Culture and art

Ultima modifica 26 luglio 2023

The territory of Zibido San Giacomo is rich in historical places and the new Zigò cycle path connects all the most interesting one starting from the ancient farmhouses. To date there are still 29 farms and many of them have been restructured and revalued. Same are thriving farms that produce rice, meat and cheese. In the past, farms represented the fulcrum of the productive activities. The more isolated ones tended to take on the appearance of real fortresses with large perimeter walls and towers such as the Femegro farmhouse, an example of the typical fifteenth-century fortified farmhouse in which, still today, four corner towers dominate the curtain wall. Cascina Salterio has become a museum, the MUSA (Salterio Museum - Taste and Landscape Warehouse). A visit to the museum’s multimedia rooms is a great way to learn more about the history, customs and traditions of the Milan area. Here you can find in-depth information on agricultural works, the countryside and the cultivation of the main agricultural products.

In the territory of Zibido there are also numerous churches and chapels, which still represent an important artistic and architectural testimony. Some of them rise near the larger farms but the most important religious building is in the town center and it is the sixteenth-century church of Saint James. According to a tradition, the body of Saint James was transported here using the sarcophagus now in the city square. For this reason, a church named after him was built.

Another fundamental historical element of this territory is the Naviglio Pavese, the canal which connects Milan to Pavia. The Visconti, the Milanese ruling family, built the first canal but it was not navigable until 1819 when it was inaugurated. This work of engineering played a fundamental role for the whole area guaranteeing abundant irrigation to the fields and faster movement of goods and passengers to Milan and Pavia.

Going through the 20 km of the Zigò ring route you can admire all these cultural environments and get to know them in depth thanks to the presence of 8 columns with as many QR codes that refer to specific in-depth studies.