Lying at the border between Como and Milan, Brianza has historically been a vacation destination, thanks to its verdant countryside and, as a consequence, its religious sanctuaries and noble residences. The most important destination is Monza, a historic city and important industrial hub, whose historic center preserves several monuments.
The Cathedral, built in the 13th Century, contains the famous Corona Ferrea or Iron Crown, bearing precious stones and that, according to tradition, was wrought with a nail from Jesus's Cross.
The fascinating Serpero Museum hosts the treasures of the Cathedral.
The Villa Reale, built in the neoclassical style by Piermarini at the end of the 18th Century, possesses a sumptuous interior with a court theatre, a hemispheric room, a chapel and the Hall of Honor. The Civic Painting Gallery is located in its northern wing.
A little beyond the Villa Reale is the entrance to a splendid park, one of the largest in Europe, traversed by the River Lambro and by numerous lanes dotted with stables, windmills, farmhouses, tempietti, golf and polo courses and the circuit famously used for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The Autodromo di Monza (Monza Racetrack) is the largest car-racing circuit in Italy, and is regarded as a significant technical achievement. It has been continuously updated and equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Ten minutes from Monza are Oreno and Vimercate. Oreno is famous for its courtyards and farmhouses that alternate with luxurious villas - for instance Villa Gallarati Scotti, in the historic center, and Villa Borromeo, housing a series of frescoes from the second half of the 15th Century. ?Vimercate boasts the neoclassical Villa Sottocasa, the historical residence of Barbarossa and Bernabò Visconti.
