Parco Sempione: Milan's Green Heart, a 15-Minute Walk from Our B&B in Brera
There is a moment, walking west from Via Solferino, when the elegant streets of Brera suddenly open onto something unexpected: forty-seven hectares of lawns, ancient trees and winding paths, with a Renaissance castle at one end and a triumphal arch at the other. This is Parco Sempione, and for guests staying at Taylor's Love Solferino B&B it is the easiest escape in the city.
Parco Sempione, Milan. Photo: Pe-Jo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Getting There from Our B&B
On foot: approximately 1.1 km, about 14 minutes from Via Solferino 56. Walk down Via Solferino, continue along Via Pontaccio and Via Tivoli, and you arrive at the park entrance beside Castello Sforzesco.
By metro: from Moscova (M2 green line), 300 metres from the B&B, take one stop to Lanza. The park entrance is directly outside the station. Journey time: around 6 minutes door to door.
A Park Built on a Ducal Hunting Ground
Parco Sempione occupies land that once belonged to the Visconti and Sforza dukes, who used it as a private hunting reserve behind their castle. Napoleon later imagined a grand imperial forum here. What we walk through today was laid out between 1888 and 1894 by the architect Emilio Alemagna, who designed it in the English romantic style: no rigid symmetry, but curving paths, artificial hills, a small lake and carefully framed views.
What to See Inside the Park
- Arco della Pace – the neoclassical triumphal arch at the north-western end, begun in 1807 and crowned by a bronze chariot drawn by six horses.
- Torre Branca – a slender 108-metre steel tower designed by Gio Ponti in 1933. The lift to the top offers one of the finest panoramas in Milan.
- Castello Sforzesco – the vast fifteenth-century fortress that closes the park's south-eastern side, home to museums and to Michelangelo's final, unfinished Pieta Rondanini.
- Triennale Milano – the design and architecture museum on the park's western edge, with a rooftop terrace and an excellent bookshop.
- Arena Civica Gianni Brera – a neoclassical amphitheatre from 1807, still used for athletics and concerts.
- Ponte delle Sirenette – a small cast-iron bridge from 1842, guarded by four mermaids, moved here from the old Naviglio canals.
- Acquario Civico – a jewel of Liberty architecture from 1906, just beyond the Arena.
Practical Information
- Opening hours: daily from 06:30, closing between 20:00 and 23:30 depending on the season.
- Admission: free.
- Torre Branca: approximately 6 euro, open selected days and afternoons – check before travelling.
- Triennale Milano: exhibitions from around 12 to 18 euro.
- Best time to visit: early morning for quiet and soft light, or late afternoon when Milan comes out to walk, run and sit under the trees.
- Booking ahead: not required for the park itself.
What to Do Nearby
The park sits between three of Milan's most rewarding districts. To the east is Brera, with the Pinacoteca and its cobbled streets. To the north, past the Arco della Pace, runs Corso Sempione with its cafes and aperitivo terraces. To the south lies the Quadrilatero della Moda and, a little further, the Duomo.
Why Staying in Brera Makes the Difference
Guests often tell us the same thing: in Milan, the district you sleep in changes the whole trip. Taylor's Love Solferino B&B sits in Zone 1, the historic centre, at Via Solferino 56 – between Brera, Moscova and Corso Garibaldi. Parco Sempione, the Duomo, the Pinacoteca and the Navigli are all reachable on foot or with a single metro ride.
For travellers looking for a short stay apartment in Milan centre rather than an anonymous hotel room, the B&B offers free self check-in with a smart lock, so you can arrive at any hour without waiting for anyone. Porta Garibaldi FS station, 700 metres away, connects directly to Malpensa Airport with the Malpensa Express.
Step out of the door in the morning, walk fifteen minutes, and you are under the trees of Parco Sempione before the city has properly woken up.
PROVA PERSISTENZA 456