Cascina Campazzo: Agricultural Heritage in the Urban Landscape of Vigentino

A Rural Stronghold in Southern Milan

Cascina Campazzo is a historic farmhouse located in the Vigentino neighborhood of Municipio 5 in Milan, Italy. Nestled between modern apartment buildings and urban infrastructure, this cascina offers a rare glimpse into Milan's agricultural past. The structure exemplifies the traditional Lombard farmhouse layout, with a central courtyard surrounded by stables, barns, and living quarters. Its preservation and continued use for agricultural and educational purposes make it a unique landmark in southern Milan.

The area surrounding Cascina Campazzo was once part of a vast network of rural settlements that sustained the city through local food production. Though urbanization has dramatically changed Vigentino's landscape, the cascina remains a living testament to that earlier way of life. It stands near the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, a large protected green belt that includes working farms, wetlands, and wooded areas, helping to buffer the effects of urban sprawl and climate change.

Despite the city's expansion, Cascina Campazzo has survived as both a functional and symbolic space. It is not only a physical remnant of the region's rural heritage but also a place where urban residents can reconnect with the land through educational initiatives, community farming, and cultural events. Its location in Vigentino, an area historically shaped by industry and migration, highlights its role in preserving continuity with Milan's agricultural roots.

The farmhouse structure itself has undergone restoration efforts to ensure safety and usability while preserving its historic character. Visitors can still see original wooden beams, terracotta flooring, and the layout typical of working cascine from centuries past. These details give a sense of continuity in an otherwise rapidly evolving urban environment.

Agricultural Production and Community Involvement

Today, Cascina Campazzo continues to function as a working agricultural site. Operated by a cooperative that leases the land from the municipality, the farm produces organic grains, vegetables, and dairy products. This aligns with broader efforts in Milan to support short food supply chains and promote sustainability. Produce from the farm is sold at local markets and occasionally at events held directly at the cascina itself.

The presence of livestock, including dairy cows and chickens, allows the site to offer a more complete view of traditional farming methods. Animal care and milking demonstrations are part of the educational programs offered to visiting school groups and families. These programs aim to teach urban residents—particularly children—about food sources, sustainability, and the importance of biodiversity in agriculture.

Volunteers and local residents often participate in seasonal farming activities such as planting, weeding, and harvesting. These activities foster a sense of collective stewardship over the land and provide valuable opportunities for intergenerational knowledge transfer. The community's engagement helps ensure the site remains integrated with the life of the neighborhood rather than becoming a static historical attraction.

Cascina Campazzo is also a part of Milan's broader urban agricultural movement. Initiatives like the city's Food Policy and the Sustainable Urban Food System project have recognized the importance of spaces like Campazzo in meeting sustainability goals. The cascina thus serves as both a practical farm and a case study in how historic agricultural structures can find new relevance in modern city planning.

Educational and Environmental Programs

One of Cascina Campazzo's most important functions is its role in environmental education. The farm hosts regular field trips for schools across Milan and its suburbs. These visits are designed to supplement classroom learning with hands-on experiences in farming, animal care, and ecology. Children learn about soil composition, composting, irrigation techniques, and the lifecycle of plants and animals.

The cascina also offers workshops for adults, covering topics such as permaculture, organic farming, and the cultivation of medicinal herbs. These workshops are often led by experienced farmers or researchers affiliated with Milanese universities. By sharing agricultural knowledge in an urban context, Cascina Campazzo helps bridge the gap between academia and everyday life.

Seasonal events are another draw, especially during spring planting and fall harvest periods. These events include guided tours, food tastings, and open-air lectures, often attended by residents from surrounding neighborhoods. Environmental organizations sometimes collaborate with the cascina to deliver joint programs on biodiversity, sustainable land use, and waste reduction.

Furthermore, the proximity of Cascina Campazzo to Parco Agricolo Sud Milano enhances its role as an ecological learning hub. Joint initiatives with park authorities allow for wildlife observation and conservation awareness programs. These efforts underscore the importance of integrating agricultural heritage with contemporary environmental concerns in urban contexts.

Urban Development Pressures and Ongoing Preservation

Like many historical agricultural sites in urban settings, Cascina Campazzo has faced periodic threats from real estate development. Over the years, proposals to repurpose or encroach upon its land have emerged, prompting resistance from local residents and environmental groups. These community-led advocacy efforts have played a critical role in securing legal protections for the cascina and its surrounding farmland.

In 2013, a proposed development project in the area was halted after significant public outcry. Citizens and activists successfully argued that the loss of green space and agricultural function would have negative consequences for both the environment and local culture. This episode galvanized support for safeguarding Campazzo and highlighted its role as a cultural landmark deserving of preservation.

The cascina's integration into municipal zoning and heritage protection plans has since helped shield it from further immediate threats. However, ongoing vigilance is necessary to maintain its status. The cooperative managing the site works closely with the city and civil society organizations to ensure that both physical structures and land use practices remain aligned with preservation goals.

Cascina Campazzo's survival reflects broader trends in Milan and across Europe where cities are re-evaluating how historical rural sites can coexist with urban growth. Rather than isolating such spaces as mere relics, Milan's approach—exemplified in Vigentino—is to embed them in neighborhood life, drawing from the past to shape a more sustainable and connected urban future.