Discover Castellazzo – Holiday Apartment, Culture, Trails and Nature

Castellazzo combines cultural heritage, nature and trails into a destination with several distinct facets. Villa Arconati-FAR in Castellazzo di Bollate is considered cultural heritage of great historical, cultural and architectural significance. At the same time, historical traces, Parco delle Groane and an extensive, varied landscape shape the area. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Castellazzo, you can therefore plan your trip around cultural discoveries, walks, bike rides or a combination of these.

The historic sites are presented on different scales: the villa and church reflect the history of architecture, while the Percorso del Castellazzo represents industrial history. Parco delle Groane expands this setting with trails, cycle paths, heathlands and forests of Scots pine, birch, oak and hornbeam, as well as the connection to the WWF Il Caloggio Oasis via a landscaped path.

Villa Arconati-FAR and San Guglielmo

The church of San Guglielmo in Castellazzo was completed in 1588. The year of completion provides a clear historical reference and broadens the view of the area's architectural history beyond the villa.

Garden and historic trails

The garden of Villa Arconati-FAR includes a theatre and water features and preserves a rare example of a French garden in Italy. The combination of landscaped garden spaces, water and architectural elements makes this site a notable cultural feature of Castellazzo.

Traces along the Percorso del Castellazzo

The Percorso del Castellazzo passes the ruins of several kilns and an information panel with pictures of the Sutter & Thévenot ammunition factory, which exploded in 1918. The ruins of two Hoffmann kilns have also been preserved in Castellazzo di Bollate; they were damaged by the 1917 explosion. The Percorso del Castellazzo begins at the car park of Bollate Nord railway station.

Village, forests and heathlands

The Borgo del Castellazzo consists of two courtyards with housing for agricultural workers and a third courtyard with stables and haylofts. The extensive and varied Castellazzo di Bollate complex also includes a large villa building, extensive forests, heathlands and agricultural land.

The natural environment of Parco delle Groane

In Parco delle Groane, you can explore the area on trails and numerous cycle paths. The WWF Il Caloggio Oasis is connected to the trails of Parco delle Groane near Castellazzo by a landscaped and well-maintained path. The changing landscape is particularly varied: extensive heathlands, among the southernmost in Europe, gradually give way to forests of Scots pine and birch and finally to tall oak and hornbeam forests.

Summer festival and villa history

The Festival di Villa Arconati has its roots in the 1980s and has become a regular summer event. From 2015, the Fondazione Augusto Rancilio opened Villa Arconati-FAR to the public continuously for the first time. During that opening period, from March to December, the entire monumental garden and the rooms of the palace could be visited partly independently and partly as part of a guided tour.

To the broader travel overview: Milan.