) 41S. Stefano (Capriano) 74S. Stefano (Vedano al Lambro) 108S. Vito (Lentate sul Seveso) 48S. Vittore (Ceriano Laghetto) 44

S. Vittore (Meda) 49, 50S. Zenone (Omate, Agrate Brianza) 132Ss. Ambrogio e Carlo (Roncello) 163Ss. Ambrogio e Simpliciano (Carate Brianza) 8 9Ss. Cornelio e Capriano (Carnate) 15 0Ss. Cosma e Damiano (Concorezzo) 130Ss. Cosma e Damiano (Limbiate) 6 2Ss. Donato e Carporforo (Renate) 81, 82Ss. Filippo e Giacomo (Giussano) 91Ss. Gervaso e Protasio (Seveso) 5 4Ss. Gervaso e Protaso (Macherio) 103Ss. Gervaso e Protaso (Tregasio) 95, 96Ss. Gervaso e Protaso (Vergo Zoccorino) 86Ss. Immacolata e Bartolomeo (Villanova) 146Ss. Nazaro e Celso (Meda) 51Ss. Nazaro e Celso (Verano in Brianza) 94Ss. Pietro e Paolo (Brugora, Montesiro) 86Ss. Pietro e Paolo (Lissone) 110Ss. Pietro e Paolo (Muggiò) 112Ss. Pietro e Paolo (Varedo) 64Ss. Pietro, Marcellino e Erasmo (Besana inBrianza) 84, 85Ss. Quirico e Giulitta (Camnago) 4 8SS. Salvatore (Roncello) 163Ss. Vito e Modesto 134St. John the Evangelist (Albiate) 99Verri chapel (Ornago) 137

Cogliate 42Concorezzo 130Cornate d’Adda 160Correzzana 98Courtyards and mills

Courtyards of Bellusco 139Curt de Barus (Muggiò) 113Curt di quaranta martir (Muggiò) 113Curt nova (Muggiò) 113Mills of San Giorgio al L ambro (Biassono) 106Mulino del Cantone (Monza) 24Mulino di Occhiate (Brugherio) 35

Desio 69Farmhouses (Cascine)

– Baraggia 134– Borella (Ornago) 137– Canzi (Sovico) 102– Cavallera (Oreno) 127– Caviana (Verano in Brianza) 93, 94– Comasina (Verano in Brianza) 94– Faipò (Muggiò) 113– Farga (Seveso) 54– Greppi (Sovico) 102– Magana 134– Masciocco (Camparada) 153– Mulini Asciutti (Monza) 25– Orobona (Mezzago) 140– Prati (Muggiò) 113– Regondella (Correzzana) 98– S. Ambrogio (Brugherio) 34– S. Fedele (Monza) 25– S. Giuliana (Muggiò) 113– S. Nazaro (Bellusco) 139– Virginia (Sovico) 102– Visconti (Sovico) 102

Giussano 90Lazzate 39


Index of places


Lentate sul Seveso 47Lesmo 154Libraries and cultural centres

Archivio della Memoria (Nova Milanese) 68Library of Furniture and Furnishing (Lissone) 110Local archive (Concorezzo) 131

Limbiate 61Lissone 109Macherio 103Meda 49Mezzago 140Misinto 41Monuments

Monument of Pius XI (Desio) 70, 71War Memorial (Monza) 17War Memorial (Renate) 81

Monza 9Monza Autodromo 26Muggiò 111Museums

Duomo Treasure and museum (Monza) 9, 11Ecomuseo (Nova Milanese) 68Museo Agricolo (Ronco Briantino) 148Museo Civico Carlo Verri (Biassono) 106Museo d’Arte Contemporanea in Lissone 109Museo degli attrezzi per la lavorazione del legno(Bovisio Masciago) 60Museo del Fumetto (Muggiò) 112Museo Galbiati (Brugherio) 35Rossini Collection (Briosco) 80Small museum on local customs (Aicurzio) 145Swatch Museum (Cesano Maderno) 56

Nova Milanese 66Ornago 137Palazzos, villas and historical buildings

Arengario (Monza) 12Borromeo Hunting lodge (Oreno,) 125Bridge of the Grazie Vecchie (Monza) 18Casa Corio (Vimercate) 124Casa di Alessandro Volta (Lazzate) 40Casa Gualtieri (Monza) 12Casa Scanzi (Monza) 16Castel Negrino (Aicurzio) 144Collegio Bosisio (Monza) 16Da Corte castle (Bellusco) 138Germani Tower (Busnago) 164Hospital of Circolo (Vimercate) 125Lampugnani Olgiati castle (Sulbiate) 142Lazzaretto (Cavenago di Brianza) 136Leoni bridge (Monza) 11, 16Mombello Psychiatric Hospital (Limbiate) 61Palazzo Annoni (Capriano, Briosco) 80– Archinti (Mezzago) 140– Arese Borromeo (Cesano Maderno) 55, 57, 58– Arese di Seveso (Cesano Maderno) 55– Baraggia (Sulbiate) 143– Bolagnos Andreani Santambrogio (Muggiò)112– Bossi (Biassono) 105– Brusa (Muggiò) 112– Caglio (Caponago) 159– Carcano Cabiate (Cesano Maderno) 55– degli Studi (Monza) 16– di Giustizia (Monza) 16, 17

– Durini (Bernate, Arcore) 158– Foppa (Oreno) 126– Ghirlanda Silva (Brugherio) 34– Isimbardi (Muggiò) 111– Maggi (Misinto) 41– Mandelli (Vimercate) 123– Porro-Schiaffinati (Busnago) 164– Prata Galbiati Simonetta (Caponago) 15 9– Rasini (Cavenago di Brianza) 135– Rezzonico (Barlassina) 45– Taccona Bertoglio d’Adda (Muggiò) 112– Tomini (Albiate) 99– Trotti (Vimercate) 119, 120Royal waiting room (Monza) 17S. Gerardo bridge (Monza) 12S. Rocco bridge (Vimercate) 117, 123Torre civica (Cesano Maderno) 55Tower-house in via Crispi (Vimercate) 123Tower in Masciago (Bovisio Masciago) 5 9, 60Tower of Barbarossa (Seregno) 72Town gate of Vedano al Lambro108Town Hall (Giussano) 90Town Hall (Monza) 17Town Hall of Agrate 132Town Hall of Villasanta 128, 129Tur (Ceriano Laghetto) 44Villa Agnesi (Valera, Varedo) 64, 65– Ala Ponzoni (Usmate Velate) 152– Alfieri-Perego (Ronco Briantino) 148– Antona Traversi (Meda) 51– Bagatti Valsecchi (Varedo) 64– Baldironi Reati (Lissone) 110– Bazzero Mella (Limbiate) 62– Belvedere (California) 155– Besozzi (Oldaniga) 127– Bianca (Seveso) 54– Biffi Sormani (Cornate d’Adda) 161– Biffi-Rigorini-Colnaghi (Aicurzio) 144– Boffi (Giussano) 92– Bolognos Sormani Andreani (Brugherio) 35– Borella de Sabata (Besana in Brianza) 84– Borgia (Usmate Velate) 152– Borromeo D’Adda (Arcore) 156, 157– Bosisio Castiglioni Rasini (Limbiate) 6 2– Brasca (Mezzago) 141– Brioschi (Ronco Briantino) 148– Buttafava (Arcore) 158– Campello (Albiate) 100– Camperio (Villasanta) 128, 129– Carcassola (Ceriano Laghetto) 44– Casanova (Capriano) 80– Casanova (Vimercate) 123– Casati Stampa di Soncino (Muggiò) 111– Cazzola (Arcore) 157– Clerici (Copreno) 48– Comi (Cornate d’Adda) 161– Crivelli-Sala (Biassono) 105– Crosti Colombo (Nova Milanese) 68– Cusani Confalonieri (Carate Brianza) 89– Cusani Tittoni Traversi (Desio) 71– D’Adda-Salvaterra (Agrate Brianza) 133– De Azzi Lanfranconi 147– De Barzi (Nova Milanese) 68– Dho (Seveso) 54

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A provinceto be

explored


– Dragoni Volta (Besana in Brianza) 85– Erba Odescalchi Scotti (Bovisio Masciago) 59– Filippini (Besana in Brianza) 83, 84– Fiorita (Brugherio) 35– Fontana-Novecento (Lesmo) 155– Fornari Prinetti Banfi (Carnate) 149, 150– Frattini-Tremolada (Lesmo) 155– Gallarati Scotti (Oreno) 126– Giovio della Torre Rossi-Martini (Sovico) 101– Giulini Casati Stampa (Arcore) 156– Jacini (Canonica) 97– Landriani Bonacina (Bernareggio) 147– Litta (Vedano al Lambro)107– Marina (Bovisio Masciago) 60– Mattioli Vismara Mazzoleni (Peregallo) 155– Medici di Marignano (Varedo) 63, 64– Medici Giulini (Briosco) 80– Mellerio Somaglia (Gerno) 155– Melzi (Burago di Molgora) 13 4– Melzi Zoia (Concorezzo) 131– Mirabellino (Monza) 25– Mirabello (Birago) 48– Mirabello (Monza) 24– Molinari Medolago (Limbiate) 62– Monzini (Porto d’Adda) 162– Mylius Oggioni 134– Paravicini (Aicurzio) 145– Pasqualini Malacrida Aceti (Aicurzio) 144, 145– Penati Ferrerio (Burago di Molgora) 134– Peruviana (Seveso) 54– Pusterla Arconati Crivelli (Limbiate) 61, 6 2– Radice-Scotti (Busnago) 164– Raimondi (Lentate sul Seveso) 48– Ratti Fenaroli (Lesmo) 155– Ravizza (Arcore) 158– Reale (Monza) 21– Riva (Misinto) 41– Rovella (Agliate) 89– S. Maria Molgora Paveri (Vimercate) 124, 125– S. Valerio (Albiate) 100– Sacro Cuore (Zuccone San Giovanni) 96– Sagramora (Biassono) 105– Sala-Cega (Lesmo) 155– Sandroni (Colnago) 160, 162– Sartirana (Giussano) 91, 92– Scaccabarozzi (Usmate Velate) 151, 152– Schira-Corneliani (Agrate Brianza) 133– Simonetta Rapazzini (Peregallo) 154, 155– Simonetta-Ardicini (Caponago) 159– Sonzogno Mariani (Bovisio Masciago) 5 9– Sottocasa (Vimercate) 123, 124– Tanzi (Albiate) 100– Tanzi (Bovisio Masciago) 59– Taverna (Canonica) 97

– Teruzzi (Concorezzo) 131– Trivulzio (Capriano, Briosco) 80– Trivulzio (Omate, Agrate Brianza) 133– Trotti Bentivoglio (Verano in Brianza) 93, 94– Valdettaro (Lentate sul Seveso) 48– Verri (Biassono) 105– Vertua (Nova Milanese) 66, 67, 68– Visconti di Modrone (Macherio) 103– Volta-Sannazzaro (Lentate sul Seveso) 48– Zari (Bovisio Masciago) 60– Zendali (Vedano al Lambro) 108

Parks, gardens and nature reservesAdda Nord Park (Cornate d’Adda) 161Aldo Moro Park (Agrate Brianza) 133Boschi di S. Andrea (Misinto) 41Bosco della Cappelletta (Mezzago) 141Bosco delle Querce (Seveso) 54Brianza Centrale Park 30, 32Brughiera Briantea Park 30, 32Colli Briantei Park 30, 32Cavallera Park 32Cavallera Park 32, 130Foppa di S. Damiano (Cogliate) 4 3Groane Park 29Grugnotorto Villoresi Park 31, 32Media Valle del Lambro Park 32Molgora Park 31, 32Monza Park 18, 19Oasi Lipu in Cesano Maderno 29Parco delle Rimembranze (Misinto) 41Parco Est delle Cave 32Rio Vallone Park 31, 32, 136Roccolo di Lazzate 40Roseto in Villa Reale (Monza) 22Stone of Guidino (Besana in Brianza) 86Valle del Lambro Park 29Valletta Park 30, 32Valletta Park (Renate) 82

Railway of Brianza 86Renate 81Roncello 163Ronco Briantino 148Seregno 72Seveso 52Sovico 101Sulbiate 142Triuggio 95Usmate Velate 151Varedo 63Vedano al Lambro 107Veduggio con Colzano 77Verano in Brianza 93Villasanta 128Vimercate 117

Printed by Castelli Bolis Poligrafiche SpA - Cenate Sotto (B G) - Italyin Aprile 2009 - Printed in Italy

Iconographic references. Mario Erlotti: 9, 16, 17, 49 bottom, 50, 59, 60, 93 bottom, 97, 80, 81 left, 88, 93, 98,104, 105 bottom, 102, 128, 153; SPIN 360/Distretto Bioculturale dell’Adda 161, 162. Thanks to the parks andmunicipalities described in the guidebook for providing material.
