Discover Saronno

Saronno offers a range of ways to shape your stay: architecture and collections, industrial history, theatre, local food culture or time spent outdoors. If you’re looking for a hotel in Saronno, these themes can help you choose the focus of your trip. The city tells its story not only through individual buildings, but also through art, production and traditions passed down over time.

Villa Gianetti and its collections

Villa Gianetti was commissioned and built by the Gianetti family in 1919 in the Lombard Neo-Renaissance style. It is considered an important example of the late phase of Eclecticism. The villa houses the De Rocchi collection, dedicated to the painter Francesco De Rocchi, and the Cavallari collection, in honour of the soprano Giuditta Pasta. The way the collections are displayed may change from time to time.

During opening hours, visitors can explore the collections independently at no charge, and guided tours are available for small groups. Check visiting hours before travelling. A dedicated tour, “La Divina | Giuditta Pasta,” tells the singer’s story through her diary, illustrated curtains and personal belongings. The visit to the villa can therefore also focus on Giuditta Pasta and the tour’s storytelling elements.

Ceramics and industrial history

Opened in 1994, the Museo Giuseppe Gianetti displays fine ceramics from the 18th century and the present day. The museum is housed in a villa dating from 1940. The collection’s chronological range presents older ceramics alongside contemporary works; visitors interested in craftsmanship will find a different perspective here than in the De Rocchi and Cavallari collections at Villa Gianetti.

The MILS – Museo delle Industrie e del Lavoro del Saronnese is dedicated to the development of industry in the Saronno area. Its collection includes products and machinery from notable companies that operated in the region. Its scope extends from the second half of the 19th century to the economic boom of the 1960s, covering important chapters in Lombard and wider industrial history. MILS thus complements the themes of art and ceramics with the history of work and manufacturing.

Art, theatre and local traditions

Four large paintings by Stefano Maria Legnani, known as Il Legnanino, dating from the early 18th century are on display in the Biblioteca Civica at Casa Morandi. They depict the myth of Bacchus and Ariadne as told in Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” The building itself also has a long history: Casa Morandi was established at the end of the 16th century under the name “Osteria dell’Angelo” as a place to eat for pilgrims visiting the nearby Santuario. In the 18th century, it became an important horse-post station on the Milan–Como–Varese route towards the Alpine passes.

The Teatro Giuditta Pasta offers a varied programme of drama, music, dance, opera, operetta and comedy. It also runs educational and theatre workshops for people of all ages. If you’re interested in the performing arts, the theatre and workshops offer a cultural experience that complements the museums.

Amaretti biscuits and amaretto liqueur are also closely associated with Saronno and have made the city’s name known around the world. A local legend tells of their origins: during a visit by Milanese Cardinal Benedetto Erba Odescalchi to the Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli in 1718, a young couple is said to have made round biscuits from sugar, apricot kernels and egg whites. This story should be understood as local tradition.

Park and cycle path

If you’d like to include a visit to a green space in your stay, Parco territoriale di Saronno has around five hectares of woodland planted with native species and four hectares of walkable meadows. The park also has a picnic area with a drinking fountain. Facilities may change, so it is advisable to check current conditions before planning a picnic.

From the park in Saronno, a cycle path more than two kilometres long passes through a small wood to Rovello Porro and then continues to Rovellasca. The route and access conditions may change due to maintenance or other circumstances, so check before setting out. This gives you a specific cycling option, while the meadows and woodland plantings make the park another theme to include in your stay.

When choosing your hotel, consider whether collections and architecture, theatre, local traditions, or the park and cycle path are the main focus of your trip. Then base your choice on the visits you have planned and compare the details of the hotel options available.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Solbiate Olona, Fagnano Olona, Gerenzano, Campagnano, Brusimpiano, Vergiate, Biandronno, Bedero Valcuvia

For the broader travel overview: Varese.