Lombardy
CASTLES VILLAS GARDENS
VALCHIAVENNA ALTA VALTELLINA
/ Map
BORMIO
43 PIURO 45
VALMALENCO
MONTAGNA
17 IN VALTELLINA
BASSA VALTELLINA
18
44 TIRANO
SONDRIO
ALTA VALLE CAMONICA
LAKE COMO OGLIO
PERLEDO
LAKE MAGGIORE
VALLE D’INTELVI
27
49
25
31 VARENNA
24
VAL SERIANA
TREMEZZINA
LENNO 26
BISUSCHIO 48
VALLE BREMBANA
BELLAGIO
ORIA DI VALSOLDA CASALZUIGNO
VAL DI SCALVE
VALSASSINA
10
30
MONTE BISBINO
LECCO BASSA VALLE CAMONICA
CAMPO DEI FIORI
COMO
VARESE
19
46
ANGERA
47
28
50
ADDA
2
CIMA REST
LAKE ISEO
3
BERGAMO TICINO
LAKE GARDA OGLIO
ORIO AL SERIO
22
37 BOLLATE
MALPENSA
GARDONE RIVIERA 23
1
CAVERNAGO
MONZA
4
LAINATE 39
BRESCIA
13 21 34
DESENZANO 5 DEL GARDA
35 36 38
MILAN
MONTICHIARI
8
7
SIRMIONE
SONCINO 9
PANDINO
LINATE
6
BORGO SAN GIACOMO
VIGEVANO
LODI
15
11 SANT’ANGELO LODIGIANO
GOITO 33
OGLIO
TICINO ADDA
PAVIA 16
42
12 40 BELGIOIOSO
20
32
MANTUA
CREMONA
PO
PO
ZAVATTARELLO 14 PO
OGLIO
SAN GIOVANNI IN CROCE 29
PO
ROMAGNESE 41 VAL STAFFORA
CASTLES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10
Malpaga Castle Cavernago (BG)
11
San Vigilio Castle Bergamo
Rocca of Bergamo Bergamo
Brescia Castle Brescia
Desenzano Castle Desenzano del Garda (BS)
Padernello Castle Borgo San Giacomo (BS)
Rocca Scaligera Sirmione (BS)
Visconti Castle Pandino (CR)
Rocca Sforzesca Soncino (CR)
12
ROYAL RESIDENCES
Vezio Castle Perledo (LC)
Bolognini Castle
20
Sant’Angelo Lodigiano (LO)
Saint George Castle
21
Mantua (MN)
13
Sforza Castle
14
Dal Verme Castle
15
Castle of Vigevano
16
Visconti Castle
17
Grumello Castle
18
Masegra Castle
19
Rocca Borromeo
22
Milan Zavattarello (PV) Vigevano (PV) Pavia (PV) Montagna in Valtellina (SO) Sondrio (SO) Angera (VA)
23 24 25
28
Palazzo Ducale Mantua (MN)
29
Palazzo Reale Milan
30
Villa Reale Monza (MB)
31
VILLAS AND GARDENS
32
The Vittoriale
33
Gardone Riviera (BS)
The Villa Melzi d’Eril Gardens Bellagio (CO)
Villa Carlotta Tremezzina (CO)
26
Villa del Balbianello
27
Villa Fogazzaro Roi
Lenno (CO) Oria di Valsolda (CO)
34
Villa Olmo Como (CO)
Villa Medici del Vascello San Giovanni in Croce (CR)
Villa Manzoni Lecco
Villa Monastero Varenna (LC)
Bosco Virgiliano Mantua (MN)
The Bertone Park Goito (MN)
The Guastalla Gardens Milan
35
Leonardo’s Vineyard
36
The Brera Botanical Gardens
37
Villa Arconati
Milan Milan Bollate (MI)
38 39 40 41 42 43 44
Villa Necchi Campiglio Milan
Villa Visconti Borromeo Litta Lainate (MI)
Belgioioso Castle Belgioioso (PV)
The Pietra Corva Alpine Gardens Romagnese (PV)
The Pavia Botanical Gardens Pavia
The Rezia Alpine Botanical Gardens Bormio (SO)
Palazzo Salis Tirano (SO)
45
Palazzo Vertemate Franchi
46
The Gardens of Palazzo Estense
47
The Gardens of Villa Toeplitz
Piuro (SO) Varese Varese
48
Villa Cicogna Mozzoni
49
Villa Della Porta Bozzolo
50
Villa Menafoglio Litta Panza
Bisuschio (VA) Casalzuigno (VA) Varese
Castles, Villas and Gardens/Map
TRAVEL IDEAS
In Search of an Author
In Leonardo’s Footsteps
In the footsteps of the classics
The great works of the Florentine master
The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni was Italy’s first novel. Following in Renzo and Lucia’s footsteps from “That branch of the Lake Como which turns towards the south”, the province of Lecco offers Villa Manzoni and its museum, Lucia’s house in Acquate, Don Rodrigo’s villa, Don Abbondio’s church in Olate and the Capuchin monastery in Pescarenico. Milan boasts what remains of the Lazaret and Manzoni’s former home, now a museum, in Via Morone. The great French writer Stendhal declared Milan his ideal city and wanted the epitaph “Arrigo Beyle [Stendhal was Henry Beyle’s pen name], Milanese” on his gravestone. At the end of the 19th century Mark Twain was struck dumb by the Duomo’s grandeur. In 1918 war reporter Ernest Hemingway fell in love with a nurse as he recovered from his wounds in hospital in Milan, and the city found its way into the pages of his masterpiece Farewell to Arms. Lombardy’s countryside features in the works of Piero Chiara, who set his tragicomic epic on the Lombard shores of Lake Maggiore, near
At the end of the 15th century Leonardo da Vinci arrived in Milan at the height of the Sforza family’s wealth and power. Follow in the footsteps of the Florentine master starting in the convent refectory next to the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to that famously ephemeral masterpiece The Last Supper, Leonardo’s only surviving work to be painted on dry wall rather than al fresco. Just round the corner, behind the facade of what used to be Casa degli Atellani, is Leonardo’s vineyard. The roots of his vines have been brought back to life and the original pergola rebuilt. Located in the former monastery of S. Vittore al Corpo, the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia is dedicated to Leonardo and has faithful reproductions of his machines. Visitors can still admire the wall to ceiling tempera on plaster in the Sala delle Asse at the Sforza Castle, and the Codex Trivulzianus, a collection of Leonardo’s sketches and architectural studies, at the Biblioteca Trivulziana library.
Luino, the Valcuvia and the Val Germanasca. More recently Andrea Vitali portrayed Bellano on the shores of Lake Como, while Lucio Mastronardi set his teachers, shoemakers, and southern immigrants in the town of Vigevano in his vivid novels. In Bella di Lodi Alberto Arbasino dissected the brash newfound opulence of the post-war years in Lodi, while Gianni Brera’s novels are set amid hunting parties and the fog of La Bassa, the low-lying area between Pavia and the Ticino and Po rivers.
Exploring Vineyards
Belvederes and Vistas
Fine wines and vines
A view from some of the region’s best observatories
First stop is the Valtellina with its castles and historical villas, such as Grumello Castle in Montagna in Valtellina, where the vineyards grow on steep terraces and the sun ripens the Nebbiolo grapes. This is home to the austere Valtellina Superiore DOCG reds – Inferno and Sforzato (or Sfursàt) passito. Wellknown international strains of grapes are grown in the hills around the Valcalepio, with the panoramic Castle of Counts Calepio, but just a few dozen kilometres away, near Scanzorosciate, native cultivars yield Italy’s rarest DOCG wine, Moscato di Scanzo. The Franciacorta area, set in the rolling hills on the southern shores of Lake Iseo, produces the bestknown wines in the region. The famous sparkling Franciacorta DOCG, from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir grapes, spearheads the excellent Curtefranca white and red DOC wines. Near Brescia on Lake Garda are the Garda Classico DOC and Valtenesi DOC wineries and the castles of Moniga, Polpenazze, Desenzano and Sirmione. The gentle hills of the southern shores of Lake Garda
In flat Lombardy even a dozen metres offers a privileged viewpoint. The roof of Milan’s Duomo has traditionally been the city’s “urban balcony”, from amidst its spires visitors can clearly see the city’s landmarks: to the south the Velasca Tower; the Sforza Castle and in the background the San Siro Stadium; to the north the Pirelli Tower and the newly built Porta Nuova and Citylife skyscrapers. Another urban belvedere is the Observatory on the fifth and sixth floors of the Prada Foundation in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, overlooking the octagon and the iron and glass structures. From Cremona’s 110 m tall Torrazzo visitors can admire the Po valley beyond the red roofs of Stradivari’s hometown. Another must is the Bramante Tower in Vigevano which offers the best view of Piazza Ducale and the Sforza Castle. From the top of the Venetian Walls around Bergamo’s upper town there is a view of the surrounding valley from Milan to Brescia. Brescia’s Castle offers a unique view of the town’s historical centre, with
near Mantua are home to the whites, reds and rosés of the Garda Colli Mantovani DOC, together with Lugana DOC and San Martino della Battaglia. The Oltrepò Mantovano area is the northern outpost of the famous Lambrusco, while the charming vineyards and castles of the Oltrepò Pavese, such as Dal Verme Castle in Zavattarello, use local Barbera and Croatina grapes and Pinot Noir to produce excellent reds, and Riesling, Moscato and Malvasia for their strong, tangy whites, some of them naturally sparkling.
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Another important manuscript is the Codex Atlanticus, over 1110 pages of Leonardo’s drawings and writings preserved in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana library. Outside Milan the Ecomuseo Adda di Leonardo is an open air itinerary along the river Adda through the provinces of Milan, Bergamo and Lecco, with beautiful scenery and many natural and historical landmarks. For example at Imbersago there is a ferry boat still operated by Leonardo’s original system of currents and ropes.
Come and explore castles, royal residences, villas and gardens and discover a different Lombardy on a journey through enchanting scenery, fairytale castles, magnificent mansions and Baroque “villas of delights” surrounded by exquisite gardens and botanical wonders. Six thematic itineraries to explore the region in a different light: In Search of an Author, In Leonardo’s Footsteps, Exploring Vineyards, Belvederes and Vistas, Family Friendly Outings and Action! Endless adventures #inLombardia. Arriving by air
its Roman remains, the medieval old town near the museum of Santa Giulia, and beyond to the pre-alpine valleys. The view from the top of the 844 m high Sacro Monte in Varese, reached by a historical cable car, is unique. Also accessible by cable car from Como is the Belvedere in Brunate, which offers spectacular views of the lake, the Alps and the surrounding valleys. Another amazing view of the peak of Resegone, the city of Lecco, and the river Adda, is from Pian dei Resinelli, at the foothill of the Grigne mountains.
Flights to Milano Malpensa, Milano Linate, Bergamo Orio al Serio, Brescia Montichiari.
Getting around by train With Trenord trenord.it
Getting around Lombardy Lines and timetables muoversi.regione.lombardia.it
Abbonamento Musei Lombardia Milano 365 days of free access to Lombardy’s historical sites lombardia.abbonamentomusei.it
Action!
Castles, parks and interactive museums
Famous film sets
The MUBA Children’s Museum in Milan, near the Rotonda in Via Besana, has exhibitions, interactive workshops and play areas. The Civic Museum of Natural History, near the Montanelli Gardens by Porta Venezia, has spectacular palaeontology exhibitions and dioramas depicting different planetary habitats, while the nearby Planetarium explores the stars and night sky. Head for the central Parco Sempione for walks, cycling and football. The Civic Aquarium brings the world of the sea to Milan. The ancient Egypt and armoury museums at Sforza Castle are popular with young visitors. Other child-friendly Milanese museums are the Archaeological Museum, the Triennale Kids, introducing children to design, and the WOW Comics Space. Explorazione is an interactive workshop in the science museum in Treviglio and the Parco della Preistoria in Rivolta d’Adda, has life-size reconstructions of pre-historical scenes along the green banks of the river Adda.
Over the years Lombardy has been the set of many films. In 1932 the historic Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como lent its name to a film with a starstudded cast: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Joan Crawford. Ten years later, in the more sombre Villa Pliniana in Torno Mario Soldati filmed Malombra, an adaptation of Antonio Fogazzaro’s novel. In 1984 Sergio Leone filmed scenes for Once Upon a Time in America at Villa Melzi d’Eril in Bellagio. But it was George Lucas’s decision in 2002 to use Villa del Balbianello in Lenno to film the famous kiss between Anakin Skywalker and Princess Amidala in the second episode of the Star Wars saga that made the historical houses in the region so popular with international directors. Ocean’s Twelve (2004), starring Brad Pitt, was filmed at Villa Erba and The Other Man (2008), with Liam Neeson, at Villa d’Este. The charming town of Pavia, with its towers, university courtyards and covered bridge provided the perfect setting for the film version of Nikolaj Gogol’s novel The Overcoat (1952) directed by Alberto Lattuada and starring Renato Rascel; for Love and Fear (1988), an adaptation
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But the best way to explore the river Adda is by boat: at Imbersago the historic ferry was originally designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. For action and excitement the Jungle Raider Park in Civenna, in the province of Como, has four different obstacle courses with zip wires. Budding historians will enjoy a visit to Dal Verme Castle in Zavattarello, in the heart of the Oltrepò Pavese area, with its frequent medieval pageants, guided tours and educational and interactive events for children.
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Experience a journey through timeless enchantment. Live Lombardy’s history with its wealth of stunning views, crenellated towers, frescoes and sumptuous ballrooms. Relax in scented rose gardens, stroll through lush parks and admire the play of water in the fountains. Explore historical residences still redolent with the magnificence of their noble history and enjoy a unique invitation to court. Discover #inLombardia
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Family Friendly Outings
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CASTLES VILLAS GARDENS / Map
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of Anton Cechov’s play Three Sisters, directed by Margarethe Von Trotta, starring Fanny Ardant, Greta Scacchi and Valeria Golino; and for Fantasma d’Amore (1981) by Dino Risi. The nearby woods and farms of the Ticino and the floating bridge of Bereguardo served as a backdrop for Vittorio De Sica’s I Girasoli (1970) starring Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren. Some scenes from The Profession of Arms (2001) directed by Ermanno Olmi were shot in Saint George Castle in Mantua and the Rocca Sforzesca in Soncino.
Promotional Tourist Map: Explora S.C.p.A. Contents: Touring Club Italiano Photos: Guendalina Ravazzoni, Gianni Congiu/ Marka, Marco Santini, Danilo Donadoni/Marka, P. Formisano, Laura Erica La Monaca