THE HISTORY OF THE ABBEY...
The
Santa Maria di Morimondo Abbey, in the proximity of
Abbiategrasso (Milan), begins its history on October 1134, the 4th, thanks to the arrival of a group of monks came from the French monastery of
Morimond, considered its motherhouse in Bourgogne.
On
November 1136, the 11th, the building began and from then that site became a cultural and spiritual centre in this patch of Lombardia, which
Ticino laps, at the border between Milan and Pavia.
Already in the first years it was a progressive expansion in the number of vocations: in 1153 was founded the
Acquafredda Abbey, near to
Como, and in 1169 the
Casalvolone Abbey, near to Novara.
A remarkable and meaningful sign of the vocation richness is attested by the very flourishing activity of the
scriptorium.
Also the agricultural point of view showed a meaningful growth of grange and mills covering a surface of about 7900 acres (XIII century), of which two-third was cultivated and one-third was wood.
... AND THE TICINO PARK
Today the itinerary between Milan and Pavia travels across one of the most flourishing agricultural area of Italy. Some years ago the situation was different. Around Milan and Pavia, and along the Ticino, extended the "
foresta planiziale" (i.e. the plain), that grew on the
Padan Plain.
In the
Middle ages monks began the first drainage, then extended by feudatories. Only after two important events that he future of agricultural world changed: in the XV century the rice was imported from the East and at the end of XVI century the corn was imported from Columbia. The
grasses were in fact destined to upset an earth that the wealth of water paid so suited to satisfying the demands of this crops.
The swap and poor area began to change completely its aspect assuming the today´s characteristics. Only the wood through the
Ticino river survived. To protect this botanical oasis, at the middle of seventies, Lombardia and Piemonte decided to put this precious natural richness under the environmental protection.
So, the
Parco Lombardo della Valle del Ticino (Regional Park) was born. It extends up to a surface of about 223.880 acres, of which about 42.000 acres are woods, on the territory of 3 provinces, Varese, Milan and Pavia, and 46 towns.
The Park´s aim is to preserve the Ticino water and his affluent, the water-geological aspect of the territory, the reforestation, the woods salvage, the hunting and fishing regulation and all that is concerning with the visit and social use of the park.
For more info:
www.comune.morimondo.mi.it