A city rich in history

After visiting the Palace, cross Piazza Esedra and continue until, just past the bridge over the Seveso river, you come across two churches facing each other.

The old Church of Santo Stefano is on the right and is the smaller of the two.

Its original 13th-century structure was oriented differently, with the facade facing the river, as shown by a map predating its construction and by the position of the bell tower. The main section, built in 1665 at the request of Bartolomeo Arese, features the apse, side sacristies, and extensive frescoes, including the side chapels (by the Montalto workshop) and the vault (decorated in the 19th century by Tagliaferri). The section facing the square is an extension from 1800, which added two bays to the original structure. Deconsecrated in the 1920s, the old church was given a new lease on life in early 2008, transformed into a modern multi-purpose facility serving as an auditorium (for concerts, plays, exhibitions, etc.).

It is named in memory of Paolo and Davide Disarò, two young brothers from Cesano who died on July 19, 1985, in the Val di Stava dam collapse, where they were volunteering for Acli.

Opened in 1937, the new parish church replaced the old Church of Saint Stephen, which overlooked the same square.

Notably large and featuring a tall neo-Gothic spire, the church is built entirely of exposed red brick.

Housed inside are the altars from the old church: the one in the right-hand chapel (made of polychrome marble in black, red, pink, and grey), previously dedicated to the Virgin, now houses an image of the city’s Patron Saint and, since 1762, his presumed body. The altar in the left-hand chapel, dedicated to Saint Anthony, now displays a copy of the altarpiece depicting the Holy Family and Saint Anne (the original is located in the Church of San Pio X in Molinello).

The ancient tower (just a short walk from the Palace) bears witness to Cesano Maderno’s medieval period, much like the base of the old Santo Stefano church’s bell tower and that of the Palazzo Arese Borromeo.

The tower was likely built as part of the city’s defensive system, whose walls ran parallel to the Seveso River, providing additional natural protection. The different layers of construction materials suggest that the structure underwent later reinforcement work.

Overlooking Piazza Arese, a blend of historic and modern buildings, Palazzo Arese Jacini is another grand historic palace in the city, located just a 2-minute walk from Piazza Esedra.

Built between 1618 and 1628 by Marco Maria I Arese and later modified in the 18th century in the Neoclassical style, it takes its name from the last dynastic ownership transfer in 1895, when it passed from Matilde Serristori Arese Lucini to Giovanni Jacini.

The palace was purchased by the Municipal Administration in 1971 to serve as the offices of the city government. The Neoclassical wing houses the headquarters of I.S.A.L. (Institute for the History of Lombard Art, originating from the Royal Palace of Milan), a non-profit cultural association founded in 1967 to become an active tool for systematic and coordinated research on Lombard art and to bring to light the true importance and impact of Lombardy’s figurative and architectural production in the evolution of Western artistic culture.

Connected to the Palazzo Arese Jacini complex by an arched gateway, similar to the one at Palazzo Arese Borromeo, the Oratory of the Blessed Virgin of the Transit overlooks Piazza Arese.

Centrally located along the axis of the square’s double row of linden trees, it presents a simple and austere facade. Following the “Instructions” of Saint Charles Borromeo, the building features a longitudinal plan with a single nave. Inside, it houses the precious altarpiece of the *Transit of the Virgin* (which gives the church its name) by Gerolamo Chignoli, dated 1642.

Recently restored, the ‘Madonna Bogani’ is a large Pietà on canvas (150x250cm), painted in 1985 by the painter from Como, Mario Bogani.

The painting can be seen in the niche on the wall of the courtyard house at the corner of Via San Carlo and Via Como, just a 5-minute walk from the Palace.

The Sanctuary is located in the Binzago area, on Via Santa Maria at the corner of Via Ferraris. It is also known as the Church of Santa Maria della Frasca (Saint Mary of the Branch), a name referencing the formerly uncultivated land, covered in wild shrubs and undergrowth, where it was built.

Dating back to before the 13th century, the Sanctuary features a simple exterior facade, while the interior boasts frescoes from the first half of the 1600s. In the 17th century, the building acquired certain features suggesting direct involvement by the Arese Borromeo family; notably, the Pastoral Visit of 1704 records a bequest for Masses to be said for the soul of Countess Giulia Arese Borromeo. Between 1817 and 1839, the Oratory of Santa Maria della Frasca underwent restoration and maintenance work entrusted to Paolo Vismara and the Bottini brothers (designated as “whitewashers”).