Castiglione Olona
A Renaissance village in the Olona valley, with frescoes by the Tuscan painter Masolino da Panicale.
The story
In the 1420s and 1430s Cardinal Branda Castiglioni, who had lived in Florence and Rome, turned his birthplace into a small ideal town in the Tuscan style, bringing in Florentine artists. Masolino frescoed the baptistery with the stories of Saint John the Baptist, among the first examples of Renaissance perspective in Lombardy. That is why the village is called 'an island of Tuscany in Lombardy'.
Why go
A Florentine Renaissance half an hour from Milan, with no queues at all.
In the itineraries
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Weather forecast
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
Getting there
- By train. The nearest station is Venegono Superiore-Castiglione Olona station, 1.5 km away (about 25 minutes on foot). Alternatively: Venegono Inferiore station, 2.5 km away.
- By air. The nearest airport is Milan-Malpensa Airport (MXP), about 18 km away.
- Parking. There are many signposted car parks within a kilometre; the nearest is 150 m away.
- ZTL. Many Italian historic centres are limited traffic zones (ZTL) monitored by cameras: if you arrive by car, leave it outside the centre and check opening times and permits on the town council's website (your hotel may be able to register your plate).
Stations, ports, airports and car parks from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); distances as the crow flies. Timetables and connections change: check them before you travel.
Climate month by month
The most pleasant months for weather are from June to September, with average highs between 18 and 29 °C. The wettest month is May (about 155 mm), the driest January.
| Month | Temperature | High / low | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | from 0 to 7 °C | 7° 0° | 48 |
| Feb | from 2 to 10 °C | 10° 2° | 66 |
| Mar | from 5 to 13 °C | 13° 5° | 80 |
| Apr | from 8 to 17 °C | 17° 8° | 95 |
| May | from 13 to 21 °C | 21° 13° | 155 |
| Jun | from 18 to 25 °C | 25° 18° | 134 |
| Jul | from 20 to 28 °C | 28° 20° | 109 |
| Aug | from 20 to 28 °C | 28° 20° | 127 |
| Sep | from 15 to 23 °C | 23° 15° | 116 |
| Oct | from 11 to 19 °C | 19° 11° | 153 |
| Nov | from 6 to 12 °C | 12° 6° | 100 |
| Dec | from 2 to 8 °C | 8° 2° | 62 |
Averages for 2015–2024, estimated for an altitude of 321 m. Air: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), corrected for the altitude of the place; rain: average monthly total. These are indicative values: the weather on any given day can be very different, so always check the forecast before you go.
On foot and on the water, nearby
Nearby
- Sacred Mountain of VareseHistory and art · 13 km as the crow flies
- ComoTown · 18 km as the crow flies
- ★ Santa Caterina del SassoHistory and art · 24 km as the crow flies
- Villa del BalbianelloHistory and art · 35 km as the crow flies
- ★ Isola ComacinaHistory and art · 35 km as the crow flies
- MonzaTown · 36 km as the crow flies