Case Nuove: Aviation History and Nature

In Case Nuove, aviation history and sacred art come together at Volandia and the parish church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia, Virgin and Martyr. The landscapes around Somma Lombardo complement these cultural experiences with paths through the countryside. Volandia is located in Case Nuove, Somma Lombardo, at Via per Tornavento 15.

Aviation, Space Travel and Transport at Volandia

The Volandia museum is divided into seven sections: the forms of flight, fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, the space and planetarium pavilion, drones, aircraft models and a children's area. Volandia also offers realistic flight simulators. The museum includes a planetarium where visitors can observe the starry sky with stars, planets and constellations, as well as watch educational films about the solar system.

Volandia's exhibition is housed in the historic Caproni aircraft workshops dating from 1910. Volandia also includes a reconstruction of the Officine Caproni, where Caproni aircraft were built. The Museo Flaminio Bertoni complements the exhibition with automobiles and sculptures. The Museo dei Trasporti Ogliari in Case Nuove is also part of the complex. Its collection includes trams, locomotives, funicular railways, freight wagons and passenger coaches.

There are also specific activities for younger children: Volandia has an outdoor area with aviation-themed games. The indoor play area offers games for different age groups, and there is also an area equipped for birthday parties. Volandia promotes visits to the park and museum by groups and schools of all types and grade levels. Another special feature is the reconstruction of the first flight over the Malpensa heath, completed by the Caproni Ca.1 biplane on 27 May 1910.

Santa Margherita and the History of Case Nuove

The parish church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia, Virgin and Martyr, was built in 1779 in place of an older church dedicated to Santa Maria Lauretana. In 1786, Cardinal Filippo Visconti consecrated the church. Its walls and vault feature frescoes created at the beginning of the 20th century by the painter Antonio Brusatori.

The furnishings include two reliefs from an old chapel: one depicts the Virgin and Child, while the other shows Saint George with the dragon. The chapel was destroyed by the French after the Battle of Tornavento in 1636. At the entrance, a small pronaos with Corinthian columns protects the Baroque-designed doorway.

Two cremation burials from the final phase of the Bronze Age have been documented in the hamlet of Case Nuove, within the Malpensa Protogolasecchian necropolis. Somma Lombardo is also home to the geodetic baseline considered the only surviving one of its kind in the Province of Varese.

Landscape and Trails in the Somma Lombardo Area

At the Diga del Panperduto in Somma Lombardo, there are walking and cycling paths amid the greenery of Parco del Ticino. South of the municipality lies the SIC Brughiera del Dosso, covering approximately 455 hectares. Around 70 percent of this area consists of natural habitats, while approximately 26 percent consists of land used for agriculture.

The Ipposidra route passes through wooded sections in Vizzola Ticino, Somma Lombardo and Golasecca. Some sections are difficult to cycle, which you can take into account when planning a day of cycling. In the Malpensa Militare e Paraschegge area of Somma Lombardo, five blast walls and an old concrete runway can be seen. This concrete runway was once 16 metres wide.

Getting There and Choosing Accommodation

The rail connection to the church of Santa Margherita in Case Nuove is via Somma Lombardo railway station. Regional trains on the S50 and R28 lines, as well as the Malpensa Express on the MXP1–MXP2 route, operate from there. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider whether you would like your stay to focus mainly on the museums and aviation history, the church and its artworks, or walking and cycling paths in Parco del Ticino.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

For more destinations in the surrounding area, you can also include Porto Valtravaglia, Comerio, Cocquio-Trevisago, Lonate Pozzolo, Malgesso, Valganna, Grantola and Brunello in your plans.

For the overall travel overview: Varese.