Parco di Monza (Monza Park), Monza

One of the largest urban parks in Europe

featured in Sights & sites

With 688 hectares, Monza Park is Europe's fourth largest enclosed park. Located on the north of the city, the park includes some of Monza's most important sights such as the Royal Palace and the famous Formula 1 circuit.

It was founded in 1805 by Napoleon, who wanted to create a model agricultural estate and hunting reserve. Works started in 1806 under the rule of viceregent Eugenio di Beauharnais on the northern grounds of the Royal Palace with the aim of creating a park bigger than Versailles.

The park was designed by Luigi Canonica. Inside the extensive enclosure, whose walls encompassed part of the old medieval city walls, there were fields, roads, houses and gardens as well as a forest area used for hunting.

The park was opened to the public by the Austrian governor of Milan, Ranieri, in 1841, although only on Sundays from midday to dusk. The grounds were mainly occupied with vineyards, and all activities inside the park were regulated by the Austrian government.

In 1864, after Monza became part of the Savoie kingdom, the park was widely opened to the public and king Umberto I spent long periods of time at the Royal Palace. In 1919, his son donated it to the Opera Nazionale Combattenti, a charity dedicated to the reintegration of World War I veterans. Wanting to make a profit out of it, the organisation decided to build the racetrack and golf course.

Nowadays, Monza park is the perfect place for a leisurely stroll or a bike ride (there are facilities to rent bicycles inside). You can stop for a quick lunch, a drink or a snack at one of the many bars and restaurants on the grounds, or even go swimming at the Olympic swimming pool near the racetrack.

Worth knowing

Monza Park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including different species of fish, birds, ducks, rabbits, lizards, squirrels, hedgehogs and even foxes. In the centre, there is a large lawn area perfect for picnics.

Watch out for

When you walk around the park keep your eyes peeled for the many buildings and infrastructures created in the 19th century when the park was mainly occupied by agricultural estates. Many have impressive neoclassical façades and some were even designed by Canonica. The most impressive are Villa Mirabello and Villa Mirabellino, two country houses built in the 17th and 18th centuries that predate the creation of the park. There are also mills and bridges inside the park, some like Ponte in Pietra dating back to the 16th century.

Visitor comments

"Huge public park located to the North of the city of Monza. It is a royal park so there are palaces and villas & the famous Autodromo which hosts the Italian GP every September. Due to its size there are cafes,toilets, water fountains and a 2, 5 or 10 running/walking routes. Fabulous place to wander around." - Trip Advisor
"Very big park that's easy to jog. The fact that it has a race track in the middle of it just adds to the pleasure of jogging. The occasional race car going round while you run can give you an extra boost for running that extra mile." - Trip Advisor
"Lovely park in the middle of Monza. Lots of tree-lined paths for walking and cycling. The park is also the home of the Monza racing track and you can still see some sections of the old banked circuit ." - Trip Advisor

Directions

The main access to Monza Park is via the Royal Palace. However, there are three other entrances, on viale Cesare Battisti, via S. Stefano and via Farina.