Monza

22 km from our Hotel
History is everywhere at Monza, which has been hosting the Italian Grand Prix since the 1920s. The old, banked oval track is still visible near the Monza circuit used today. The 5.7-kilometer, or 3.5-mile, circuit has four long straights where speeds can reach 340 kph or more. The circuit, which every year hosts the Italian Grand Prix, is also known as “La Pista Magica,” and the Italian fans, or “tifosi”, who flock to the circuit are as legendary as the home Ferrari team that they worship.

Monza, 15 kilometers north of Milan, is the third-largest city in Lombardy and an economic, industrial and administrative center with textile and publishing industries. It has a population of more than 120.000 and is a cross between a suburb and a small provincial town. In its long history, Monza was subject on and off to rule from Milan, but it is now the capital of the Monza and Brianza Province and is surrounded by many other small towns — including Desio, Lissone and Arcore — and filled with restaurants, shopping areas and residential neighborhoods.

Evidence of human inhabitation in the area goes back to the Bronze Age. It is primarily known, however, for its Romanesque-Gothic Duomo of Monza and the royal park in which the racetrack is located. The park was created in 1777 along with a royal villa for Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. Twice the size of Central Park in New York City, it is one of the biggest urban parks in Europe.

But for the world-travelling Formula One fan, the greatest tourism asset aside from the race and the historic track is that it is only a short train or car ride — about 20 minutes — from Milan. Mixing the race with opera, nightlife, fine dining, fashion or museums is thus a main event at the Italian Grand Prix.