FAI Via Lattea

From May to October 2015
Follow the “Milky Way” on foot or by bicycle and discover a local natural heritage
VIA LATTEA
More Agri-Culture = More Food, More Health, More Work, More Environmental Protection for Expo Milan 2015
Sunday 3rd of May 2015, Milan – Opening ceremony and presentation of the art work
“The Third Paradise – The Reinstated Apple” by Michelangelo Pistoletto
Sunday 17th and 31st of May, inauguration of the first two cycle/pedestrian circuits
Following the success of the past four editions, VIA LATTEA draws to a close in 2015. The project, conceived
and organized by FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano - in collaboration with Expo 2015 S.p.A, aims to promote and
foster agriculture as the key element defining the identity of the territory and sustaining its economic
development. This year VIA LATTEA plays an even more important role since Milan is hosting the Universal
Exposition on the theme “Feeding the planet, Energy for Life”. From May to October 2015 VIA LATTEA gives
people of all ages the chance to discover (and re-discover) the extraordinary natural and cultural heritage
surrounding the city of Milan. The city’s green belt is one of the largest in Europe, with over 47,000 hectares
dotted with farms, millenary abbeys, waterways, mills and historic hamlets. Furthermore, VIA LATTEA offers the
opportunity to familiarize with various topics related to alimentation through a joyous and engaging experience in
the open air.
The project was conceived in 2010 in an effort to mend the millenary relationship between city and countryside,
severed during the Twentieth century due to the industrialisation process. VIA LATTEA has grown throughout the
years – both from a geographical and temporal point of view- offering citizens the possibility to partake in ever
more diverse events. It especially worked towards raising awareness of a very important fact: that high quality
agriculture does not only mean good and genuine food but also new job opportunities; it attracts the right kind of
tourism; it prevents landscape and environmental degradation; and thus has to be safeguarded and fostered.
During the 6 months of Expo 2015, VIA LATTEA presents the same successful 8 cycle/pedestrian circuits of
the past editions – thanks to the key support of over 600 FAI volunteers. The dates of the circuits are also
available in the Expo in the City’s schedule of events. The itineraries are articulated in a series of stopovers and
are accessible to people of all ages. They unwind across areas of great environmental and cultural interest,
running along and across canals and rivers, creating an authentic journey through the Lombard waterways: from
the Adda and Oglio Rivers to the Naviglio of the Martesana; from the Olona River to the Naviglio Grande. The
circuits offer the possibility to visit farms and agricultural businesses, monuments and museums related to the
territory; to participate in art and crafts workshops, tasting of local produces, learning activities for children and
families, folk dances and much more.
In order to illustrate in greater detail the busy VIA LATTEA’s schedule, a grand opening ceremony will be held
on Sunday 3rd of May (recommended also in the Expo in the City’s calendar of events). It will be a full day to
enjoy in the open air with all your family. Throughout the day, the 8 cycle/pedestrian circuits of the year are
promoted to the public. The climax of the event is the presentation of the new artwork by Michelangelo
Pistoletto, “Terzo Paradiso – mela reintegrata”, at 11am in Piazza Duomo. The art piece has a strong visual
impact and is curated by Cittadellarte – Pistoletto Foundation. It was conceived from an idea and in collaboration
with FAI, with the sponsorship of the Municipality of Milan.
The Apple is 8 meters high - covered with green grass, bitten and reinstated - and will remain in Piazza Duomo
from the 3rd to the 18th of May. The artwork symbolizes the possibility of an harmonious relationship between
nature and artifice: this is the same harmony VIA LATTEA wishes to achieve by bringing Milan once again
closer to its surrounding agricultural territories and landscape. The presentation is followed by an amusing
performance by FAI volunteers and Cittadellarte: they will build the Third Paradise around the Apple using bails
of hay coming from the farms of Parco Agricolo Sud. This will create a large sitting area for members of the
public in Piazza Duomo until the 18th of May.
The celebrations will carry on in Piazza del Duomo with family-oriented activities, such as kite-making
workshops. Many other events will be simultaneously taking place at the Castello Sforzesco and Parco Sempione.
In particular, there will be eight stands for each of the eight circuits of VIA LATTEA 2015 scattered around the
street going from Piazza Duomo to the Castello Sforzesco. FAI volunteers will give guided tours to the principal
monuments and palaces along the way. In addition, an exciting Treasure Hunt for children will take place on the
corner between Via Dante and Via Rovello, by the headquarters of Expo 2015 S.p.A (3 € minimum contribution
fee, free participation for FAI members and new/renewed subscribers on the day).
At the Castello Sforzesco, both in the Court (“Cortile delle Armi”) and in nearby spaces by the castle’s walls, a
great market of local food sees 70 Lombard farms selling their produces directly to the public. Videos of the VIA
LATTEA project and the Lombard countryside are displayed in the Conference Room of the “Achille Bertarelli’s
Prints”. The following activities are also taking place in the castle: descriptive boards of the Parco Agricolo Sud
Milano; a cheese and bread production workshop; guided tours of the Arazzi Trivulziani and the Castle’s
collection of “kitchen utensils and tableware”; playgrounds for children.
At the Parco Sempione, the public can take a tour by bicycle or on foot with FAI volunteers in order to discover
the flora of the park and its various monuments. It is also possible to fly on the big VIA LATTEA’s hot air
balloon (10 € minimum contribution fee - adult + child -, 5 € for FAI members and new/renewed subscribers on
the day), and watch the acrobatic kites’ show.
Finally, both the Palazzina Appiani and the Arena Civica are open to the public and will feature actors and
jugglers’ performances for the joy of both young and old audiences.
Visitors can collect material on VIA LATTEA’s events and subscribe to FAI at every Info Point - where many
volunteers are ready to provide assistance throughout the day. In addition, the website of the event
www.faivialattea.it will be regularly updated with photographs, videos, press releases, the latest news on the
circuits and relevant themes such as agriculture, ecology and alimentation.
VIA LATTEA invites you to discover the countryside and the precious Lombard waterways with 8 interesting
cycle/pedestrian circuits taking place between May and October:
- Sunday 17th of May – The Parks around Expo. From the Parco di Trenno in Settimo Milanese, across the
Parco delle Cave and Boscoincittà
The circuit moves across the Parks to the West of Milan - from Trenno (a urban park now) to the Parco delle
Cave with the ancient Cascina Linterno. The Municipality of Milan is currently restoring this farm, in order for it
and the surrounding areas to reinstate the original agricultural production. The circuit then proceeds towards
North, across cultivated lands, to reach the Bosco della Giretta and Settimo Milanese. Here it is possible to visit
Palazzo d’Adda - featuring frescos by the school of Bernardo Luini -, the historic tram “Gamba de Legn” (Peg
Leg Tram) and the 1468 Mantegazza Oratory. On its way back to Milan, the circuit goes through Boscoincittà, an
area of springs managed by Italia Nostra, also in charge of the repopulation of the local fauna.
- Sunday 31st of May – Stars and Stables along the Martesana Canal. The Naviglio of the Martesana, between
Cernusco sul Naviglio and Gorgonzola
The Naviglio Piccolo Canal, linking Milan to the River Adda, characterises the land known as the
Martesana. Here the city merges into the countryside and villages, which still preserve an interesting cultural and
environmental heritage despite the urban development of recent decades. There’s no better way to discover the
Martesana than by bicycle. Pedalling alongside the Naviglio canal means immersing youself in the Lombardy
countryside with its historical villages, “Villas of Delight”, cultivated lands and good food.
- Sunday 14th of June – The Gonzaga Lands. Isola Dovarese and the Parco Oglio Sud
All along the circuit, between farmhouses, stables, parks and 18th century villas, it is possible to find pleasant
places to eat at various farms, which, for the occasion, will also offer visitors various learning activities. Churches
with 15th century frescoes and magnificent views complement the itinerary, which also gives the adventurous
chance to have an exciting dinghy ride down the River Oglio.
- Sunday 28th of June – The Thousand Souls of a Monastery. Discovering the territory around the Torba
Monastery
The circuit departs from the railway station of Tradate and the first stopover is at the Frera Motorcycle Museum.
Frera was a motorcycle company active from 1905 to 1936, an excellent example of Italian industrial innovation.
The itinerary proceeds on to the Torba Monastery, FAI property in Gornate Olone. With over a thousand years of
history the monastery is surrounded by woods belonging to the archaeological park at Castelseprio, declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Past the Archaeological Park, the circuit reaches the church of Santa Maria
Foris Portas. Then, cycling along the Olona River, it passes by the Santa Maria Assunta Monastery in Cairate, a
splendid Benedictine complex, founded during the Longobard Age on a much older Roman settlement.
- Sunday 13th September – Zibido San Giacomo. The art of the land
This circuit features some of the most interesting farms of the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, both from an historical
and an architectural point of view – an example is Cascina Cà Grande. Visits to dairy farms are organised as well
as guided tours to discover water meadows and the local flora and fauna. A full calendar of events and learning
activities has been drawn up, including a concert in collaboration with MI-TO music festival.
- Sunday 20th of September – Water, Rice and biodiversity. Gaggiano along the Naviglio Grande, between
farms
Gaggiano’s most striking feature is the purity of its waters coming directly from the same springs that made the
Lombard Plane one of the most fertile lands in Europe. The cultivation of rice has characterised the Milanese
landscape so much to the point that it made it one of the most important centres for its commerce both in Italy and
in the Continent. The circuit unwinds through lands diligently cultivated since centuries, full of unique
architectonic sights.
- Sunday 4th of October – Pizzighettone Formigara. Parco Adda Sud
Explore the countryside around the Adda and Serio Morto Rivers departing from the fortified city of
Pizzighettone: You can visit fodder fields, a farmers’ market, experience milking and grinding corn flour in local
farmhouses, as well as taste locally produced refreshments and snacks. From the docking points of Gera
(Pizzighettone) and Formigara it is possible to cruise down the river with a guide from Parco Adda Sud.
- Sunday 25th October – Between Albairate and Cisliano, among farms and springs. Autumn in the Parco
Agricolo Sud Milano
This circuit is right at the heart of Milan’s Parco Agricolo Sud, in the municipalities of Albairate and Cisliano,
running along the Naviglio Grande. The canal is the foremost proof of the importance of waterways in the area, a
system that flourished thanks to the abundance of water gushing from the dense network of springs and artificial
canals.
VIA LATTEA is a five-year project run by FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano – with Expo 2015 S.p.A., the support
of the Camera di Commercio di Milano and the sponsorships of the Comune di Milano, Città Metropolitana di
Milano, Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, Regione Lombardia, in collaboration with Confagricoltura Lombardia,
Coldiretti Lombardia, Copagri e FIAB onlus.
VIA LATTEA is made possible by the precious contribution of Ferrarelle, official FAI mineral water. The Italian
brand Ferrarealle has always championed environmental protection, sustaining projects such as the development
of the Parco Sorgenti di Riardo, realised in collaboration with FAI. Ferrarelle wishes to renew its friendly
relationship with FAI supporting for the first time VIA LATTEA as main sponsor.
Many thanks also to Intesa Sanpaolo, always a close advocate of the Foundation; Italian brand Riso Scotti Snack,
previously technical sponsor and this year sponsor for the first time; and the Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano for
renewing its sponsorship to the project.
With thanks also to ATM and Piacere Terra as technical sponsors.
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