Tour guidato a Cernusco sul Naviglio

The Infopoint is the headquarters of Proloco Cernusco sul Naviglio, located in Parco Comi next to the Cernusco sul Naviglio MM2 metro station, at Viale Assunta 17. The itinerary starts from the Infopoint and then explores the "small Versailles" of Milan. Proloco promotes cultural events for the city and tourism in the area, often in collaboration with the Municipality of Cernusco sul Naviglio and the local network of associations, which is very vibrant and dynamic. Proloco organizes courses, hobby and recycling markets, initiatives with beekeepers and local km-zero agricultural producers like the Martesana Food Community, Carnival, the three-day music festival “I Love Cernusco” in June, the Pumpkin Cutting event at Halloween, and the Christmas Run at Christmas. It also organizes theatrical and musical performances and collaborates with the Lino Penati Civic Library for the Gaming area (chess, role-playing, and board games).

We leave the Proloco Infopoint and begin the walk from the oldest church in Cernusco, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows. This place may have been the original nucleus of the town. Documented since 1191 but dating back to the Lombard era, Our Lady has always been greatly loved by the people of Cernusco. Nearby was the cemetery, and in the still-existing outer chapel, there was a fresco believed to be miraculous, a destination for pilgrimages in the Middle Ages. The grate in the wall allowed it to be seen when the gate was closed. The rooms of Our Lady hosted the first school classrooms, the boys' oratory, and in 1870, the first nativity scene of the town appeared there. Inside, the stained glass window from 1562, the 17th-century statue of the Dead Christ, and the 18th-century wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin of Sorrows are notable: according to tradition, the barge carrying it on the Martesana river miraculously stopped right in front of Our Lady, and so it was brought inside.

We now climb onto the rotating bridge over the Martesana Canal. The construction of the canal began after the decree of Francesco Sforza in 1457. The "Naviglio Piccolo" was meant for irrigation, to power the mills, and to connect the Adda River to Milan. The project physically divided the town in two and isolated the church of Santa Maria from the center. Navigation began in 1471, but the canal reached the inner circle of Milan at the end of the century. It was used by passengers heading to the city and also by traders who went to nearby towns to sell their goods at the markets. Food, wood, straw, hay, and construction materials were transported towards Milan; in the opposite direction, fabrics, crafts, and the precious salt. The Naviglio was very busy, and there was a regular public service. There were also pirates who attacked the boats. From 1777, with the opening of the Paderno Canal, it became possible to reach Milan from Lecco without transshipment: it took about twenty hours, and the return could take up to ten days. The tramway on the Padana (inaugurated in 1878) and the development of roadways marked the end of its commercial importance.

After descending from the bridge, we turn right to observe the south facade of the most important building in Cernusco: Villa Alari. It could be called a "small Versailles" because it was the summer residence of Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg, Governor of Lombardy, from 1772 to 1776. The villa, commissioned by Giacinto Alari and considered one of the most beautiful in the region, was started in 1703: the architect was Giovanni Ruggeri. The interior was beautifully frescoed, with halls for parties and music. The park featured covered walks, fountains, a small lake, and a theater. Thanks to the archduke's presence, Cernusco became well-known in Milan. However, letters from Pietro Verri to his brother Alessandro reveal that the court was bored and disturbed by the mosquitoes. At the end of the lease, the Habsburgs preferred to build a villa in Monza. The building passed to the Visconti di Saliceto and, in 1948, to the Fatebenefratelli, which used the first floor as a psychiatric hospital. It is now owned by the municipality.

Having seen Villa Alari, we turn back and go right towards the gate, passing through the Italian-style gardens. At the traffic light, decades ago, we would have met a hospital guest known as "The Sheriff" (because of the star on his chest) who regulated the traffic. We turn left onto Via Cavour, the "street of villas," named for the palaces built by wealthy families facing the Naviglio. On the right, through a gate, we can see the facade of Villa Biraghi Ferrario, dating back to the late 1600s. A little further on, we find Palazzo Vico Viganò, documented since 1685, named after its owner (since 1921). A painter and engraver, Viganò exhibited at the Sforza Castle and in Rome. In the 1930s, he also designed a bell tower (164 meters tall) for the Milan Cathedral. Continuing, on the left, we find Villa Rovida Carini Gervasoni, which may be located on the site of the Torriani castle. One of the oldest buildings in the town, it was also used as a silk mill. In 1938, it was transferred to the Fatebenefratelli and housed part of the psychiatric hospital.

To the right of Villa Gervasoni is Piazza Martiri della Libertà with the Monument to the Fallen of all Wars. The sculpture, titled "Patria e Libertà" (Homeland and Freedom), was inaugurated in 1927. The cost, 66,000 lire, was covered by a public subscription. Behind it stands Villa Scotti, which was owned by the municipality from 1873 to 1976. The building was once enclosed by a beautiful 17th-century portal, which was demolished to install the statue. Besides the Town Hall, it housed elementary school students, the Casa del Fascio, and, during World War II, 4,000 evacuees. For those with little time, they can turn right onto Via Roma, dotted with courtyards marked by plaques, and head towards Piazza Matteotti, the town center. However, we recommend going left onto Via IV Novembre, which leads towards the Naviglio. On the right, a crenellated wall recalls the presumed castle. In front, after passing through the gate, turn right. After the restoration of a water wheel, enter the underpass and emerge in the park of Villa Uboldo.

Ambrogio Uboldo was a wealthy Milanese man who, in the early 1800s, had a villa built to showcase his collections of paintings and sculptures. The empty spaces visible on the wall and the fake facade of the church once featured ancient heraldic coats of arms, which were stolen in 1999. In the park, there is a sarcophagus, a small temple by the Naviglio (now closed), a pond, but what remains does not give an idea of what was once there. Here, the nobility attended the shows devised by Uboldo: concerts, plays, dances, mock battles, and "country-style" meals (the wealthy dressed as farmers and ate rustic food). After leaving, we turn right onto Via Leonardo da Vinci. A little further along, a plaque informs us of a hidden gem we can only imagine beyond the wall: the Temple of the Night. Preceded by artificial caves, it has a diameter of 7 meters and is surrounded by 8 pairs of columns. Oriented along the E-W axis, it was built to impress guests and likely to celebrate rites related to Freemasonry.

We turn right onto Via Uboldo, and on a door leading to the caves, we read a verse from *Gerusalemme Liberata*: "Always open when entering, closed when exiting." After passing the hospital, we find the entrance to Villa Uboldo, which in 1877 became a retirement home. Arriving at Piazza della Repubblica, we see the statue of a cocoon topped by a chrysalis. Here ends the "Silk Road," which recalls the importance of sericulture in Cernusco, where in 1847 there were 7 silk mills. Following the white stripe (symbolizing a silk thread), we walk along Via Balconi. Notice the courtyards on the left, especially the Senavra at number 3. Reaching Piazza Gavazzi, we continue straight to view the Gavazzi Silk Mill, which houses old photos of the factory. We then take Via Bourdillon, once called "Contrada del Guast," possibly due to the smell from the mill. On the right, observe two courtyards dating back before 1721, both with "santelle" (typical wooden buildings), and we arrive at Piazza Matteotti.

The central square of every city features a church, and here there was one, where a bank now stands. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, it was requested in the late 1500s by Carlo Borromeo to replace the pre-existing church of St. Genesius. It was deconsecrated after the opening of the new church in 1932. Transformed into a grain storage facility and a venue for cultural events and markets, it was demolished—after heated controversy—in 1974 due to fears of its collapse. At the intersection with Via Bourdillon stands Palazzo Tizzoni, named after the owners in the 1800s. Built before 1685, it was the headquarters of the German command, which, after a long negotiation, surrendered on April 26, 1945. At the corner with Via Roma, in a 17th-century oval, is the "Madonna della Piazza," a fresco by Cernusco artist Felice Frigerio, depicting the history of Cernusco: Carlo Borromeo, the Sanctuary of Our Lady on the Martesana, the demolished church with a silk mill in front, people working with silkworms, and two men holding the cremation urn attributed to Caio Asinio.

Now we take Via Garibaldi, characterized by arcades. After a few dozen meters, on the right, in a semi-hidden alley, we find the Côrt della Viscuntina, one of the best-preserved courtyards in the town. Opposite, Via delle Marcelline begins, leading us to Piazza Conciliazione, where the main church of Cernusco, S. Maria Assunta, is located. Consecrated by Cardinal Schuster in 1932, it features a beautiful high altar made of polychrome marble and choir stalls from the demolished church. In front of it stands the SACER oratory, an important institution for Cernusco, and the Agorà cinema. At the end of the street, across from the parking lot, is the Collegio delle Marcelline, completed in 1839 by architect Giacomo Moraglia at the request of Blessed Luigi Biraghi. Inside, there was an apparition of the Madonna and a healing considered miraculous. Looking north, we can see two buildings from the 1930s: the Water Tower (47 meters tall) and the first elementary school of Cernusco, dedicated to Manzoni.

We now retrace Via delle Marcelline and turn left into Piazza Padre Giuliani, where we find Palazzo Penati, formerly the Jesuit college. We then pass through Piazza Unità d'Italia, where the Tuba Mirum, a work by Pierre Fernandez Arman, stands out. Across from it is Villa Greppi, the Town Hall. In the 1600s, it belonged to the Biancani family: the last owner, Giulio Antonio, was executed by the Habsburgs in 1746 for treason. The building was then purchased in 1769 by Antonio Greppi, a merchant and friend of Casanova and Parini, who had it renovated by Piermarini. It later passed to the Ospedale Maggiore, which used it as a chronic care and tuberculosis hospital, causing its deterioration. In 1961, it was acquired by the municipality. Entering the garden, we notice the façade with its beautiful portico. Upon exiting, we find ourselves on Via Cavour. To see the entrance of Villa Alari, we follow the sidewalk on the left. Then, after crossing the park and the Naviglio, turning right after the church, we will reach Parco Comi, where the Martesana Infopoint is located, and the MM2 metro station.