In a city like Milan—where every corner seems to be claimed by construction sites, shop windows, or café terraces—there exists an alternative dimension: silent and unexpected, revealed only to those who know how to look. These are the hidden gardens: patches of green tucked behind noble doorways, shielded by austere walls, or nestled within monumental architecture. They are suspended spaces where the city’s urgency fades and everything seems to slow down. Unlike major European capitals, Milan doesn’t readily flaunt its greenery. It protects it, conceals it, guards it like a secret. And it’s precisely this discretion that defines its charm. Hidden gardens are not just shady corners or places of rest—they are urban episodes that tell stories, reflecting the city’s evolution and its relationship with nature, art, and architecture. Visiting these places means rediscovering a different Milan: cultured, contemplative, intimate. It means stumbling upon scenes from another era, among centuries-old magnolias, 19th-century botanical gardens, rose bushes, and monumental trees that brush against the baroque or neoclassical frames of surrounding buildings. It also means, paradoxically, getting a close look at the very idea of “design” in its broadest sense—because every garden, even the most natural-looking one, is the result of deliberate intention, of a precise vision.
Secret Milan: the hidden gardens where time stands still
Amid ancient walls and secret courtyards, Milan hides gardens where greenery becomes a story. We’ve selected five quiet spots that reveal the city’s most intimate and unexpected soul.
By Danielle Jansen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
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- Lucia Brandoli
- 09 July 2025
Many of these places reveal clear layers of history: the Brera Botanical Garden, for instance, tells the story of an Enlightenment-era legacy transformed into a public educational space, while the Giardino delle Vergini at the Catholic University preserves memories of an ancient convent now integrated into contemporary academic life. The Giardino Perego, on the other hand, is a successful example of public greenery "hidden in plain sight", offering a breath of fresh air to the dense Brera district. Others, like the Arcadia Garden or the Garden on Via Terraggio, are even more camouflaged—embedded within complex, history-laden urban fabrics, true green rooms that passersby might easily overlook if unaware of their presence. But once discovered, they’re hard to forget. Exploring them means understanding that Milan is much more than what appears in architectural renderings or urban news cycles—a city that has guarded its greenery with a certain jealousy, almost as if to reserve it for those willing to slow down and observe closely. In these gardens, architecture becomes a frame, nature becomes a narrative, and time—for a brief moment—truly seems to stand still.
Hidden behind the Palazzo di Brera, this 18th-century garden is an oasis in the city center. Founded in 1774 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, it still hosts hundreds of plant species among its orderly flowerbeds, ancient trees, and a striking elliptical pond. Here, science meets poetry, and time takes on a different rhythm, amid medicinal herbs, rose gardens, and monumental ginkgo trees.
A small yet refined public park nestled between Via dei Giardini and Via Borgonuovo, once the private estate of the Perego di Cremnago family, this garden retains the charm of an English-style romantic garden. Originally designed in the late 1700s with formal geometry and a central pond by Luigi Canonica, it was later transformed into a freer, more evocative space with clearings and winding paths. Donated in part to the city in 1940, it is now a green retreat that tells stories of urban transformation and quiet beauty.
Located within the former monastery of Sant’Ambrogio—now home to the Catholic University—this little-known garden lies at the end of the main portico, in the direction of the Great Hall. It takes its name from a story that began in 1928, when the garden—dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a virgin, martyr, and patron of studies—became a space for young female students. It remains a peaceful oasis with flowering plants in spring, benches for reading or conversation, and a distinct tradition: men are still not allowed. Security guards are tasked with enforcing this rule.
Behind Palazzo Pertusati in the Crocetta district lies the Arcadia Garden, named after the 18th-century cultural society that found inspiration here. It is a quiet, refined space where vegetation and architecture engage in a harmonious dialogue. In addition to historic buildings, the garden includes two post-war residential buildings designed by Giulio Minoletti and Ignazio Gardella. Still little-known, it maintains an aura of classicism and contemplation.
Overlooking the street of the same name near Sant’Ambrogio, this garden is a small green refuge with a simple layout and spontaneous vegetation. Less frequented than others, it has a semi-private atmosphere, enhanced by old trees, shrubs, and shady paths. A discreet fragment of the city that quietly resists the hectic pace of the metropolis.