Visit Caslino al Piano, Tourism and travel tips

The Toy Horse Museum, Grandate, Como

Toy Horse Museum

The history of this private museum is somewhat original.
Here, in the breeding Il Portichetto was born in July 1952 a very special colt, Tornese.

A beautiful sauro with a blonde mane and tail, a trotter who won almost all the prizes possible in the 1950s and that was comparable only to the famous Varenne of our time. The

stable buildings were sold to the owner of a baby product company that made it an industrial plant. After years of work, Catelli came with some sense of guilt and decided to dedicate the place to horses.

So the project for the toy horse museum started. The result we can visit and touch today. A beautiful place where adults and children can admire more than five hundred rocking horses, toys, carousel horses.

Everyone comes back a little children there but only real children can get on the old steeds and dream of races in the prairie and jump over ditches and bushes.
A beautiful collection with unique pieces, collected from all over the world. Handmade pieces, crumpled by time and the use of the little knights.

The materials used were mainly wood as for Edward, the symbol horse of the museum, made by skilled craftsmen from Val Gardena. Also metal and papier-mache were materials used to produce children's friends.

Every horse has its own name, and there are all kinds of horses. From the horse of the Hermete carousel, who came to Grandate from Hungary to the delicate Jacqueline, to the Fortunato horse in iron and to Tatzuo who comes from China and has traveled half the world.

Every horse has its own story and it's great to imagine the children of the past who ride their steeds.

In front of the museum the huge Roberto rocking horse welcomes you. It is the horse that was built for Roberto Benigni's film Pinocchio and it is so big that it must always stay out in the open air.

scritto da Lorna Cowie - ultima modifica il 22/09/2019

The feast of Saint Anthony

Saint Anthony's fire

That of St. Anthony is primarily, a religious feast that unfolds over two days of celebration. The celebrations will be held as usual in the Church which stands in Piazza della Motta, dedicated to St. Anthony as "the Sant'Antoni purscell" hermit and abbot, patron of animals and "marriageable girls. The program, liturgy and celebration, expected on Saturday 16 January with a blessing of votive candles and the burning of S. Antonio in the presence of city authorities. And for Sunday, January 17th, which is the day of the Feast of St. Anthony, a Solemn Mass presided by the Cardinal. At its conclusion, traditional blessing of animals, with a launch of balloons with notes written by children.

The feast of St. Anthony is also made, for example, from sandwiches with salami of the urchins of Motta, the organizers of the festival, which this year will be next to the church of St. Anthony Motta (among other things recently restored) for all two days of the festival, "with the most delicious sandwich that there is" a political price. But it is also one of the most requested and popular markets of the winter, open throughout the weekend: where we always make four steps, we discover new and curiosity eat pancakes.

And this year, among other things, Via Carrobbio, one that directly accesses the bonfire from Piazza Monte Grappa, will be "invaded" by high-quality products, manufactured and sold directly by producers in Varese or selected by the producer and producers of cheese and cold cuts of goat and cow and honey, as well as preserves and sweets in addition to rice and Novara snails, fruit and vegetables from Alessandria, salami and cheese from Brescia, mushrooms and truffles from Cassano d'Adda, Tuscan wines and olive Molise, all in direct production. To prepare special meals for the road versions will think "outside" of King Charles, the bar Rossofuoco, the pizzeria and cuisine.

scritto da Chiara Guzzetti - ultima modifica il 22/11/2021

Monza, the city of Queen Theodolinda

Monza, Villa Reale

Queen Theodolinda, of German origin, was very important for the city of Monza.
Theodolinda was given his wife to the Lombard king Autari for political reasons as usual then.
The Queen was very beautiful as evidenced by the paintings in the Chapel and won the trust of the people. It was very much loved by the people of Monza that gifts chose as a summer residence. The pagan king converted to Christianity thanks to the influence of his believing wife and his son was baptized in Monza.
Also in Monza he had a church built, the current Cathedral. The place was chosen in a particular way: the Queen had promised to dedicate a church for St. John the Baptist but she did not know where. One day, riding with his escort along the Lambro River, he stopped to rest. She fell asleep and in the dream she saw a pigeon standing near her talking to her, saying, 'Way', here. She answered 'Etiam', yes, and so was defined the place to build the church. The two words together formed the first name of the city, namely Modoetia.
The Duomo is beautiful, but there is nothing left of the original construction. During the 13th and 14th centuries it was completely redone. The marble façade with white and green bands is very beautiful and richly decorated. The bell tower was built in the 16th century.
Inside is the Chapel of Theodolinda full of colorful frescoes that in 45 scenes tell the story and life of the famous queen.
In the altar of the chapel there is a display case containing the Iron Crown, a crown with a very special story that was brought by the queen but also by Napoleon.
Protected in its case, the ancient, precious crown sparkles in the light of lighting. It's really pretty and studded with precious stones. It was used for the coronation of the kings of Italy until the 19th century. It is said that the crown contains one of the nails of the crucifix of Christ. Therefore, the crown is also revered as a relic.

scritto da Ali Mustafa - ultima modifica il 10/09/2021

Milan seen with the eyes of Alessandro Manzoni, the famous writer

Portrait of Alessandro Manzoni

On March 7, falls the anniversary of the birth of Alessandro Manzoni. And speaking of falling: it was in 1873 when our Manzoni, already a successful writer known throughout Europe, falls like an ordinary mortal in front of the Church of San Fedele. From this church, before which now stands the bronze statue of the writer, we begin to travel the romantic places in Milan lived by Manzoni, in the years of the Italian Risorgimento and today. Via Morone is the place where one can still visit the house where Manzoni spent much of his life and where he received Verdi, Garibaldi, Balzac. The house-museum occasionally hosts readings of the pages of The Manzoni. The lounge is a true nineteenth century meeting place where the fate of nascent Italy was decided; walking here in Milan today we find ourselves in a place full of atmosphere, but also extremely elegant, at the margins of neighbourhoods of museums such as the Poldi Pezzoli and of the Fashion District. A mixture of art and new not to miss! Looking up to the sky we can see the white spire of the Gothic Cathedral with its golden Madonna, impossible not to visit. Don Lisander, as the Milanese call Manzoni, loved to walk the streets of Milan and perhaps his wandering gave birth to some creative ideas for “I promessi sposi”, his most famous novel. Manzoni describes a Milan in the grip of famine and plague: the first case of plague was recorded in San Babila and spread the plague spreaders on the benches of the Cathedral. The Lazzaretto is one of the most sad places remembered in the novel. The only remnants are visible today in Via San Gregorio between Buenos Aires and Via Tadino, today a shopping and cosmopolite area of Milan, where to shop and live a multicultural atmosphere, for an experience similar to European capitals. Finally, Don Lisander is remembered among the great of Italy at the Cemetery (Cimitero Monumentale), located in the northern part of the town. The atmosphere of Milan's literary elite can still be found walking in the avenues, contemplating the important and majestic buildings that portray a Milan bearer of great culture.

scritto da Redazione Visit Italy - ultima modifica il 19/01/2020

Christmas fairs and markets in Milan

Christmas Fair in Piazza Duomo, Milan

Milan is one of the more popular and best destinations where you can spend Christmas vacations. Thanks to the number of events hosted daily, like cultural initiatives, fairs, free concerts, typical markets and much more. All this has made Milan one of the best and most attractive towns in Europe for both the young and old people. Especially during Christmas festive, the city assumes a new face; all starts on the 7th of December with a marvelous feasting celebration for the city’s patron, Saint’Ambrose. The day also coincides with the famous and an ancient Christmas market day full of typical products and sweet: the "Oh Bej! Oh Bej!" fair featuring: wine, craft vendors from Piazza Sant'Ambrogio and food. Special churches services during this occasion are held in Duomo. During this festive season, you will have the chance to visit the famous Christmas Craft Fair of Milan L’Artigiano in Fiera, which is largest crafts exhibition in Italy, attracting thousands of foreign exhibitors and visitors to Fiera Milano. With food, clothes, jewelers, antiques, furniture etc. on offer, this places the best alternative for shoppers during Christmas festive. For the running second year, Milan own Christmas Theme Park, the Villaggio delle Meraviglie will be operationalized in the lovely serene Giardini Pubblici Montanelli’s surrounding, one of the best and nicest parks in Milan’s centre. You will also have the opportunity to be entertained by the fairytale village, which is inspired by Christmas. If you have children, the house of Santa will be there, where they can hand Santa Claus their Christmas letters. Adjacent to Santa’s apartment, a toy factory where kids can draw their preferred character will there enabling them to see the animations of their drawings. There will also be rollercoaster in Santa sleigh’s shape; ridding along the mountains snow for the children to see. There will be a rink of ice-skating also where alongside free skating, lessons, and sessions many shows and exhibitions will take place. During Christmas season, Milan’s shopping is unlike other shopping experiences you may have experienced in the past. Most expensive prestigious boutiques and showrooms globally can be seen lining the pedestrian walkways and boulevards in Milan. For instance, Via Montenapoleone the famous crosses Via Della Spiga which in turn is crossed by Via Sant'Andrea forms a part of real estate’s commercials including outlets for Gucci, Cavalli, Versace, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Prada among others. This shopping section is just for the high-end goods. When you go shopping for the middle range accessories and fashion the alternatives are even more thrilling. Milan, like any other Italian cities in general, observe Christmas quietly. Here you will see families re-uniting, friends reconciling and the poor fed. During this festive season shop for gifts but also of most important, think of what to cook for Christmas dinner. Here you will see families cooking their traditional favourite foods like: Risotto alla Milanese- which is prepared with onion, saffron, butter, beef bouillon and wine. Cotoletta alla Milanese-a meat typical dish prepared from breaded and Veal cutlets and then fried in butter. Polenta-made with cornmeal, which is ground and then it is served with tomato sauce and some type of meat. Panettone-a popular Christmas cake made with flour, water, dried candied fruits, eggs, and butter. There are a couple of markets during the Christmas festive season throughout Milan. One is the Smart Market which is based on the theme recycling and reusing at the Piazza Sant' Ambrogio; a Christmas edition based on the regular market. This market ends on the 23rd of December of that year. In this market, you can find the famous holiday Panettone, the symbol of Milan. Another shopping trip worth visiting is the market of Lazzate Christmas a small village in the outskirts of Milan. This market has a firm favourite atmosphere for shopping as well as events to keep children happy and an array of mouth-watering goods, many hand-made. You should also note that between Mid-December and 6 January is when Christmas Markets in Milan open and you can buy Italian-made children's toys, local crafts, and seasonal treats. Tips: On 25th of December, Christmas day, you can anticipate all shops, stalls, and markets to be closed. While in Milan, you can also celebrate Christmas by attending midnight masses at Duomo or visiting Christmas crèches within the city. On 26th of December, it is Saint Stephen's Day, is an extension day of Christmas, when families go camping out visiting Christmas markets and viewing nativity sites in churches. On 31st of December it is New Year's Eve or San Silvestro di Festa. This day is marked with much more fanfare in Milan.

scritto da Alexandra Evans - ultima modifica il 17/11/2021

Visit Caslino al Piano - Tourism and travel tips for your vacation or weekend.

Travel guides and videos

Grandate (6,5Km)The Toy Horse Museum, Grandate, Como

Como (11,5Km)Como — the postcard city

Como (11,5Km)Como, a city full of charm

Palazzolo Milanese (17Km)Fisogni Museum of the Petrol Station

Busto Arsizio (18,6Km)Italian cities with a 'foot' in Brazil, part 3

Varese (20,4Km)The feast of Saint Anthony

Monza (23,2Km)Monza, the city of Queen Theodolinda

Milan (28,1Km)Shopping spree in Milan

Milan (28,1Km)Milan By Night

Milan (28,1Km)Food tasting in Milan

Milan (28,1Km)A green Milan

Milan (28,1Km)Navigli, Brera and Arch of Peace: a trip into Milan’s nightilfe

Milan (28,1Km)Triennale, Milan design’s home

Milan (28,1Km)An Inter - Milan match in san siro

Milan (28,1Km)Milan seen with the eyes of Alessandro Manzoni, the famous writer

Milan (28,1Km)Christmas fairs and markets in Milan

OUR GUIDES

OTHER LANGUAGES

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

NEWSLETTER