The Arese Borromeo Garden

To truly grasp the concept and essence of the garden at Palazzo Borromeo Arese, it’s not enough to simply explore it; one must understand the relationships inherited from its glorious past between the green spaces, architecture, and sculptures, as they appear today after the restorations carried out in the last decade of the 20th century, which have enhanced its history and landscape quality. Fortunately, the nearly ten-hectare size and elongated rectangular shape have remained unchanged, as has the wall made of river pebbles and bricks.

An inseparable complement to the Palace, highlighting its sobriety and elegance through a subtle and refined dialogue, the garden is now open to the public, who can experience its character as a place where villa living and the contemplation of nature have been united.

Here, strolling along the paths lined with hornbeams and cedars, visitors enjoy a pleasant coolness and shade provided by the trees. Beneath the majestic lindens, oaks, and horse chestnuts, there are also naturally grown specimens of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) and field maple (Acer campestris) in the undergrowth.

Select the audio guide entries “Maple,” “Cedar,” “Poplar,” “Linden,” and “Yew” to learn more about the main tree species in the garden.

The Italian-style section of the garden, on the other hand, bursts with color in late spring thanks to the blooming rose gardens, which provide a perfect backdrop for a photo or a romantic stroll.

Select the audio guide entries “Statues” and “Rose Gardens” to delve deeper into the Italian garden.

The overall design of the garden is attributed to Francesco Maria Castelli from Castel San Pietro, a trusted man of the Borromeo family, who is also responsible for the “Faun’s Temple,” the “Deer Enclosure,” the “Bird Pavilion,” and the “Mascherone Fountain.”

To learn more about the “Faun’s Temple” and the “Bird Pavilion,” you can again use the content of our audio guide.

In the second half of the 17th century, Carlo IV Borromeo Arese created the “Roggia Borromea,” which supplied water to the irrigated lawn and a mill, and was an important hydraulic work to manage the water features. He also built the refined Roman-style stepped fountain decorated with two sculptures of camels in baskets, ending in a basin where water collects to filter underground into a large fishpond in front called the “Goldfish Basin.” This pond once proudly displayed marine sculptures, now lost, created by the sculptor Giovan Battista Rainaldi.

Influenced by the French garden model, which had become fashionable with its long axial perspectives, Carlo IV Borromeo Arese also introduced an avenue of hornbeams leading to the woods and scattered shrines and small temples at the start or end of the paths.

The complex, confiscated by the Lombardy-Venetia government in the 19th century, suffered severe damage to its layout and the removal of prestigious elements such as the water features, whose lead pipes were repurposed for war efforts, forever marring the face of the Cesanese garden.