Could you imagine a farm so ill-conceived that it earned the nickname “Mal pensàa”? That’s “bad idea” in Lombard dialect. Today we are standing in front of Cascina Malpensa.
Cascina Malpensa is a Lombard farmhouse. It dates back to the 18th century. It sits among Somma Lombardo Casorate Sempione Lonate Pozzolo and Gallarate. The farm is in the Gradenasca moorland.
The story of Cascina Malpensa begins in the late 1700s. The Tosi family from Busto Arsizio started reclaiming land here. This was made possible by an edict. Empress Maria Theresa of Austria issued it in 1779. It allowed people to buy and cultivate unused land.
The land around Cascina Malpensa had never been farmed before. The soil was too acidic. Nothing could grow. So it gained the nickname “Mal pensàa”.
Around 1789 the Tosi family started to cultivate the purchased land.
The Tosi family owned it until the early 1800s. The Galbiati family and lawyer Casanova owned it later. In its heyday Cascina Malpensa housed many people. There were about 24 families that is about 150 people. The land was fertile. It had mulberry trees grape vines and fruit trees. Chestnut trees surrounded the property.
However things changed in 1832. The Austrian government took over the land. They used it for military exercises. Cascina Malpensa became Marshal Josef Radetzky’s headquarters. This was during the Battle of Novara.
After Italy united in 1861 Cascina Malpensa became a cavalry barracks. The Kingdom of Italy’s Ministry of War acquired the property in 1886. Farming stopped. The families living there moved away. The land became barren.
But the story of Cascina Malpensa doesn’t end there. In 1909 the Caproni brothers needed a place to build airplanes. A friend suggested Cascina Malpensa. Federico Caproni wrote about it. He said the area was a deserted plain. It was perfect for aviation.
On May 27 1910 the first Caproni airplane took flight here. Cascina Malpensa became the birthplace of Italian aviation. The Caproni brothers built their first hangar nearby. Soon after the “Aeroporto di Città di Somma Lombardo” was established thanks to entrepreneurs from Busto Arsizio. Later it became Milan Malpensa Airport.
Today Cascina Malpensa looks different. In the 20th century it was converted into apartments. Military families stationed at Malpensa lived here. It is located near Terminal 2.
Inside the courtyard a plaque honors Captain Luigi Bailo. He was a decorated aviation pioneer. He died in combat in 1916. Since 1925 the military section of the airport has been dedicated to him.
Cascina Malpensa stands as a reminder of the past. It was once a failed farm. Later it became the birthplace of Italian aviation. It shows how even a “bad idea” can lead to great things.