Monza to visit

Monza - Monza is a provincial capital of Lombardy: located 162 meters above sea level, it has 122,000 inhabitants. Monza preserves the testimonies of all the peoples who have inhabited it in the various eras, from the Celts to the Lombards. The latter was responsible for the construction of the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista, ie the Cathedral; a legend has it that the Lombard queen Teodolinda had an 'oraculum' built in the point indicated by a dove that had appeared to her in a dream; this palatine chapel constitutes the central nucleus of the Cathedral which was built in 595.

Worthy of a visit is the Royal Villa, a complex of neoclassical buildings from 1780; a tasty curiosity consists in the fact that Villa Reale was the first private house to have electricity in its halls, not only in Italy but in the world. With an extension of 700 hectares, the Monza park is one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe; ideal place for walks, sports, bikes, all in contact with nature. Monza arose along the Lambro river that runs from north to south, and was the center of daily life. For this reason, several mills were built, three of which were inside the park. One, the Asciutti mill still has a functioning rota-shovel; built in 1834 by Giacomo Tazzini, it is made up of 2 parallel buildings connected by a portico; still today you can see the old gears, the ancient millstones, the granary and a small oven. Finally, do not miss the 1820 chain bridge, located inside the neoclassical style Villa Reale.