A VISIT TO ROBECCO SUL NAVIGLIO
INTRODUCTION
The town of Robecco sul Naviglio started developing as a holiday resort for the Milanese gentry around the year 1400 and the villas that are now to be found here are testimony of this past.
The banks of the Naviglio Grande were privileged as a holiday area as they could be reached easily and safely from Milan. The canal provided water for irrigating the gardens and parks of the villas and in addition contributed to enhance the architectural setting.
The villas of Robecco, together with the Naviglio, now remain as a valuable historic and artistic patrimony.
VILLA TERZAGHI
Villa Terzaghi is unique in being situated
at a distance from the Naviglio, on the outskirts of Robecco along the road leading to
Casterno, the oldest village in the area of Roman origin. This locality was also in direct
contact with the land owned by the family.
The villa belonged to the noble Terzaghi family until the year 1882, when Carlotta, daughter of the "fu nobile Carlo" (once noble Charles) donated it to a female orphanage of Milan known as the "Stellae".
It is distinguished by four columns decorated with statues and a beautiful entrance giving onto the courtyard in front of the villa. Other columns on the sides of the courtyard lead to two entrances: on the left to the out-houses and on the right to an area preceding the chapel. Of this latter, only the corner pillars and traces of the wall of a small apse remain, as the roof was destroyed by bombing during the last world war.
At the back of the villa there is a large lawn with a wooden gate at the far end which opens out onto the countryside.
The villa itself is of simple design and can be considered as one of the best examples of mid 1700 Milanese Baroquette. The house is divided in three equal parts with the centre section enhanced by 3 arches which give onto a covered inner court on the ground floor. The smooth walls of the façade terminate in a curved pediment so that the two lateral sections take on the aspect of wings joined by a large terrace.
VILLA SCOTTI
Palazzo Scotti (Scotti Palace), today the Town
Hall, is situated along the road to Abbiategrasso and was constructed, not as a holiday
villa that was only to be mirrored in the Naviglio, but as a residence that was to excel
in the town of Robecco.
The Scotti’s were in fact a local family of bee-keepers and they lived here until about 60 years ago when the palace became the seat of the local government.
The villa is constructed in a characteristic "U" form, with two wings which are a little irregular in size as they do not flank the entire sides of the courtyard, but finish about halfway down, where in the past there was a small group of pine trees.
The façade is divided in three parts, with two plain lateral wings and a central section, which in turn is also divided in three by half-columns. This predominant motif is completed over the frieze by a sham baluster. The back of the villa is plain and without any ornamental motifs.
The right wing of the ground floor was used for storing the honey and the left wing for the servant’s quarters. The central section had an entrance hall and a large but simply decorated staircase which gave access to the upper rooms.
The reception rooms were on the first floor of the building, whilst the two wings were reserved for the bedrooms. It can be noted that three rooms on the first floor maintain the original decorations, the main reception room having the walls adorned with fake columns on an ochre background and imperial eagles over the doors. A room in the right wing has heavy wallpaper of grey damask on a light blue background and in a third room there is an oval plaque with painted putti in the centre of the ceiling.
The architecture and the decoration date the villa at the beginning of the 1800’s and it is believed to be the work of Piermarini.
VILLA GROMO DI TERNENGO
The villa was built on the site of a former
1500 villa belonging to the Casati family, which in turn was constructed where the Robecco
Castle once stood. In 1679 the Casati family rebuilt the villa and successively it passed
to a series of different inheritors, but always on the female side of the families. The
villa is now owned by the descendents of the Wild family.
The villa is composed of an exedra entrance, a courtyard, the main house and garden, all set out on a single axis more than 800 meters in length. The entire complex ended in a large niche, now abandoned, on the road between Cassinetto and Robecco. Whilst the courtyard is fairly narrow as it is closed between the Gandini and Scotti villas, the garden is wide and ample, occupying the stretch of land between the Naviglio and the road from Robecco to Abbiategrasso.
The gateway is in the centre of the large exedra and still bears the insignia "N" of the Negrotto family. The courtyard, which is now planted out, is bordered by the out-houses on the left, a boundary wall, the chapel on the right and completed by the villa.
The house is constructed on a "U" plan with the wings looking onto the garden. The front is divided in three parts: two small lateral sections and a large central façade with three arches on twin columns in front of the porch on the ground floor. The porch way is frescoed with female figures, though sadly they are in a bad state of deterioration. A large hall in the centre of the house, which is entirely painted, leads through to the garden.
The back of the villa is quite different with an attic at the top, opening out onto a loggia with three arches on particularly slender columns.
The building can be considered as typical Lombard baroque.
The furnishings inside preserve the villa’s character and some valuable pieces of different periods are to be found. The family’s property also included the small church of S. Francesco on the right hand side of the villa.
The garden at the back has a parterre with two statues that are looking at the villa, whilst the rest is in English style. A pavilion on four columns is located by the Naviglio, with a room on the first floor and a large cornice on corbels, called la "Sirenetta" (mermaid) which was used as a landing stage.
VILLA GANDINI
For anybody walking upstream along the
Naviglio tow path the first villa to be seen in Robecco is the Villa Gandini.
The beauty of this edifice is immediately noted, as the setting includes a series of steps leading down to the water which were used as a landing stage and enhanced by the arch of a nearby foot-bridge. It is one of the oldest buildings along the Naviglio, one of the first with a "villa character" and also the richest in historical interest.
This is in fact the "Villa Gaia" which got its name in the second half of the ‘400’s after the particularly joyful and extravagant parties which were held there. The building is however of a previous epoch which can be proved by the traces of ogived windows under the plaster.
The complex today includes the villa, of an irregular almost rectangular plan, constructed around three courtyards, all different in shape. The antique origin and the numerous owners have all contributed towards a variety of alterations, the last of which was completed in 1760.
The
present day owners restored the villa with the collaboration of the artist
Franco Milani who carried out the work on the frescos.
The
front of the villa which faces the road is sixteenth century and presents a
large façade which features a doorway in ashlar stone with the coat of arms of
the Visconti Borromeo and a series of corbels under the eaves. It is entirely
frescoed with ashlar work and strips of coloured marble and in addition the
corbels are embellished with painted panels decorated with war trophies.
Only
the final part of the façade towards the Naviglio is different, presenting a
plain wall totally transfigured by ocre coloured decoration simulating window
frames which was recuperated during the last restoration works. The side of the
villa facing the Naviglio is still more enriched by three small balconies
on the first floor and an alternating series of windows and doors on the
ground floor, each of the latter with a stairway leading down to the terrace
over the canal. An eighteenth century baluster in wrought iron and “molera” stone can be seen along the Naviglio, a real masterpiece of this style.
The
large entrance to the villa opens onto the centre courtyard, a very rare
renaissance example completely covered in frescos and with arcades on three
sides; the fourth, which contains a grand staircase, is painted with a series of
simulated arches. There are panel decorations under the arcades with grotesque
paintings depicting coiling stylized flowers, animals, mythological figures etc.
the major part of which have been restored. A neoclassic chapel at the side of
the entrance contains an altar-piece dedicated to the Immaculate Conception as
well as attractive wall decorations.
The
villa is therefore an imposing complex, complete and of much interest in every
aspect.
VILLA
ARCHINTO
Villa
Archinto called “The Castle” due to its two distinctive towers, is perhaps
the best known building and certainly the most problematic of the Naviglio
Grande canal.
It
is the work of Federico Pietrasanta who had previously collaborated with an
Archinto, Count Charles, founder of the Palatina Society and amateur architect,
in the reconstruction of the Court Theatre destroyed by fire and reopened in
1699. The architect Pietrasanta is on the whole little known, even though his
limited works show an ingenious personality and much character.
The
imposing villa was concieved from the desire to arrange the gardens, which
according to the project should have been walled and laid out with large flower
beds around a fountain along the banks of the Naviglio instead of at the back of
the main building. The beauty of this wonderful sight was assured, as the view
of the important waterway could be seen from a considerable part of the path
that connected the garden to the square in front of the main façade. Two
landing stages, one of which covered, offered mooring for the boats.
The
rear courtyard ending with an exedra gave a distinguished entrance for the
coaches arriving from the town and country, whilst a fourth courtyard opposite
the garden was completely arcaded on the ground floor and served as a passageway
from the main staircase to the chapel.
Now
there is the problem to bridge the gap, without too many fanciful hypotheses,
between the original project and the present day ruin. Popular tradition tells
that the villa was constructed solely for a great feast and successively
demolished so that the bricks could be used to build the Archinto Palace in Via
Passione, Milan. But a completed building is without doubt to be excluded, as
the original plans should surely have included a farmhouse and an archway from a
previous era which are still in a good state of preservation.
To
add to this evidence there is a painting in a room of
villa “La Bassana” which depicts a view of Villa Archinto from the
north, that is to say from the bridge on the road from Robecco to Magenta. The
painting clearly shows the wing that still remains as well as the outline of the
remaining part, but whilst the former appears to be almost complete with the
walls plastered and the entrance and terrace already built, the latter is far
from being finished.
A
local analysis reveals other clarifying elements: the ground where the villa
should have been built has a different layout of cellars and foundations in
respect to the project. In addition there are capitals, plinths and abandoned
columns as well as some windows showing traces of painted frames. The conclusion
that can be reached from this varying evidence is that the building was
effectively started on a grand scale and the two wings with the two towers were
definitely constructed, even though with different stages of completion. At a
certain point, due perhaps to a lack of funds or even that holidays in Robecco
went out of fashion, whatever the reason a decision was taken to demolish the
two wings, starting from the one that was not so fully built, maybe
with the exact purpose to use the bricks for the palace in Milan which
was also near the Naviglio so they could easily be transported there by boat. (local
belief)
The
surviving wing passed from owner to owner and was used in many different ways:
as a habitation, stables, hayloft, dairy and even a cowshed. What now remains is
the fascinating and mysterious appearance of the skeleton-like ruins – all
that is left of a great project.
Il
Ponte degli Scalini (The Bridge of Steps)
One
of the most important events in Robecco in the nineteenth century was the
construction of a foot bridge over the Naviglio. The bridge joined the quarter
of Brisa where there was a low ford where the horses were taken to drink, to the
quarter of Saint Girolamo known also as the road to Castellazzo which was closed
at the end by a bar. The idea of a second bridge over the “Grand Canal” (as
the Naviglio was sometimes called) and the original project date back to 1818,
but another 30 years had to pass before the plan was carried out.
In
the meantime the effect of the bridge could be experienced thanks to a floating
bridge, set up as an old custom on the patron saint’s day
St. John the Baptist 11th July. In respect of this custom the
Naviglio custodian prohibited all navigation on the canal that day. The church
ceremony took place on this “hand-made” bridge which floated along the canal
passing by all the different quarters of the town.
The
occasion to take the next step came with an unexpected subsidy from the nobleman
Giulio Dugnani who left the municipality a legacy of 8.000 lira in his will for
the construction of the bridge and in the spring of 1842 the bridge was
completed.
The
iron parapet was made by combining it with the framework of the bridge so that
both structures were stronger “all
the better as it will have to withstand the boys rough play on holidays”. The
townsfolk used the bridge almost excessively in respect to its intended purpose,
and already in the summer of 1842 full carts, even if pulled by hand, had to be
prohibited so as not to cause any damage to the steps.
VILLA
DUGNANI
The
villa which is situated on the left bank of the Naviglio is first mentioned at
the beginning of the XVI century when the owners were the Cittadini family and
in 1632 Gerolamo Cittadini built an oratory “in a place near the house” in
honour of Saint Gerolamo and Saint Onofrio.
In
the 1760 estimate of Robecco Don Giulio Dugnani is referred to as “one of the
possesors of property in that place and territory”. Successively Cardinal
Antonio Dugnani left the villa to the Female Orphanage of Milan. At present the
residence is owned by the Benini-Bossi family.
Among
the rooms described in the inventory attached to the records of the property, we
find on the ground floor a room and a reception hall both looking out onto the
garden and connected to the courtyard through an entrance hall; the staircase in
two flights led to the first floor. The villa has been restored many times with
the result that some parts of the original building have been destroyed or
altered. Of the old noble house however the main body remains with the
distinctive feature of an architraved doorway in three sections on the side
overlooking the Naviglio. The fifteenth century wing of the villa is visible
from Via Matteotti with most interesting brickwork round the windows and a small
attractive courtyard with a well in the centre.
Some of the bricks used to build the well are marked with the initials “ad U.F.” which reminds us of a curious custom. The boatmen who transported the bricks for constructing Milan Cathedral “left” some of them on the banks of the canal for anybody who asked for them. These bricks were marked “ad usum fabricae” that is to say for building the cathedral, and the saying “a ufo”, free of charge, derived from this particular custom.
VILLA “LA BASSANA”
The
villa is situated by the Naviglio on a raised embankment and is surrounded by an
imposing railing, work of a local artisan Ernesto Mainardo who took, it is said,
many years to complete it and copied the design from the balcony railings.
There
is an entrance in the centre of the railings which is marked by pillars
surmounted by vases and plumes. It is certainly the most imposing entry of all
the Naviglio villas.
The
gateway opens out onto a garden with walls along the minor sides and the villa
framed at the end. The building on two floors has a wide facade which extends to
the farm workers cottages.
It
is a solid building dating end ‘600.
The
main hall is in front of the entrance, the staircase on the left and the service rooms to the right. The central
nucleus protrudes into the garden in respect to the rest of the villa and a
typical tower, in this case particularly ample, completes the building. The
chapel is dedicated to the Virgin but has unfortunately been lost as at some
point it was turned into a store. A few of the rooms on the ground floor and the
staircase however have been preserved. The large hall is decorated with six
views of the Naviglio and the villas (Archinto, Gromo, La Bassana) which are of
particular interest, as well as decorative paintings and notable furnishings
(the fireplace and the mirrors), whilst the adjoining rooms are decorated in a
neo-classic style.
The
wrought iron gate in front of the staircase and the stone and wrought iron
banister are noteworthy and a precious example of typical Lombard craftsmanship.
GIARDINO
SIRONI
On
the left bank of the Naviglio Grande in front of Villa Archinto the scenery
includes some modest buildings flanked by a luxuriant garden the property of
Sironi.
The
most interesting and singular aspects of the house are the result of the
megalomaniac ambitions of Bordini an administrator of the Litta family of Milan,
who certainly used a lot of fantasy in constructing a “summer residence” comparable to the most splendid in Robecco.
The
works started with the garden, which is understandable if you consider the time
it takes to obtain flourishing plants and trees, without which a villa would be
reduced to a hot and dusty farm-house.
It
was a grand garden with groups of trees, including some rare species, and
artificial banking to give movement to the flat Lombard plain. In the centre a
small “lake”, or rather a confusion of waterways which flowed round islands
and hills formed of “imported” earth. Everywhere you can find cippi and
ornamental statues, some of famous authors such as Vela who incidentally
designed Bordini’s mother’s cenotaph which included her reclining figure.
The
project is attributed, with reason, to Balzaretti, author of the Public Gardens
in Milan (1856) with some picturesque effects.
The
stables and the garden were situated beyond the existing houses, which were
incorporated in the complex. This was the epoch of Arab horses and so the
obvious style to use was Moresco with a facade composed of double arches and
stalls and passageways covered by small cupolas on a rectangular plan
supported by slender columns, as in a mosque.
And
this was not all: the water troughs are in white limestone, the mangers in
wrought iron and carved wooden horses heads on the walls.
Garden
and stables fit for any great palace – but the palace did not exist as Bordini
lacked the funds to continue, so in order to live in his villa he had to furbish
the old buildings and in this way the original Crivelli residence together with
the houses along the Naviglio, were transformed.
The
Crivelli house dating the second half of ‘700 as indicated by the date on the
side facing the stable and courtyard, retains an elegant neo-classic facade
lightly decorated and with a few painted lacunars.
CASTELLAZZO
DE’ BARZI
Castellazzo
was probably named after and old “castellazzo” that is to say a construction
of refined origin, communal or private, which generally had the modest
dimensions of a fortified house and which was successively transformed into a
nobleman’s house or a rural establishment.
The
Barzi family lived there uninterruptedly from 1432 to 1626. Towards the end of
1600 the social and economical status of the family worsened due to the
successor’s incapacity to manage the patrimony, even the refined residence of
the old “castellazzo” was reduced to a poor state. In fact during this
period alterations were being carried out to give it the baroque aspect of a
country house which is still evident.
In
1736 part of the patrimony passed to the Longoni College of Milan which still
resulted the owners at the beginning of ‘800. It is interesting that
Alessandro Manzoni was a student at this college and passed his summer holidays
at the house, together with other pupils, as may be noted from a plaque on the
site.
THE
SUN DIALS OF CASTELLAZZO DE’ BARZI
Two
sun-dials which presumably date back to 1700 have been restored in the courtyard
of Villa Arconati in the hamlet of Castellazzo.
The
sun-dial indicates the varying hours during the day in respect to a meridian
which only shows mid-day. They are made up of a style (gnomon) slanting parallel
to the earth’s axis with the point of the style precisely indicating the south,
whilst the base points towards the Pole Star – the north. The lines indicating
the hours converge at the base of the gnomon.
When
facing the wall, the sun-dial to be
seen on the right indicates the true solar hour at Castellazzo de’Barzi,
whilst the one on the left indicates mid European time (as we see on our watches).
In order to read these sun-dials it is necessary to calculate the equation of
time.
CASTERNO
In
the past Robecco sul Naviglio was not so important as the nearby village of
Roman origin, Casterno. The name “Castrum Esternum” and later
“Casternum” means fortified place or surrounded by walls or a moat.
Leaving
the asphalt road, taking pathways flanked by ditches and rows of poplar trees
and passing through S. Ambrogio wood you arrive at the village which is set on
the edge of the banking which delimits the Ticino river bed. As the village is
in a slightly raised position there is an excellent view of the green valley
rich with meadows, fields and wooden areas.
LE
TRE FONTANE (THE THREE FOUNTAINS)
The
spring known as The Three Fountains is hidden
in thick vegetation amongst robinia woods on the outskirts of Casterno in
the direction of Carpenzago.
The
name derives from three springs of the purest water which flows at a constant
temperature of 9° to 12° in all the seasons of the year. The water in the
stratum which flows underground, encounters
an impermeable soil at this point and so rises up and comes out onto the
surface.
For
centuries the farmers of the area have brought their cattle to drink here,
groups of women have rinsed their washing with fatigue, but much chatter, whilst
the children played at catching minnows and tadpoles.
The
smooth stones which served as wash boards remind us of an era which has now past,
but the quiet atmosphere that reigns here and the pleasant freshness that can be
enjoyed, render The Three Fountains an evocative corner to maintain and protect.
LE
MARCITE (THE WATER-MEADOWS)
The
green extent of the meadows and fields in the Casterno valley is covered and cut
out by ditches, channels and canals which intersect, divide and join up again.
They are fed by spring water which due to its characteristic of flowing at a
constant temperature of 12°, even in the winter, maintains the particular
colour of the meadows all through the year.
There
is a custom of letting a thin film of water run over the ground in autumn and
winter so that it does not freeze, allowing the continual growth of forage that
can be cut 7 – 10 times a year. This custom has very antique origins (the
first documentation dates back to approx. 1100) and was widely used in the
valley up to a few years ago, although now it is dying out.
I MULINI (THE MILLS)
The
mills were the first machines to exploit water power. The occupation of Miller
began at the end of 1200 when water from the springs, from the Ticino river and
the Naviglio was brought to the valley along small channels which favoured the
construction of a number of mills.
They
were at their height in 1245 when they were burnt by Federico II, grandson of
Barbarossa, as without the flour which they provided, the city of Milan could
not resist against his siege.
One
of the oldest water-mills in the valley which dates back to 1400 is the
Pietrasanta Mill. Its original name was Molinetto dei Frati dell’Opera Pia di
Falco (The small mill of the friars of the charitable institution Di Falco) to
be found in the Convent of Casterno.
The
present day name is attributed to the noble Pietrasanta family who became the
owners of most part of the monk’s property:
On
one of the mill walls the traces of a beautiful fresco can be deciphered dating
1404 and painted by an artist of the period Gianni Molinari. The fresco
represents the Virgin and Child with Saint Sebastian at her side. At the moment
the fresco can be found in the church of Carpenzago.
LE
CASCINE (THE FARMS)
The
farm “with a courtyard” is typical of the Lombard Plain, that is to say a
complex of buildings used for the farmer’s residence, the labourers living
quarters, stalls, hay-lofts and store-rooms, cover for the farm implements and
carts, and the dairy.
All
these buildings were built around a rectangular uncovered courtyard with the
threshing ground in the centre,
although in this case it was mainly used to dry the grain.
In our area the traditional farms were often smaller and included only the farm house and the out-houses, without the threshing ground, and were called “cascinello” (small farm).