Villa Reale and Park of Monza

Monza is only a short train ride from Milan, yet it feels like a different world: a prosperous old town with a Gothic cathedral and, on its northern edge, a royal palace set in an enormous walled park. The Villa Reale was built between 1777 and 1780 by Giuseppe Piermarini, the same architect who designed La Scala, as a summer residence for Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, the Habsburg governor of Lombardy. It later served Napoleon's viceroy and then the Savoy kings of Italy, until King Umberto I was assassinated in Monza in 1900 and the royal family abandoned the house. After a long period of neglect, a major restoration reopened the palace, and today visitors can see the royal apartments of the Savoys, with their silk-lined walls, ballroom and private rooms, as well as climb to the Belvedere on the top floor. The palace hosts exhibitions and concerts in the small court theatre. Behind it, the Royal Gardens spread over about forty hectares in the English style, with ancient trees, a lake, grottoes and a small classical temple, and they are free to enter. Beyond the gardens, the Parco di Monza is one of the largest walled parks in Europe, laid out under Napoleon's rule, with farms, villas, woods, open meadows, cycling paths and, in its northern section, the Autodromo Nazionale, the historic circuit that hosts the Italian Formula One Grand Prix. In the town centre, Monza's cathedral holds the Iron Crown of Lombardy, a medieval crown traditionally said to contain a nail from the Cross, displayed in the Theodelinda Chapel with its fifteenth-century frescoes. It is an easy, relaxed day that combines art, history and fresh air, and it suits families particularly well.

Opening and tickets: the gardens and the public park are open daily from early morning into the evening and are free. The palace itself is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; from October to May it opens on weekday mornings and early afternoons from Wednesday to Friday and for longer hours on weekends and holidays, and in summer the weekday opening shifts to the afternoon and evening. Visits to the royal apartments and the Belvedere are sold separately or together through the official Reggia di Monza ticket page; guided visits are available on some dates. The Iron Crown is seen on a separate ticket at the cathedral, usually by guided visit.

How to plan the day: take a regional train from Milano Centrale or Porta Garibaldi to Monza; the ride is short and trains run frequently. From the station, walk through the old town, stopping at the cathedral and its museum, then continue north along the main avenue to the Villa Reale, about twenty to thirty minutes on foot, or take a local bus. See the apartments in the late morning, have lunch in town or a picnic in the gardens, and spend the afternoon walking or cycling in the park.

Things to know: on Grand Prix weekend in early September and during other major events at the circuit, Monza fills up and trains are crowded, so avoid those dates unless you are going for the race. The park is huge; rent bikes or plan a specific loop rather than wandering. Families will find plenty of space, playgrounds and cafés in the park.