| Castiglione Olona | ||
 | ||
| Salutation | Castiùn | |
|---|---|---|
| State | Italy | |
| Region | Lombardy | |
| Territory | Varese | |
| Altitude | 307 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 7.09 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 7.836 (2011 census) | |
| Name inhabitants | Castiglionesi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0331 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 21043 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary | |
Position
| ||
| Institutional website | ||
Castiglione Olona is a city of Lombardy.
To know
It's a city created by Count Cardinal Branda Castiglioni who had the main monuments built in the fifteenth century, and completely changed the urban structure.
Geographical notes
On the border between Varese is Alto Milanese, on the left bank of the river Olona, is 10 km from Varese, 19 from Busto Arsizio, 25 from Como and 55 from Milan. It is a fifteenth-century village stretched out in greenery and wet, as well as by the Olona river, by a multitude of small streams. On the border between Castiglione and Lozza, the Selvagna stream flows into the Olona, fed by the Felisera stream and the Riale Gasletti. The Mornaga stream flows between the hamlets of Caronno Corbellaro and Gornate Superiore, and receives the waters of the Marnetta, formed by the Rio Griano and the Rio Dietro Costa, and the Rio Canale, emissary of the small lake for sport fishing; later the Mornaga flows into the Olona, as well as the Riale delle Selve and the Marubbio. On the border between Castiglione and Gornate Olona flows the Valdessera, a tributary of the Olona. In the far north west, Castiglione is lapped by the Tenore stream.
When to go
The best time to go to Castiglione olona is in the second week of July, when the Palio of the Castles.
Background
The town is rich in historical and artistic testimonies. The chroniclers of the time recorded the Lombard presence from which, around the year 1000, the noble Castiglioni family descended, owner of the Castiglionese fief at least from 1028. In the context of the battles for the control of the Contado del Seprio, Castiglione Olona found himself several times involved in games of political alliances with the powerful families who managed the local power, thus siding now with the Torriani now with the Visconti. The constructions of the surrounding walls of the village date back to this period and are preserved only in the highest part of the hill where the fortress was erected in the 12th century, defended by the course of the Olona river for three quarters and by a massive bastion with a drawbridge in the remaining part.
In 1809 King Napoleon annexed Caronno Corbellaro, Gornate Superiore and Lozza to the municipality, suddenly bringing the town from 900 to 1394 inhabitants, but a few years later the Austrians restored everything. The first two of the three annexes were then re-proposed by Mussolini in 1927.
How to orient yourself
Castiglione Olona: full screen map.The most important landmark of Castiglione Olona is the state road SS 233 "Varesina", which cuts the town in two.
Neighborhoods
The localities of Caronno Corbellaro and Gornate Superiore are part of its territory.
How to get
By plane
Castiglione Olona does not have airports but is about 20 km from Milan-Malpensa, which is the second Italian hub after Rome Fiumicino.
By car
State and provincial roads
state road 233 "Varesina" connects Castiglione Olona with Highways
Castiglione Olona is not served by the Italian motorway network. The closest motorway is the A8 Milano-Varese
It is not possible to reach Castiglione Olona through waterways.
On the train
Castiglione Olona is served by the Venegono Superiore-Castiglione station, which is located along the Saronno-Laveno railway.
By bus
The public transport service that connects Castiglione Olona with the other municipalities is managed by various companies. The lines that cross Castiglione Olona are:
- B45: Varese - Lozza - Castiglione Olona - Somadeo - Gornate Superiore - Torba - Castelseprio - Cascina Sant'Anna - Tradate (managed by GIULIANI E LAUDI)
- B48: Tradate- Castiglione Olona (managed by FNMA)
How to get around
Castiglione Olona does not have an urban bus service.
What see
- 1 Collegiate Church of Saints Stefano and Lorenzo. It was built on the ruins of the castle of Castiglione Olona, in the Seprio, a fortification that was destroyed several times between the Late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. Also known as the Collegiate, due to the once presence of a college of canons, the church was consecrated on March 15, 1425 and was built in Lombard Gothic style. In addition to the church there is a bell tower and the cloister where the rectory and the baptistery overlooked, built on the foundations of a tower. Finally, in one room there is the Collegiate museum, where paintings and sacred furnishings are exhibited.
- 2 Church of the Most Holy Body of Christ (Church of Villa). The whole complex declares a close descent from Brunelleschi's architectural models, probably due to the intervention of a Tuscan master active in Lombardy in those years, perhaps Vecchietta, who settled in the city as Masolino's assistant. It can be considered as the first building of Brunelleschi's matrix outside of Tuscany not only for a series of stylistic characteristics such as the use of the complete order and the two-tone between the stone of the mebrature and the plaster, but also for the use of construction types such as the herringbone in the dome.
- 3 Branda Palace, piazza Garibaldi 1. The building was built between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and consists of two bodies, the first of the fourteenth century and the second of the first decades of the fifteenth century. However, the building has undergone a series of interventions over the years that have changed its original structure. Inside, the cardinal frescoed a series of paintings by his protected painter, Masolino da Panicale, in particular a Hungarian landscape, in memory of the two's trip to Hungary. With the extinction of the Castiglioni family, the building became municipal property.
- 4 Monteruzzo Castle, via Monteruzzo 1. It is a manor house which has been transformed into a congress center. Built in the nineteenth century with a style that recalls architecture of the past, it has annexed a large park.
Events and parties
- 1 [link not working]Palio of the Castles, Via Roma 25 (Pro Loco Castiglione Olona office, organizer of the event). It is the main event that takes place in the city. Since 1971 it has been run every year between the eight districts of the village, attracting a large number of visitors. The Palio, which usually takes place in the second week of July, is made up of various moments, among which the most significant is that of the so-called Corsa delle botti.
- Between Art and Tasting.
10€. During the month of May, Between Art and Tasting takes place in the streets of the historic center: music, shows and events accompanied by wine tastings and typical gastronomy. The event, promoted and organized by the Municipality of Castiglione Olona - Department of Culture with the collaboration of Pro Loco Castiglione Olona and Castiglione associations. - Christmas torchlight procession.
10€. During the month of May, Between Art and Tasting takes place in the streets of the historic center: music, shows and events accompanied by wine tastings and typical gastronomy. The event, promoted and organized by the Municipality of Castiglione Olona - Department of Culture with the collaboration of Pro Loco Castiglione Olona and Castiglione associations.What to do
- 1 Follow the matches of the local volleyball team: Castiglione Volley, Pala Fassi Castiglione Olona, Via Alcide De Gasperi. The women's section of the team, in the 2014-2015 season, plays in 1to Division - Group B
Shopping
The streets of the town are home to many shops and some bars.
How to have fun
Night clubs
- 1 John Martin's Pub, via Cesare Battisti 69, ☎ 39 0331 858059. Pub
- Pastori Coffee 5.12.
Where to eat
Average prices
- 1 [link not working]Old Inn, piazza Garibaldi 14, ☎ 39 0331 858561. Pub and pizzeria
- 2 Elisir restaurant, via Cesare Battisti 3, ☎ 39 0331 824954.
- 3 Babylon Restaurant Pizzeria, via Alessandro Volta 8, ☎ 39 377 533 7057.
- 4 La Fenice takeaway pizzeria, via Cesare Battisti 42, ☎ 39 0331 864910. Takeaway pizzeria and home delivery
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 Bed & Brekfast San Nicola, via Pope Celestine 26, ☎ 39 0331 858988. Single Room € 35/60; Double room 70/100 €.
- 2 Bed & Brekfast Stella del Borgo, via Tenente Nicora 8. Double room 40/70 €.
Safety
- Carabinieri, via IV Novembre 1, Castiglione Olona, ☎ 39 0331 811470.
- Local police, via Cardinal Branda 8, Castiglione Olona, ☎ 39 0331 824801.
Pharmacies
- 2 Assisi, Via Papa Celestino, 4 / Bis, ☎ 39 0331 857120.
- 3 Municipal, Via Cesare Battisti, 3, ☎ 39 0331 861049.
How to keep in touch
Post office
Castiglione Olona has a post office which is located in via Alessandro Manzoni 1 (tel. 39 0331 824750)
Around
- Rile Tenore Olona Park (institutional site). It is a protected area of supra-municipal interest that develops around the Olona river and the Rile and Tenore streams. It has an area of about 1400 hectares and extends over the territory of the municipalities of Castiglione Olona, Gazzada Schianno, Lozza, Morazzone, Caronno Varesino, Gornate Olona, Lonate Ceppino, Castelseprio is Carnago. The Park consists of a territory characterized by extensive terraces of fluvio-glacial origin, the so-called morainic plains and is rich in sites of historical and cultural importance. The particular geology of the territory allows the birth of numerous small streams fed by resurgent waters and rainwater. In addition to vast wooded areas, there are large lawns. The flora is typical of Lombardy, consisting mainly of Scots pine, English oak, hornbeam, chestnut, locust, hazel, plane tree, ash, red oak, black poplar, elm, maple and black alder. The fauna is very rich. There are numerous species of mammals, birds, amphibians and invertebrates.
Itineraries
- Campo dei Fiori Regional Park (institutional site). It is an Italian protected area located in the province of Varese, in Lombardy. Established in 1984 with regional law n.17 of 19.03.84, it essentially extends over the territories occupied by the Campo dei Fiori massif and the Martica mountain massif. The park is bordered to the north and north-west of the Valcuvia, to the east by the Valganna and to the south by the city of Varese and the state road that leads to Laveno-Mombello. The two massifs are separated by the Val di Rasa which joins the Valcuvia to the Olona Valley. In the territory covered by the Park there are important historical and architectural complexes, among which the Sacro Monte di Varese (an important sanctuary dedicated to the Black Madonna, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and a remarkable set of Art Nouveau buildings of great value, including which stands out for its majesty the Grand Hotel Campo dei Fiori (with adjoining Belvedere Restaurant). Also worth mentioning is the summit of the "Three Crosses", one of the highest in the massif, which takes its name from the altar placed there in 1600, and since then renovated several times, in memory of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Golgotha.
- Castelseprio Archaeological Park (institutional site[link not working]). Located in Castelseprio, consists of the ruins of the homonymous fortified settlement and its village, as well as the nearby church of Santa Maria foris portas. Of the same archaeological unicum is the Monastery of Torba, which is however managed by the FAI. Declared on 26 June 2011 a World Heritage Site byUNESCO, the park was established after the rediscovery of the site by Gian Piero Bognetti in the fifties.
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Castiglione Olona
Commons contains images or other files on Castiglione Olona
