Cantalupo
Welcome to Cantalupo: the hamlet of the Municipality of Cerro Maggiore
Cantalupo is a hamlet of the Municipality of Cerro Maggiore, located in the alluvial zone of the high Po Valley, at an altitude of about 200 meters above sea level. Although it belongs to the Altomilanese area, it borders with Origgio, Nerviano, San Lorenzo (Parabiago), Uboldo and its own municipality. Thanks to the presence of the Mughetto Park, which covers an area of 1000 hectares, Cantalupo is completely surrounded by agricultural areas and constitutes one of the last green areas remaining in the Altomilanese area.
Physical Geography
Territory
The territory of Cantalupo is flat and is not crossed by watercourses, although the Olona river, the Villoresi canal and the Bozzente stream flow not far away. The village seems like an autonomous municipality, detached from Cerro Maggiore.
Mughetto Park
The Mughetto Park is an area of protection of the ecological corridor of the Bozzente and the agricultural-wooded areas of Origgio, Uboldo, Cantalupo and Cerro Maggiore. Due to its extension, Cantalupo is surrounded by agricultural areas and constitutes one of the last green areas remaining in the Altomilanese area.
History
The history of Cantalupo is closely linked to that of the Monastery of the Nuns, which dates back to the 12th-16th centuries and is mentioned in several historical documents. Floriana Crivelli, sister of Pope Urban III, founded a female monastery in the Cantalupo territory in 1189 and the nuns originally belonged to the Humiliati order, then to the Augustinians and finally to the Barefoot Franciscans. The Monastery of Santa Agnese in Milan was the first home of Floriana Crivelli, before receiving some lands in the territories of Origgio and Cantalupo and founding the female monastery. Cantalupo was an autonomous municipality until June 10, 1757, when it was abolished by an edict of Empress Maria Theresa.
Life in Cantalupo
Institutions
Cantalupo has a communal kindergarten dedicated to Don Angelo Luzzini and a communal elementary school. The hamlet also houses the church of Santa Marta, formerly linked to the Monastery of the Nuns, and the Cantalupo cemetery.
Events
Cantalupo celebrates annually the feast of its patron saint, Santa Marta, on July 29th. In the past, the hamlet hosted a cheese exhibition, but it does not exist anymore.
Businesses
Cantalupo boasts several commercial activities, including a pharmacy, a bar, a pizza by the slice place, a grocery store, and a pet shop. Moreover, in the Cantalupo territory, it is possible to visit various agricultural and wine-producing companies, which sell their products directly to customers.
Conclusions
Cantalupo is a small hamlet of the Municipality of Cerro Maggiore, located in the alluvial zone of the high Po Valley but surrounded by agricultural areas and the Mughetto Park. Its history is linked to the foundation of the Monastery of the Nuns by Floriana Crivelli, sister of Pope Urban III. Currently, the hamlet houses a communal kindergarten, an elementary school, the church of Santa Marta, and several commercial activities. For those who want to taste the typical products of the area, it is possible to visit various agricultural and wine-producing companies.
