Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sadly overlooked by visitors to Milan. Aside from the
racetrack
( 039 2 48 21;
www.monzanet.it
;
Via Vedano 5, Parco di Monza; race tickets adult/reduced €10-20/€8-14, use of circuit €45; 8am-1pm &
2.30-6.30pm Mar-Sep, 8am-1pm & 2-6pm Oct-Feb)
, which you can actually drive on most days in
winter, history and architecture buffs are also rewarded.
adult/reduced €4/3; 9am-noon & 2-6pm)
, with its white-and-green banded facade (largely
the result of a 19th-century restoration), contains a key early-medieval treasure, the
Corona
Ferrea
(Iron Crown), fashioned according to legend with one of the nails from the Crucifix-
ion. Emblazoned with precious jewels and gold leaf, the crown is said to date to the 5th
century AD and may have belonged to Rome's Ostrogoth rulers and later the Lombards.
King of the Franks and the first Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, saw it as a symbol
of empire and he was not alone. Various Holy Roman Emperors, including Frederick I
(Barbarossa) and Napoleon, had themselves crowned with it. The crown is on show in the
chapel
( Tues-Sun only)
, dedicated to the Lombard queen Theodolinda.
The
Museo e Tesoro del Duomo
( 039 32 63 83;
www.museoduomomonza.it
; Piazza del Duomo; adult/re-
duced €6/4, with Corono Ferrea €8/6; 9am-1pm & 2-6pm Tue-Sun)
next door contains one of the
greatest collections of religious art in Europe. Recently extended, the collection is split in
two parts: the first incorporating the treasures from the original Palatine Chapel founded
by Queen Theodolinda, and the second filled with masterpieces intended for the new
cathedral. Among the highlights are Queen Theodolinda's crown, a unique collection of
Barbarian and Carolingian art (from the 4th to the 9th century), Palestinian ampullae, a
priceless collection of Lombard gold and the stunning,15th-century rose window.
A stroll in the
Giardini Reale
(
www.reggiadimonza.it
;
Viale Regina Margherita;
7am-8pm Apr-Oct, to
6.30pm Nov-Mar)
, at the southern end of Parco di Monza, will bring you to the
Villa
Reale
. Built between 1777 and 1780 as a viceregal residence for the Archduke Ferdinand of
Austria, it is modelled on Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace. It was abandoned in 1900, after
the murder of Umberto I, and has only recently been restored in preparation for a key role
in Expo 2015.
The larger
park
(Porta Monza, Viale Cavriga; 7am-7pm)
is the green lung of the city
and one of the largest enclosed parks in Europe with some 295 hectares of
bello bosco
(charming woodland). It sits on the Lambro river and incorporates not only the Auto-
dromo but a horse racing track, a golf course, tennis court, a 50m Olympic
swimming pool
(Porta Santa Maria delle Selve, Via Vedano; adult/reduced €8/3;
10am-7pm Jun-Aug)
, horse-riding tracks
