Looking for ideas for autumn weekends? The Ville Aperte in Brianza proposal has you covered for your weekends! In the heart of the Brianza area, even today there are historic villas, monasteries, gardens, landscapes, ancient buildings and places that normally keep their doors closed to the public. For a few weekends, though, they become stops on a journey through the history of Lombardy.
From September 19 to October 4, 2026 Ville Aperte in Brianza – Autumn Edition returns, the event that invites you to rediscover the territorial historical, artistic, and cultural heritage through guided tours, itineraries and special experiences. This year’s edition brings with it a particularly rich lineup of events: more than 240 villas and cultural assets are involved, distributed across 92 municipalities in the provinces of Monza and Brianza, Milan, Varese, Lecco and Como. The guiding thread is “Stories that endure,” an invitation to look at these places not only as monuments, but as containers of events, characters and transformations that continue to tell the story of the territory.
The emblematic villa is Villa Cusani Traversi Antona Tittoni in Desio
The symbolic heart of the 2026 edition will be Villa Cusani Traversi Antona Tittoni in Desio, one of the most important pleasure villas in Brianza. Its history spans several centuries: built on the site of an ancient Franciscan convent, it was transformed starting in the 17th century by the Cusani family into a country residence intended for leisure and social life. In the 18th century there was also the intervention of Giuseppe Piermarini, the architect who designed the Royal Villa of Monza and La Scala Theater in Milan. In the 19th century the villa was further transformed by Pelagio Palagi, with new decorative features and an English Romantic park.
The autumn program also allows visitors to explore the territory through green routes, strolls along waterways, thematic visits, itineraries focused on local history and even urban treasure hunts. An important portion of the program is also dedicated to kids and families, with experiences designed to bring even the youngest closer to the cultural and landscape heritage of Brianza.
What to see in Monza, Brianza and Lombardy
The calendar also includes the city of Monza, with several sites and itineraries that allow visitors to reinterpret the city through its history. Among the events are those dedicated to the Royal Villa of Monza, Villa Mirabello, the San Gerardino complex, and the Monza National Autodrome.
Among the autumn edition’s novelties there are also new itineraries dedicated to the city and its heritage, with routes that weave together architecture, industrial archaeology, monasteries and historical figures. A special appointment will be on September 27, when a route from Vimercate to Monza will guide participants on the traces of Saint Francis, passing by the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario, the Franciscan Convent of Oreno, and the Franciscan Convent and Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces.
The autumn edition thus sits within a calendar that goes beyond the classic villa visit, to discover lesser-known corners of Lombardy, from historic residences to landscapes, spanning art, memory, nature and local traditions. The complete program, with all locations, visit dates, times and booking details, is available on the official Ville Aperte website.
