San Giacomo Horses

The Agritourism San Giacomo Horses few steps away from Milan, is on the border between Arluno and the nearby town.  It is immersed in the Roccolo Park, a nature reserve of Lombardy region that for decades has also been devoted to the enhancement of agriculture and is scattered throughout with farmsteads.  Additionally, in the vicinity, are a WWF reserve, some fine woods, and the Regional Park of the Ticino Valley, dotted with abbeys and castles, and renowned for the production of the prestigious Oscietra caviar.  Milan, with its stunning architecture and artistic beauty, is a few kilometres away, and the city of Novara, known as “the most typically Lombard of the Piedmontese cities”, is only a 30-minute ride in the car.  Novara was founded by the Romans and boasts a tall Renaissance cupola, a splendid early Christian Baptistery, and the Medieval complex of the Broletto, which makes it well worth a visit. FieraMilano is also close at hand, just 20 minutes away from the Agritourism San Giacomo Horses.

The owner of Agritourism San Giacomo Horses reminisces: “Our passion for horses and love for the countryside have deep roots.  When he was just a boy my husband dreamed of riding with Tex Willer, the Western comics hero; whenever he went to his grandparents’ place in the country he felt his desire grow, this wish for a farm large enough to keep horses.

His wish was granted 25 years ago, when we bought this farmstead that had been built in the late 19th century in the area of Lombardy.  Our love of tradition has guided and helped us restore it to its original splendour, and we are still living our dream.  Jumper horses have replaced the cows, and stalls have been built in what used to be the cowshed.  Every year our broodmares give birth to magnificent foals in these new stalls, and we have created a spacious, bright indoor riding school in the old barn.  The drive that leads to the house is lined with trees and flanked by paddocks, where the corn fields used to be; our horses peek over their fences, eyeing the visitors with curiosity and in effect welcoming them to our place.  The old oven is still in working conditions and holds a very special place: for many years, and almost to this day, it baked fresh bread for the whole community every week, and our farm is still a point of reference for the local farmers and their families.  By opening our house to holidaymakers we intended to share these traditions and emotions with those willing to rediscover them.”

The main building of the Agritourism San Giacomo Horses is a two-storey farmhouse painted in pink that extends horizontally, just twenty minutes away from Milan   A spacious veranda with view of the park runs along the property and is open for a breakfast of organic products.  Guests can choose to stay in our ample rooms or in the spacious apartments, all decorated with floral motifs.  Sanderson wallpaper, with delicately coloured or monochromatic floral patterns, hangs on the walls, and exquisite flowers are printed on the bedspreads, in perfect harmony with the prevailing palette of mauves and blues.  Furniture and bedsteads are painted in a distressed white finish, and fired bricks cover the floors.  The double room with four-poster bed and country-style furniture will charm the most romantic of our guests.