Royal Villa of Monza

Villa Reale: neoclassicism in Monza

The Reggia di Monza stands as a unique architectural jewel of its kind, a building that has many stories to tell. The sensation of passing through centuries of splendor can be felt most as we pass through its halls and corridors, rich in decoration and ornamentation, which from the age of Austrian rule take us to the Napoleonic era and then to the splendor of the Savoy dynasty. The interiors of the Villa Reale have hosted royalty and dignitaries: one can observe the splendid furnishings that cover the rooms such as marble and parquet, frescoes and tapestries, in the Villa’s more than 700 rooms. Accessing theprivate apartments of sovereigns Umberto I and Margaret of Savoy is a unique experience. The function of the Palace of Monza was as a summer residence, already by the will of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria manifested between 1777 and 1780. The entire building was designed by architect Giuseppe Piermarini, in full neoclassical style; the Villa has a U-shaped plan, to which two side wings for rooms and two more sections for servants and stables were later added. The Villa complex includes the Royal Chapel, the Cavallerizza, the Appiani Rotunda, the Court Theater, and the Orangery. On the first noble floor are the state rooms, the apartments of Umberto I and Queen Margaret. The east-facing front of the Villa opens onto the English Gardens designed by Piermarini. A jewel to explore in the company of our professional guides, not too far from Monza Cathedral and only ten minutes from the city center!

The Royal Park, a green lung

The Park of the Reggia di Monza, one of the largest green areas in Europe, is also waiting to be discovered. Famous for theAutodrome, but created at the behest of Viceroy Eugene de Beauharnais, Napoleon‘s stepson, as a corollary to the splendid Royal Villa of Hapsburg foundation, hides a most interesting past, where agriculture, vacationing and ancient Lombard traditions meet in the stories that our guide will be able to tell us during our guided tour. Here, far more than in Sempione Park in Milan, nature was (and still is!) the protagonist, among trees, hedges, fields and rows of vines: the farming vocation of these lands was maintained until recently, as the great noble families loved to own their summer residences here and put the large plots of land to income.

We start from the Villa Reale rose garden, created in 1964 at the behest of Niso Fumagalli in a side parterre of the courtyard of honor of the elegant neoclassical residence: the collection of more than 4,000 roses, in the lush bloom of May, is bound to enchant you! From here, the route continues along the beautiful avenues of the Park, from which to admire the many glimpses that the Villa Reale of Monza has to offer.