Though Milan is a "I-have-no-time-to-lose" metropolis - by European standards, at least - its environs offer a wide range of much softer environments (or harder, if you might like, for instance, to climb a rocky mountain close to Lake Como). Both art and nature are here to please you, within easy reach by car.


What would you like to visit?
A Medieval setting
What about the abbeys of Chiaravalle or Morimondo?

Chiaravalle

The artery which leads out of Milan along Corso di Porta Romana is very important; it ends, on the outskirts, at the entrance to the Autostrada for Rome, and all of Central and Southern Italy. At the entrance to the highway there is the Metanopoli project, and further still - nearly in the open countryside - the Abbazia di Chiaravalle (pronounce key-ah-rah-vahl-la).

This abbey was founded in the 12th century by Cistercian monks, and it has partly maintained the French style it acquired in the early 13th century. The sacristy and cloister are particularly worth visiting.

Morimondo

More secluded than Chiaravalle - nonetheless possibly crowded on summer weekends - is another Cistercian abbey some 30 km south-west of Milan, in a pleasant ambience not far from the Ticino river.

Morimondo, established around 1135 by monks coming from Morimond, France, became in the following centuries very rich, which is why its church, duly gothic, is so large and imposing.

The interior of the church and the cloisters have been restored in view of the Roman Catholic jubilee in the year 2000.

A Renaissance setting
What about the Certosa of Pavia, the square in Vigevano or the 16th century "ideal town" of Sabbioneta?

Certosa di Pavia

Closer to Pavia than to Milan - along a canal connecting the two towns - the building of this charterhouse began in 1386 by order of duke Gian Galeazzo Visconti. It was intended to be both a Carthusian monastery and a sepulchral church for the Viscontis.

The church of the Certosa (pronounce Tschar-toh-sah) has a unique ornate façade and beautiful works of art.

From inside the church you enter a small cloister, from which you pass into a much larger one, with its whole complex of cells as comfortable as was fitting for a religious order whose monks dedicated their life to study.

Vigevano

In Lomellina, an agricultural area south-west of Milan, the ancient and small town of Vigevano (Vee-ja-vah-no, stress on "ja") boasts a wonderful central square - Piazza Ducale - which is considered to be a very fine example of Italian Renaissance. It is thought to have been designed by Bramante himself and commissioned by the late 15th century duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro.
The long square is flanked on three of its sides by porticoes, while on the fourth side the cathedral was modified in the 17th century by adding an imposing concave Baroque façade.

Also in the town - a tribute to Vigevano's 20th century lifeblood - is a museum of footwear, with several hundred pairs of "period" shoes.

Sabbioneta

Halfway between Mantova and Parma is Sabbioneta pronounce Sahb-beeo-na-tah), also called "little Athens", a village entirely rebuilt as an utopian city between 1560 and 1591.

A gem in the history of urban projects: its Signore, Vespasiano Gonzaga, built here not only fortifications, gates, schools, but also a large frescoed palazzo, his own splendid residence, a church with his mausoleum and, to a project by Vincenzo Scamozzi, the remarkable Teatro Olimpico.

Lakes and mountains
What about Como, Bellagio or Stresa and its islets?

Como

A classic Milanese excursion is to the region of the Lakes, north of Milan. The closest is Lake Como (Koh-moh), which is shaped like a kind of inverted Y. It has a long history and really lovely natural and artistic sights.

Some 30 km north of Milan, the town of Como was for several centuries one of the most important silk manufacturing centers in the world, and it's still famous for this reason.  The original architecture of the cathedral and of the nearby picturesque Broletto dates back to the 14th century.

Even more interesting is the 12th century Romanesque church of Sant'Abbondio. The exceptional "rational" building in front of the apse of the cathedral is the former Casa del Fascio by Giuseppe Terragni (1932-36).

Bellagio

At the "middle" of Lake Como, where its two branches divide, Bellagio (pronounce bal-lah-djoh) is a rather exclusive destination amidst villas and gardens.

The 19th century neo-classical Villa Melzi has a large park with azaleas, and a small museum.

European monarchs used to reside in the 18th century Villa Serbelloni, supposedly built on the ruins of Pliny the Younger's home. At present Villa Serbelloni houses the Rockefeller Foundation.

Stresa

Around Lake Maggiore, a major lake extending into Swiss territory, Stresa (pronounce Stra-sah) is a first class, turn-of-the-century international resort.

Absolutely worthwhile from Stresa is the boat trip to the three Isole Borromee ("isles of the Borromeo family"), namely Isola Bella, with a 17th century palazzo and an extraordinary Italian style garden, Isola dei Pescatori ("fishermen's isle"), a picturesque place where the original atmosphere has remained intact, and the largest Isola Madre, almost entirely covered by beautiful gardens.

If you happen to be in this area towards the end of August-mid September, you may be able to enjoy some of the many open-air concerts and other classical music events held both in Stresa and on the Isola Bella during the Settimane Musicali festival.

Industrial archaeology
What about the Unesco Heritage site of Crespi d'Adda?

Crespi d'Adda

At Capriate San Gervasio, along the Adda river, Crespi d'Adda (pronounce Kras-pee dahd-dah) is an outstanding example of the 19th and early 20th century "company towns".

Built between 1878 and 1927, the development comprised a technologically advanced cotton plant, the residence of the owners (the Crespi family), houses for managers, doctor and parish priest, and dwellings for the factory workers.

Remarkably intact, the village has been inscripted in the Unesco World Heritage list in 1995.


Have you got kids travelling with you?
What about Gardaland?

North (the Lakes, the Mountains, Central Europe)
You could drive to Como, Bellagio or Stresa.

East (Lake Garda, Venice)
You could drive to Crespi d'Adda, Gardaland or Sabbioneta.

South (the Po river, Florence, Rome)
You could drive to the abbey of Chiaravalle or the Certosa di Pavia.

West (Turin, France)
You could go to the abbey of Morimondo or drive through Vigevano.