Cambiago
Exploring Cambiago: Monuments and Places of Interest
Cambiago is an Italian municipality located in the metropolitan city of Milan, in Lombardy. With a population of 7,126 inhabitants, the territory of Cambiago is part of the Martesana and is of great interest to visitors thanks to its monuments and places of interest.
The Church of San Zenone (Cambiago) is certainly one of the most representative monuments. This church, inaugurated in 1911 and dedicated to the patron saint Zeno of Verona, stands in a square of the same name and contains three stained-glass windows made by Father Ambrogio Fumagalli, a monk artist from Cambiago. Recently, for the centenary of consecration, new bronze doors were inaugurated. A few meters away, in one of the typical courtyards of Lombardy, there is instead the church of San Giuseppe, restored and put back into operation in 1993.
In the hamlet of Torrazza, there is instead the church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, which houses a mosaic also made by Father Ambrogio Fumagalli. Among the civil buildings, Villa Perani, recently restored and whose garden has been turned into a public park, stands out. Palazzo Cottini, dating back to the eighteenth century, is now the seat of private residences. Finally, it is worth mentioning the municipal library and auditorium, which are housed in a restored old spinning mill called "Vecchia filanda", where the municipality newsletter is also published.
One cannot forget the Colnago plant, the company founded by the craftsman Ernesto Colnago, which has made Cambiago famous in the world of bicycle enthusiasts. Guided tours of the factory are held every year, which also houses a museum containing bikes, jerseys, and more significant memories of his life and career. In December 2022, a museum was also inaugurated, called "La Collezione", wanted by Ernesto Colnago and his family.
Society in Cambiago
Cambiago has seen its population grow over the centuries: it has in fact gone from 635 inhabitants in 1751 to 1,687 in 1859. The village festival, traditionally held on the last Sunday of August, kicks off the series of festivals that take place in September and October in many municipalities in the area. During the Cambiago festival, you can taste the "paciarella", a typical milk cake from the area. Also, the last Sunday of May is dedicated to the festival, this time celebrating the hamlet of Torrazza, with the culmination of the month dedicated to Mary.
The most important tradition of this festival is the pilgrimage, which takes place on the evening of the Monday following the festival, from the village to a sacred shrine in the fields around Torrazza representing the Madonna. Other important celebrations are the oratory festival in September, the feast of San Giuseppe on March 19th in the courtyard hosting the homonymous church, the Wheat Festival organized by the Municipality in June, and the Calcione tournament, reserved for Cambiago inhabitants, which was revived in 2008 in the wake of the old tradition originated in the Seventies-Eighties of the twentieth century.
Conclusions
Cambiago is a Lombard municipality that offers numerous places of interest, both from an artistic and cultural point of view. The Church of San Zenone and Colnago are among the favorite destinations of tourists and enthusiasts, but also the other churches and civil buildings are worth a visit. Local traditions, such as village festivals and the pilgrimage to the Madonna, further enrich the cultural heritage of this small Lombard reality.
