The quadrilateral of silence
Just few people can really say they know Milan and its hearth. Milan is a welcoming city, which attracts young talent and people searching for opportunities for a better job or a creative career in fashion or design. If you walk in the streets of the city centre, you may hear a variety of different Italian accents, ranging from the south or the very north of the county, all these people are the Milanese, who walk dressed in elegant suits or with the latest fashion trends.
Today I would like to take you away from the city everybody knows, away from the bustling streets searching for silence and hidden beauty, to “The quadrilateral of silence”, one of my favourite districts and the one described in the book “the house of Gucci” and used for the set of MGM’s 2021 film adaptions.
At the centre of the district is the marvellous park Giardini Pubblici designed in the 17hundreds. The park is a very beloved meeting place for open-air fitness, while walking the irregular paths along the small lake you will meet many people exercising before or after work or just enjoying a lunch break in the sun before going back to the office. The historical 16 hundreds Palazzo Dugnani, a noble family residence that will soon become the new museum of fashion is only one of the hidden gems you can find in the park.
Just crossing the street, you can admire the imposing new classical Palazzo Belgioioso, once the residence of the stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte Eugene De Beauharnais, which hosts the city’s art collection of the 18hundreds. My special suggestion: if you have a child with you, don’t miss the occasion to enter the park behind the villa to enjoy the view of the “hidden” façade, the most beautiful and lavishly decorated one. However, a unique feature of the garden is that it is dedicated to children so don’t forget to take your child with you because entrance to the park is only allowed by adults accompanying a child! (under 12 years old)
The elegant Corso Venezia divides the parks with its residential area, a tasteful district with architecture dating back to the early 19hundreds. Walking along the small streets you may discover the hidden garden of Villa Invernizzi, with its pink flamingos sitting quietly along the water and you can admire the “liberty style” architectures, embellished with wrought iron decorations and ceramic mosaics.
The highlight of the district is the rationalist and art deco style Villa Necchi Campiglio, the set chosen for the movie. A beautiful park surrounds the elegant villa, now property of FAI, the Italian Foundation for Monument and Environmental Protection, and you may visit it from Wednesday to Sunday.
My final suggestion is to finish your tour at the small cafeteria of the Villa, enjoying real Milanese specialties and the “bella vita”.