Even though 10 years ago they were given another name (Indro Montanelli gardens) – in honor of a famous journalist – we like to call them public gardens… Once upon a time, this area was full of fields and vegetable gardens and therefore rich in water streams – still being the hallmark of the park. A famous architect – Piermarini, very famous in Milan at the time (and now too!) – was then asked to plan all the paths, tree and flower planting… He designed it very well because as you will see, it is a really beautiful place!
The ideal park to play, to walk through gravel paths – both shady and cool and sunny – running along a grass stretch where to lie down during the springtime and enjoy the first sunny days… Not to mention the water streams and the pond… You will easily see some ducks and if you look carefully you will see huge carps splashing about! If you are lucky enough, you will see some turtles resting on the river! Once upon a time there were white and black swans too, and who knows, one day they might come back!
Actually, when your parents were children, there was a zoo here… Many caged animals: lions, tigers, bears, giraffes, elephants, gorillas, penguins and seals… Fortunately now you can see them on the web or TV documentaries and most importantly in their natural habitat and not caged!
Anyway, here you can have run, cycle or enjoy one of the 3 playground areas specially made for you. And no matter how old you are, there is a beautiful merry-go-round with horses and fire trucks, bumper cars and a small train running through trees and dwarfs… You can also rent a strange treadle car and safely drive throughout the park!
Don’t forget to look around and observe the ancient trees! Some of them are 100 years old and more… And if your school has never accompanied you to see these ancient trees (Associazione Didattica Museale – Museum Didactic Association), their leaves and their names, try to identify the botanical path on your own… If you can read you will not have any problem… How many different leaves can you collect and how many plants names can you read and recognized at the end of your walk?
Inside the area surrounded by gardens some beautiful old buildings you can’t miss! During the winter – too cold – and summer – too hot – after having played, you can visit Ulrico Hoepli Civic Planetarium or go and have a look at Civic Museum of Natural Science, the oldest public museum in Milan!
Furthermore you and your family will have the possibility to enjoy some seasonal events such as Orticola – the flower (and much more) market fair in May – and at Christmastime you can hop on one of the beautiful and shiny merry-go-rounds… Sometimes, in the summertime, you can also enjoy the outdoors cinema, but we advise you to check beforehand since it isn’t always set up here…
And if you are hungry we advise you some places – inside and outside the gardens – where you can have a break, a sandwich or a packed lunch for a fair price because as you may know… This area is beautiful but expensive too! (Bar Bianco, Caveja Piadinerie, Latteria Carlon, pasticceria/panetteria di A. Giordano, Zoppi&Gallotti)
From here, if you want to take a stroll… Manoxmano advises you to have a look – in via dei Cappuccini 3 – between the railings… You will feel to be in a small Caribbean island, indeed – among the lush foliage – you can spot a beautiful pink flamingos colony that, with the passing of time, have adapted to Milan climate: they safely breed and they are not afraid of humans anymore because they are used to be spied on by passers-by for many many years! 200 meters far from here, in via Serbelloni 10, you can see a strange and huge marble ear that – hear ye – was used almost 100 years ago as a doorbell thanks to the propagation of sound… Alas, to date this sculpture is the only hint survived!
From via Serbelloni, towards via Mozart you can’t miss another great treasure of this area… Do you see that railing with the flags? That’s the entrance of Villa Necchi Campiglio – Milan jewel in the crown… Listen to what we are going to tell you and the go in to have a look around!
If you are not tired of parks yet, close by – in Via Palestro – right in front of one of the public park entrances, there’s another beautiful little corner of nature, magical and mysterious at the same time, it is Villa Reale Garden… And it is just for you… Indeed no adult can go in without being accompanied by a child!
If you’d like to discover something more about Milan, go back to Corso Venezia, have your back to the city centre and look at Corso Buenos Aires…
Can you see those white monuments down there? Those are two old tollhouses that indicated the city entrance. If you get closer (come on, just one hundred meters!) you will see how beautiful they are, and most of all, manoxmano will explain you which function they had!
USEFUL INFORMATION
Entrance Bastioni di Porta Venezia
Entrance Via Manin
Entrance Via Palestro
Entrance Corso Venezia
Opening times:
Open in January/February/November/Deceber 6.30am-8pm
Open in March/April/October 6.30am-9pm
Open in May 6.30am-10pm
Open in June/July/August/September 6.30am-11.30pm
how to get there:
tram line 1-9
bus line 61-94
tube line M1 Palestro-PortaVenezia / M3 Repubblica-Turati
