PARCO SEMPIONE

Description

Essentials about Parco Sempione in brief

With an area of almost 400,000 square meters, Parco Sempione is the largest park in the center of Milan. Accordingly, it is popular with locals and tourists alike. The Milanese come to the park to relax in the greenery, soak up the sun, read books, play sports and play with their children. Tourists usually visit Parco Sempione after visiting Sforza Castle, which is located in the southeast corner of the park.

The history and buildings of Parco Sempione

Parco Sempione was created on a former parade ground and was opened in 1893. The name of the park comes from Corso Sempione, which starts in the northwest of the park at Porta Sempione and in Napoleon’s time led over the Simplon Pass (it. Passo del Sempione) to Paris.

Parco Sempione has been the site of numerous exhibitions throughout history, including the Milan World Fair in 1906, of which only the Art Nouveau building of the current Civic Aquarium on the east side of the park remains. In 1933, on the occasion of the fifth international art exhibition Triennale di Milano, the Torre Branca observation tower was built on the west side of the park, and right next to it the Palazzo dell’Arte, which houses both the Triennale and the permanent design museum. Two other buildings that can be traced back to the 1954 Triennale are Bar Bianco in the heart of the park and the Padiglione Soggiorno, which now houses a public library.

There are also two other notable structures on the edge of Parco Sempione. At the northwest corner stands the Arch of Triumph or Porta Sempione and at the northeast corner the Arena Civica, a former amphitheater now used as a multipurpose sports facility.

The landscape of Parco Sempione

Walking in Parco Sempione, you will encounter a variety of different tree species, such as several species of maples and cedars, beeches, yews, oaks, alders, ginkgos, pines, lindens, plane trees, horse chestnuts and elms. In addition, while walking in the park, you will come across numerous sculptures. The most famous is the equestrian monument to Napoleon III.