Parco Sempione
Parco Sempione is where Milan exhales. Spread across 386,000 square metres behind Castello Sforzesco, it is a proper English-style romantic park — winding paths, a small lake, plane trees and oaks old enough to dwarf everything beneath them — dropped into the middle of a city that otherwise rarely slows down.
Within its borders you'll find Gio Ponti's slender steel Torre Branca, a copy of Alberto Burri's Teatro Continuo, sculptures by Giorgio de Chirico and Arman, and the Palazzo dell'Arte, which still houses the Triennale di Milano. The park earns its keep on multiple levels.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to head straight for the benches near the lake on a weekday morning, before the paths fill up. The Fontana dell'acqua marcia — a fountain of oligomineral water built in the late 1920s — still runs, and locals actually drink from it. Torre Branca costs around six euros and the view repays it on a clear day.
The story behind Parco Sempione
The land was a military parade ground — the Piazza d'Armi — before the city commissioned Emilio Alemagna to transform it. Between 1888 and 1894, Alemagna laid out carriage avenues, a lake, and a belvedere, modelling the whole on the English romantic park tradition. Almost immediately it became a venue for major exhibitions: the 1894 and 1906 Milan International Exhibitions both took place here.
Giovanni Muzio's Palazzo dell'Arte arrived in 1933 for the Triennale exhibitions, and Gio Ponti's Torre Branca went up the same decade. A restoration in 1996 addressed the fence, the roads, and the park's botanical stock, returning it more or less to the form you walk through today.
Good to know
Entry is free. Gates open at 6:30 a.m. daily, closing at 9 p.m. October through April and at 11:30 p.m. in summer. Closest metro stops are Cadorna (M1) and Lanza (M2). Allow 1.5–2 hours for a walk; 3–4 if you add Torre Branca.
Late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable seasons — greenery is dense, temperatures are reasonable, and the light in the late afternoon catches the old trees well. In summer the park runs long hours and the shade is genuine relief; winter mornings can be cold and grey but the paths are quiet and often yours alone.
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What travellers say about Parco Sempione
I didn't expect much from this park but ended up loving it. Different areas for families, basket ball court, mini park for kids, cafes. Recommend a stroll. Lovely atmosphere early evening locals relaxing and exercising.
A lovely stretch of green space right behind the castle, with wide walking paths, open lawns, and a fair number of benches to sit and relax. It was a bit busy when we were there, but it still felt relatively calm overall, with room to spread out and enjoy the space. There were buskers/musicians performing with speakers, which at times were a little loud, but it added to the lively atmosphere. A nice spot to slow down after sightseeing and see a greener side of Milan.
Great park! quite wide and cheerful, there are plenty of cafes and places to get a good drink at. Great for picnics and cool kids' adventures. The great Paulawnia (hope I'm not mistaking it) tree that blossomed in magnificent pink at one corner is very impressive. Squirrels, tortoise, ducks with ducklings and other birds are showing off themselves there as well!
Huge Park with a castle, wedding style fountain and a drinking water fountains. You can easily spend around 2 hourse exploring here. A nice free area to browse on Milan. The wedding cake style fountain at the entrance is a very good photospot. Overall nice place to hangout.
Had a wonderful walk and explore of this beautiful park. Enjoyed a few spritz along the way at the kiosks, was a hot day after all. Friendly vendors. Really nice, tranquil and relaxing.
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