Once a monastery, today a vibrant community hub. That’s Cascina Sant’Ambrogio for you. This place boasts a history stretching back a millennium. Cascina Sant’Ambrogio has transformed over the centuries.
Imagine life here in the 1900s. Agricultural work dictated the rhythm of daily life at Cascina Sant’Ambrogio. Horses helped plow the surrounding fields. Cows provided milk for sale and direct consumption. Franco recalls those days. He went to the farmers market every morning. He sold produce from Cascina Sant’Ambrogio. Some restaurants still remember his zucchini flowers.
Mario Gorlini lives at Cascina Sant’Ambrogio. He recounts how people lived and worked here. He remembers when Lambrate was a separate town. He tells of bombs shaking the walls during the war. They destroyed a neighboring farmhouse.
Around the year 2000, agricultural activities ceased at Cascina Sant’Ambrogio. The farmhouse began to suffer. It lacked new energy. In May 2012, ten young Milanese residents stepped in. One of them was Mario Gorlini’s grandson. They began cleaning and opening the farmhouse spaces to the public.
Initially, the Gorlini family supported the project. The group formed the CasciNet Social Promotion Association in November 2012. They started designing the future of the place. For over a year, the project thrived. It grew thanks to immense volunteer efforts. They desired to build a meeting point for Milan with deep historical roots.
Their work resulted in a formal expression of interest to the City of Milan. On July 4, 2014, they received a three-year concession. To better align with its agricultural roots, they formed an agricultural company in February 2016. They signed a thirty-year concession contract. A long journey began towards the future for Cascina Sant’Ambrogio.
CasciNet is an active non-profit association. Its members share a dream. They want to restore Cascina Sant’Ambrogio as a vital agricultural hub. They want to make it an accessible part of the city’s economy. In an era of fleeting finances, some considered this place obsolete. CasciNet sees this differently. The Cascina is rich in culture. It holds memory and practices. These elements must be rethought. They must integrate with the needs of our time.
They are motivated by a vision. They also feel a need to reclaim their city. They want to be more than consumers and voters. They strive to be producers and active citizens. They want to transform a portion of reality. This journey stems from a collective demand. People increasingly seek sustainable and alternative lifestyles. They need suitable spaces to realize them.
CasciNet analyzes the needs of the community. It tackles problems. It identifies strengths and weaknesses. It acts inclusively through agriculture, art, cuisine, and hospitality. It creates a sustainable economic and social model.
Cascina Sant’Ambrogio promotes culture. It sees it as an authentic expression of humanity. The farmhouse connects different areas necessary for life. These are nourishing, resting, working and cultivating. The people celebrate beauty, socialize, invent, meditate, and think. Generating culture means connecting people. It also means connecting practices, historical heritage, and innovative ideas. The local community helps recover the Cascina and surrounding land. Today, Cascina Sant’Ambrogio stands as a testament to community. It is a place where history and innovation meet.