itinerario : Gran Tour

This tour is best done by bicycle.  It covers the outer limits of the Park and includes ancient structures such as villas, farmhouses, mills and more recent encroachments.

The Santuario delle Grazie (1), from which you will cross the 1683 bridge over the Lambro river and enter the park through a rather small door-like entrance.  Keep right along the river and when you reach the Ponte delle Catene (another bridge) stop to enjoy the view of the Villa Reale on your left (2). Continue your tour straight on to a small tarmac road with the river on you right until you reach Viale Cavriga.  Turn right here and cross the bridge over the river then left on Viale Pineta which leads  to Viale Mulini Asciutti. After a few hundred meters you will be able to see the Cascina Mulini Asciutti (3) which was restored in mid 1800s.  Beyond this you will be able to see the rooftops of Villasanta and its church steeple.

Walk straight on with the river on you right and cross it at the bridge Ponte dei Bertoli.  Keep to the right towards Porta San Giorgio. After a few hundred metres you will be able to see Cascina Mulini di San Giorgio (4) on your right.

On the right the Lambro rivers enters the Park under the so-called “Roman” bridge designed by Canonica.

Follow the road right past the Gate into Viale di Lesmo and enjoy the shade and peace (race-track permitting) of this lovely avenue lined with Lombardy Oaks, Hornbeams, Horse-chestnuts and some Scots Pines.

Turn left along a dirt track that is wedged between the golf course on your left (5) and  the race-track fence on your right (6).

The path widens after a while to follow the old high speed track at the end of which you will return on to the dirt track which leads to Viale di Vedano.  Just before half-way along Viale Vedano, on you right, a gate blocking access to this part of the park, on lease to the race-track, has been removed. It is worth lengthening your tour to visit this area because it might not remain available for long and because it is here that you will enjoy the remains of a beautiful “telescope” view; this is a prospective view that ideally connected the Park with the Alps.  By tracing this line which connected Monza to the mountains, architect Luigi Canonica designed the whole Parco di Monza.  This prospective connection was broken by several orthogonal axes at Viale Vedano, the most visible of which is Viale Cavriga.

Retrace your steps back to Viale Vedano and follow it through to just before the Gate (Porta Vedano).  Take the road on you right, Viale Montagnetta, which is at first flat and then goes slightly uphill at the end of which you will see another door to the Park.  Keep left on Viale dei Tigli.  This is a beautiful avenue about 1800 metres long, flanked by 10 rows of Lime Trees planted according to a symmetrical scheme referred to as “quinconce”..  Follow the avenue to Porta di Monza (7), and here turn left on Viale Cavriga.

Pass the padiglione del Cavriga (8)  in neoclassic style now a bar, and after about 100 metres turn left on Viale Cascina del Sole which skirts the Cascina del sole (9) and leads you to the area known as  Valle dei Sospiri (Valley of Sighs…it’s really rather lovely so there is nothing to sigh about!)

After the small artificial lake follow the track down towards the Lambro river and the small door through which you entered at the start of your tour and back to the Santuario delle Grazie.