Provincia di Milano

Knowing Milan and its province

Castles and villages on the Adda River

The itinerary takes place between higher and lower plains around Milan, towards the Adda river and its park. Upon leaving Milan, we will cross an area that is scantly inhabited, also because of the Linate airport, the Idroscalo with its park. We will reach Segrate, one of the main towns East of Milan. Starting in the 1970s, Segrate has become a location for many corporate offices, particularly in the publishing and IT industries. Residential neighbourhoods such as Milan 2 and San Felice have helped to transform the area's farming heritage. Further South, new urban areas such as Paullese are be built. However, there are still observable traces of history through the castles, forts and ancient villas. Near Peschiera, many logistic and distribution centres serve the airport. Taking advantage of their proximity to the Linate airport. After Paullo, the Parco dell'Adda commences, with forests and poplar groves intermittent across open fields. A winding road along the river acts as a passage through the scarcely built landscape where you spot farmhouses and discover unexpected villages, such as Corneliano Bertario with its Borromeo castle. We will then reach Cassano d'Adda, an ancient strategic control point on the river, rich in historic villas. Returning to Milan on Highway 11. Passing by Inzago, where the Martesana and Villoresi canals originate. Another centre rich in history with villas once belonging to aristocrats. We will travel through an area rich in infrastructures, accessible by Milan's underground line 2, well outside of the city.

Notes

The project of itineraries is by AIM - Association of Metropolitan Interests - and was developed for the site in association with provincial editorial staff of visitamilano.

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With Milan behind us, we will take the road that leads to Linate Airport, flanked by picturesque park Forlanini.
> Milan Linate Airport LIN
> The Forlanini park
In the surrounding area we will find l'Idroscalo, "Milan's seaside" completed in 1930.
> Idroscalo
We will reach Segrate, originally an agricultural centre of the Milan flat countryside, which from the seventies to today has completely changed with the arrival of more than 3000 companies (and 15,000 employees), attracted by the easy accessibility of the area. There is IBM headquarters, with the historic home and new compound of Gabetti e Isola, and the headquarters of 3M, Mediaset, Microsoft, the Milan business centre in addition to San Raffaele hospital.
> Mondadori palace
> The IBM Italian office complex
> The Milano Oltre office complex
Finally, we will come across the important urban residential areas that have been modelled on new British towns in the district of San Felice and Milan 2.
> The S. Felice district
> Milano 2
The route stretches south pass the fields and woods and abandoned settlements that surround the modern Segrate. It is here where we will find the Carengione woods.
> The wood of Carengione
Arriving at the nearby fourteen hundreds Castle of Longhignana.
> Castelet of Longhignana
We will arrive in the area of Peschiera Borromeo and go all the way up to the Castle.
> Borromeo Castle of Peschiera Borromeo
The course along the Paullese heading towards the Adda river is beautiful. The areas along the river are protected by the North Regional Park, from Lecco to Truccazzano and the South Regional Park, from Rivolta d'Adda to the Po, both governed by consortiums.
> Parco Adda Nord
Heading north in the vicinty of the North Regional Park of Adda, will bring us to Corneliano Bertario, a village built on a sloping hill that overlooks Adda and along the road to Truccazzano. Here, among the typical farmhouses of Northern Italy, which are still active, appears the small Borromeo Castle.
> Borromeo Castle of Truccazzano
> Gerundo lake
Continuing along the road that skirts the Regional Park, we reach Cassano d'Adda, built as a type of strategic control for a river ford. Villa Borromeo d'Adda appears immediately, at the towns entrance.
> Villa Borromeo d'Adda a Cassano d'Adda
The villa faces a boulevard that runs through the town, leading to the Borromeo Castle in the main square.
> National woolen mill and canvas factory
Lungo la via che costeggia la Muzza arriviamo alla settecentesca Villa Rosales Pallavicini.
> Villa Rosales Pallavicini Brambilla
From Cassano, the road leads to Northern Italy's Inzago. Cesare Cantù was so charmed by Inzago that he described it as "one of the most delightful holiday stays". Since the 17th century, Inzago like many other towns on the Martesana, become popular by Milanese aristocrats whom built many villas because of the scenic views from the canal and as a way of keeping family estates under control. This is also evident in the nearby area, where the presence of farms continues to be a consistent sign of fertile and productive land. Along the Naviglio crossing from east to west is the 19th-century Ville Aitelli Vitali, with a tower and Villa Rej .
> Villa Aitelli
> Villa Rej
Equally picturesque is the town centre, with the Palazzo Piola, municipal headquarters, the 18th century villas Brambilla and Magistretti (now converted into a condominium), the Villa Del Maino the first of the 19th century and the beautiful Gnecchi Ruscone and Facheris villas.
> The Piola palace
> Villa Brambilla
> Villa Arrigoni ex Villa del Maino
> Villa Gnecchi Ruscone
> Villa Facheris