Saronno: Art, Industrial History and Amaretti

Saronno combines art, local history, industrial heritage and culinary traditions with green paths and meadows. Those who want to get to know the city not merely as a place name, but through its specific collections, buildings and specialities, will find a range of themes here for an individually planned trip to Italy.

Collections, Art and Theatre

Villa Gianetti was commissioned and built by the Gianetti family in 1919 in the Lombard Neo-Renaissance style as a significant example of the late phase of eclecticism. The villa houses the De Rocchi Collection, dedicated to the painter Francesco De Rocchi, and the Cavallari Collection, honouring the soprano Giuditta Pasta. During opening hours, free self-guided visits or guided tours for small groups are possible.

The museum tour “La Divina | Giuditta Pasta” conveys the singer’s story through her diary, illustrated curtains and personal belongings. Another cultural venue is the Museo Giuseppe Gianetti, which opened in 1994. It houses precious ceramics from the 18th century and the present day in a villa dating from 1940. At the same time, it was conceived as a place of remembrance and collecting, as well as a space for creative expression, documentation and research in the visual, plastic and decorative arts.

The MILS – Museo delle Industrie e del Lavoro del Saronnese preserves products and machinery from the most important companies that operated in the Saronno area. Its scope extends from the second half of the 19th century to the economic boom of the 1960s and includes significant periods of Lombard and broader industrial history. The Teatro Giuditta Pasta complements this range with drama, music, dance, opera, operetta and comedy. Educational and theatre workshops are aimed at people of all ages.

Historical Traces and Local Specialities

Casa Morandi was established at the end of the 16th century under the name “Osteria dell’Angelo” as a dining establishment for pilgrims visiting the nearby Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli. In the 18th century, the building became one of the most important horse-post stations on the Milan–Como–Varese route towards the Alpine passes. The Biblioteca Civica in Casa Morandi displays four large-format paintings by Stefano Maria Legnani (Il Legnanino) from the early 18th century. They depict the myth of Bacchus and Ariadne based on Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”.

Saronno is also unmistakable in culinary terms: amaretti biscuits and amaretto liqueur have made the city’s name known around the world. According to local legend, the creation of Amaretti di Saronno dates back to a visit by the Milanese Cardinal Benedetto Erba Odescalchi to the Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli in 1718. A young couple is said to have prepared round biscuits from sugar, apricot kernels and egg whites at that time.

Park, Meadows and Cycle Path

The Parco territoriale di Saronno comprises around five hectares of reforested land with native species and four hectares of accessible meadows. There is also a picnic area with drinking fountains. A cycle path more than two kilometres long leads from the park in Saronno through a small wood to Rovello Porro and then onwards to Rovellasca.

Getting Around Saronno

Saronno Centro station, operated by Ferrovie Nord Milano, is connected to the Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli.

Further destinations for planning your trip: Bodio Lomnago, Brebbia, Arcumeggia, Pino Sulla Sponda Del Lago Maggiore, Brenta, Colmegna, Castellanza, Brissago-Valtravaglia.

For the higher-level travel overview: Varese.