From the metropolis to the province: Milan's top 10 monumental trees

The Lombardy capital has, over the centuries, always played a central political and cultural role.

Within the city limits, but also in the surrounding flat farmlands, noble families had splendid mansions built, which were almost always flanked by scenic parks. These green spaces are now home to very special centuries-old plants. In the heart of Milan, there are public gardens of absolute value, not only for their arboreal and artistic richness, but also for their ability to offer a relaxing place to escape the hectic pace of the city. Two fantastic examples are the Indro Montanelli Gardens and Parco Sempione, true natural oases also suitable for outdoor sports.

The undisputed protagonists of urban greenery are the large plane trees that, often with majestic dimensions, keep the inhabitants company in every area. However, it is also easy to find unusual ornamental species from other continents. Sometimes monumental trees grow between streets and buildings, outside parks, becoming symbolic landmarks of an entire neighbourhood. In any case, despite being located in the most densely urbanised area in Italy, there are absolutely numerous large trees that can be encountered; getting to know them can help to better understand the historical and cultural reality of Milan and its province.

(Ph: youparti)

The Red Oak of Porta Ticinese — For almost a century, Milan's most famous monumental tree, with its elegance and grandeur, has kept company with one of the six historic city gates. Porta Ticinese, which today appears to us in a neoclassical style after the reconstruction completed in 1814, also gave its name to the district behind it.
A green monument that is accessible to the public.

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The Bald Cypress of the Montanelli Gardens — The gardens, dedicated in 2002 to the journalist Indro Montanelli, were the first public park created in Milan during the Habsburg era. Completed in 1784, they are now, at 172,000 square metres, a beautiful green area full of artistic monuments and valuable trees. Beloved by the Milanese right from the start, the gardens have often been a favourite place to spend leisure time, also thanks to the presence of the Planetarium and the Museum of Natural Sciences.

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The Monumental Plane Trees of Milan — When thinking of the large trees in the city of Milan, the species that immediately comes to mind is the plane tree (Platanus acerifolia). In parks and along avenues, the voluminous, light-coloured trunks, peculiarly spotted, are easily noticed.
A green monument that is accessible to the public during park opening hours.

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The Caucasian Walnut of Parco Sempione — Built at the end of the 19th century behind the Castello Sforzesco, on what used to be a parade ground, Parco Sempione today presents itself as a scenic green area as large as 38 hectares. Extending along the gentle slope from the imposing castle down to the Arco della Pace (“Arch of Peace”), the park follows the romantic model of English gardens.
A green monument that is accessible to the public during park opening hours.

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The Catalpa of the Sforza Castle — The Sforza Castle, Milan's most symbolic monument together with the Duomo, is admired by all for its grandeur and architectural beauty. These undisputed characteristics are made even more pronounced by the successful combination of the mighty 15th-century walls and the green spaces that surround them.

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The Paulownia of Brera — Sometimes a tree is much more than just a natural urban beautification element. Some specimens become the symbol of a place and their fate is really close to the hearts of the residents. This was also the case in Milan, where, in order to save the beautiful paulownia in Via Madonnina, the inhabitants of the Brera district created a committee so large that it led the municipal administration to acquire ownership of the 155-square-metre area in 2016, giving up a building area of 1,760 square metres in exchange.

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The Magnolia of Cinisello Balsamo — For a tree to be defined as monumental, it does not necessarily have to have a considerable diameter or height; other valid criteria for attributing monumentality may be, for example, bearing, landscape value, historical and cultural value. The splendid magnolia in the courtyard of honour of Villa Ghirlanda-Silva in Cinisello Balsamo is a tree of great importance for precisely these three criteria.

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The Ginkgo Biloba of Gorgonzola — The historic Sola Cabiati Park is a fundamental green lung in the center of Gorgonzola, a town famous for having given birth and name to the famous blue cheese, but also for its ancient history certified by its citation both in Manzoni's The Betrothed and Parini's day. The garden turns out to be a real oasis in an area, such as that to the east of Milan, where the landscape, crossed by the Martesana, is characterized by intensive agricultural areas interspersed with urbanized and industrialized areas.

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The Mulberry Tree of Cassano d'Adda — The territories lapped by the Adda river have been a place rich in history for more than a millennium, where man has been able to transform the landscape to coexist with the waters, which for centuries have also been a border line. One of the most significant points on the river banks is Cassano d'Adda. Here the Muzza is derived, which was built in 1220 and is one of the oldest artificial canals in the world.

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The Yew of Cerro Maggiore — In the north-western part of the province of Lombardy's capital city, adjacent to Legnano, the town of Cerro Maggiore is one of those densely populated municipalities with a strong manufacturing vocation in the foothills. Even in dense urban fabrics, however, it is possible to discover very interesting trees. One of these is the yew (Taxus baccata), which lives in the park of the 19th-century Villa Dell'Acqua, now home to the municipal library.

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Take me here: From the metropolis to the province: Milan's top 10 monumental trees

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