Trezzo sull'Adda
Historically the local capital when the Visconti family ruled, and located on the border with the Veneto region, the small town of Trezzo is a sight not to be missed for the tens of thousands of people who cross the Adda every day while driving along the highway between Milan and Bergamo. From the six-lane bridge that passes over the river, you can see the imposing square-based great tower of Trezzo Castle – floodlit at night – and, opposite, on the Bergamo side, both the built-up area of Capriate San Gervasio and, father south, the tall buildings of the extraordinary workers’ village of Crespi d’Adda. Naturally, it is not advisable to drive and admire the views at the same time, but at least the passengers should consider for a few seconds that what they can see from the bridge, among the crags of the Adda, is steeped in history and nature. For those who enjoy browsing and refuse to be hurried, Trezzo has quite a lot to offer visitors. It is not big (the population is around 12,000) but it is full of things to see and pleasant walks. Though a half-day exploration may be enough for a first visit, you will probably feel you want to return maybe hiring a bicycle and peddling along the peaceful banks of the Adda closed to motor vehicles, as far as the spectacular views around the Paderno Canal and beyond.
Useful information
address
via Roma,
5
20056 Trezzo sull'Adda MI
information
telephone +39 02 909331
fax +39 02 90933270
» Go to the site
How to arrive
Find the public transportation and plan the route (The page is available in Italian only)
Notes
The best-known proof of Trezzo’s ancient roots lies in a situla of Celtic origin, that is to say a copper vase with a cover and thin handle, discovered here in the mid-1800s and datable between the IV-III century BC. Today, it is on display in the Civic Archaeological Collections in Milan.
More prominent remains like pottery shards, fragments of bricks, sarcophagus lids and coins from the imperial age provide an image of Trezzo during the Roman era. Even the layout of the historical quarter, square, in the Roman style and with the Santa Marta gate still standing, seems to date back a couple of thousand years.
For the last thirty years or so, the legend that it was Teodolinda herself who called for the building of the first castle in Trezzo has been based on reality, following a rather exceptional archaeological find. Between 1976 and 1978, five Longobard tombs of the VII century came to light near the Cascina San Martino - the only discovery of its kind in a closed, unprofaned area. It was immediately clear that they were the graves of important men from their clothing and the objects buried with them: defensive and offensive weapons, delicately crafted gold ornaments, shreds of richly embroidered fabrics and magnificent seal-rings.
Twenty-five other, similar tombs, though not intact, were discovered a short distance away in the early 1990s. A reconstruction of a Longobard burial can be seen at the Visconti Castle.
IT