The Indro Montanelli Gardens, Milan's first public park created in between 1782 and 1786, was designed by the architect Giuseppe Piermarini.

As they stand today, the Public Gardens extend between Corso Venezia, the Bastions of Porta Venezia , Via Manin and Via Palestro. In 2002, the area was named after the late Indro Montanelli, the famous journalist whose image is depicted in a statue near the Piazza Cavour entrance.

The current layout of the gardens, however, dates back to the mid-19th century and was designed by Giuseppe Balzaretto (1857-62 ) and Emilio Alemagna (1881), with an English layout. The garden features groves, ponds, hills and artificial rocks , statues and monuments to famous people with dense vegetation in spontaneous patterns that included natural and exotic essences.

This fenced park is frequented by a diverse public, from joggers and cyclists, to those who want to enjoy a drink in the countryside. Children can choose from three playgrounds and a recreation area with rides and a train.

Inside the Montanelli Gardens you can admire monumental trees, like the dawn redwood trees and a row of chestnut trees, and even a false cypress on the banks of the pond. There is also a specimen of a century-old sycamore.

The park includes museums and architectural heritage: Palazzo Dugnani, the Civic Museum of Natural History and the Ulrico Hoepli Planetarium. One interesting site to see in the nearby Museum of Natural History is the Butterfly Oasis: a corner of a tropical rainforest , where hundreds of multi-coloured butterflies fly about. Visitors to the gardens may also catch a glimpse of the spectacular plants and animals.