Northeastern Agricultural Park

Parco Agricolo Nord Est

The Northeastern Agricultural Park has unified the Molgora Park, the Rio Vallone Park and the Cavallera Park. It extends to 22 municipalities pertaining mainly to the Province of Monza and Brianza but in some cases also to the Metropolitan City of Milan and the Province of Lecco. 

The Park mostly consists of sowing fields, surronded by hedges and trees at times or poppies and camomile other times. The plant life of the park is plentiful with more than 500 varieties of trees and flowers, also of endangered species. Locust woods where squirrels, rabbits, foxes and badgers find shelter, grasses with colourful flowers upon which birds and butterflies flies and marshes which house fishes, amphibious and lizards. This is the environment of an exceptional naturalistic value which nevertheless includes rural architectures, farmsteads, chapels, sanctuaries and villas, all testimony of the agricoltural past of these lands.

What to do in the park
Across the Park there are many tracks wich can be autonomously travelled on foot or where to run, trek, bike or ride horses. Look for paths and entrances on the map.
The farms in the Park often open to the public as retails, agritourisms or to offer courses and lessons about enviroment preservation.
Guided tours of the park are organized for children and adults. A service of environment education is set up as well not only for school groups. 

 

Molgora Park

The park spreads over an area of about one thousand hectares through which the Molgora river flows: from the hills of Carnate, Usmate e Velate down to the plains of Vimercate, Burago Molgora, Agrate, Caponago and Carugate. The environment consists of woods alternated with farmlands, fallow fields, meadows, and some wetlands with marshy vegetation characterized by the presence of reeds (Phragmites australis) and bulrushes (Thypha latifolia). The rich flora makes it a very interesting place for botanists. Many animals have found refuge inside the park - predominantly amphibians (newts, salamanders, European green toads) and small mammals (mostly squirrels).

 

Rio Vallone Park

The Parco del Rio Vallone spreads over an area of 480 hectares along the Rio Vallone forming a green lung in this heavily urbanized area. There is a very rich flora and fauna; the most interesting are the 13 species of small mammals including the dormouse and harvest mouse. There are also buildings of great historical importance like the ‘Sanctuario di Ornago’ (santuary of Ornago) or the lazar in Cavenago di Brianza. 

 

Cavallera Park

The Parco Cavallera was created by the municipalities of Arcore, Concorezzo, Monza, Villasanta and Vimercate. It covers an area of 650 hectares, and owes its name to the Cascina Cavallera – an old farmstead inside the park. There is a strong and active agricultural presence inside the park and – as evident by the presence of rural households and farmhouses. The park was conceived to minimise the effects of widespread urbanization of the territory and protect farmland, woods mulberries which are part of our cultural heritage.

 

How to reach the Park
To reach the Cavallera Park, the nearest train stations are that in Villasanta or that in Arcore.
To reach the Molgora Park, the nearest train station is that of Carnate-Usmate.
the Rio Vallone Park is reachable from the underground station of the green line (M2) in Gessate.

Just outside the Rio Vallone Park and the Molgora park are also car parks. See the map.

 

Photo credits P.A.N.E., Paolo Rovelli