Discovering the Royal Villa of Monza: the summer residence of the Empress Maria Teresa of Austria

Are you in Brianza or nearby? Don’t miss to visit the  Royal Villa of Monza, i.e. Villa Reale: a wonderful architectural and naturalistic jewel.
The Reggia of Monza includes:

• Royal Villa, which has been recently restored and is articulated on the ground floor, first noble floor, noble floor and Belvedere,
• the largest enclosed park across Europe with its 700 hectares, crossed by the Lambro river, hosting gardens with ultra-secular plants.

If you know Monza only for its Formula 1 circuit, one of the oldest in the world and enclosed in the Reggia of Monza, it’s time to discover this park and visit Villa Reale to discover the history and revive the splendor of the past.

There would be a lot to say about this place just few minutes from Lecco and so rich in charm.
We like to offer you a taste about Villa Reale and its park to let you discover directly the artistic, historical and natural richness of this place.

A bit of history on the Reggia of Monza

Villa Reale was builded as summer residence at the wish of the Empress Maria Teresa of Austria for his son Ferdinand of Habsburg, governor of the Austrian Lombardy since 1771.
Monza was chosen for its strategic position on the Milan-Vienna communication route and for the beauty of Brianza’s territory.
The assignment was entrusted to the architect Giuseppe Piermarini, who in only three years, from 1777 to 1780, completed this architectural masterpiece, inspired by the masterpiece of Vanvitelli’s Reggia of Caserta.
Villa Reale, first used by the Austrians and later became Royal Palace with the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, maintained its function until the Italian Monarchy of the Savoy, the last Royals to use it.

Villa Reale
The neoclassical building has a C-shaped layout and a central reception block. Two side wings were attached to the central body of the manor and guest rooms, as well as two sections perpendicular to the main, intended for servitude, stables, and tools.
The stylistic choice made for the exterior is linked to a rigorous essence, with no-frills, which we find in interior decoration as well.
700 rooms in total, on three levels:

• first piano primo 
  with the reception rooms, the real flats, the ballroom and the library of Umberto I and Margherita di Savoia;
• second piano nobile
  is connected to the first one by the ladder of honor, where the private guest apartments are located, including the apartment of the Emperors of Germany, the Duchess of Genoa and the Prince of Naples;
• Belvedere
  the servants’  apartments and the lounge with an exciting view of the park.

The complex of Villa Reale is composed by other places of interest:

• the Royal Chapel
  has a circular interior, with a Greek cross layout. It houses stucco, friezes and rosettes. On the higher altar there is an altarpiece of the Immaculate Virgin, to which the chapel is dedicated to;
• the Orangery
  a large 100-meter long greenhouse that contained rare plants from all over the world. The light came from 26 arched windowsill.
  After its restoration, it is now used as a venue for a modern art exhibition;
• the Rose Garden
  wanted by the Candy President, Niso Fumagalli, was created in 1964, inspired by the largest European rosettes. A charming place with a pond and paths for visitors. Today is the venue for competitions for the most beautiful roses from all over the world;
  the Court Theatres
  small with only 100 seats, but a real gem. It has a wooden stage and scenic backdrop with mythological subject, ceiling with tiled vault, while the ceiling of the hall is frescoed with floral motifs, musical instruments and masks with very bright colors. Two pillars delimit the boccascena decorated with geometric rosettes painted with contrasting colors;
• the Appiani Roundhouse
  is the only circular architectural element of the complex. Built in 1791, the Roundhouse was conceived by Piermarini as a place where the Duke of Habsburg could entertain his guests with musical water shows, revolving chimneys and doors that disappeared. This roundhouse is connected to the Villa by a mirror door that hides a secret passage.
• the Gardens
  are of a small size compared to the park: 40 hectares where we find ultra-secular and rare plants, which constitute a natural heritage of considerable interest and value. The gardens are located along a virtual axis connecting the Villa to Milan.

Monza is worlwide famous for Formula 1

Cover’s image: Ph. Mario Donadoni archive Consorzio Villa Reale and Parco di Monza

Watch the video about the Royal Apartments of Reggia of Monza

Opening

Park

Open every day with free admission

• Winter time:
  Pedestrian entrances 7.00 – 20.30
  Vehicle entrances 7.00 – 19.00
• Summer timetable:
  Pedestrian entrances 7.00 – 21.30
  Vehicle entrances 7.00 – 20.30

Villa Reale Gardens

Open every day with. Free entry.

• Winter hours: from 7.00 to 18.30
• Summer opening hours: from 7.00 to 20.00

Villa Reale

Open Saturday and Sunday and public holidays from 10.30 to 18.30 (last admission 17.30)

• Full price €10
• Reduced €8

Rates

Starting from € 8.00

> Buy the ticket online

+ INFO: reggiadimonza.it

How to get there

• by car
  from Lecco – road SS 36 to Villasanta, then entrance through Porta Villasanta of the Park
  from Milano – road to Monza from V.le Zara, V.le Fulvio Testi, V.le Brianza, V.le Lombardia, Rondò dei Pini, Villa Reale, then entrance through Porta Monza to the Park; otherwise from Piazzale Loreto passing through Viale Monza, Sesto San Giovanni, V.le Casiraghi, V.le Brianza
  from Como and Varese – Autostrada A9 sino a Saronno, then SS 527, to Rondò dei Pini, then follow instructions as from Milan. You may also choose to drive passing through Bovisio Masciago to Desio,  porta Biassono or porta Vedano.
  Parking areas in the nearby:
  – main pay for parking of Reggia di Monza: Parking Viale Cavriga – Parco di Monza.
  The parking area hosts max 1200 cars.
  Other parking areas in Viale Regina Margherita and Via Petrarca.

•  by train
  By Linee Trenord, easy to get from Lecco and Milano. Monza railway station is quite near to the Reggia of Monza.
  You may get the bus from the station line Bus Z22 or the dedicated shuttle bus with the proper signal logo Villa Reale. The shuttle bus times are:
  – from the station to the Villa: 10 a.m., 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m.
  – from the Villa to the station: 2.00 p.m., 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The principal entrance to the Reggia di Monza is the one of Villa Reale – Viale Brianza,1 – Monza

The Park has three principal entrances:

• viale Cesare Battisti in Monza
• via S. Stefano in Vedano al Lambro
• via Farina in Villasanta

The entrances of Monza and Vedano al Lambro have car parks. In addition to the principal entrances, there are numerous pedestrian entrances.

Accommodations in Monza

Articolo aggiornato il 4 October 2023 da eccoLecco