Milan, ‘Stories on the right track’ kicks off. The Palio of Legnano’, shows battle for 850 years

The exhibition was inaugurated today with an event attended by, among others, the president of Ferrovienord Pier Antonio Rossetti, the managing director of Fnm Fulvio Caradonna, the president of Fnm Andrea Gibelli, the president of the Palio di Legnano Foundation Luca Roveda and the mayor of Legnano Lorenzo Radice. The setup develops around a medieval table set up with period objects and furnishings which include chairs, tablecloth, plates, glasses and earthenware containers, spoons, cutting boards and small wooden objects, jugs, candelabra and candles, various foods. Helmet, swords, chain mail and nine mannequins with historical costumes of the Contrade – Captain, Castellana, knight, lady, maids, religious, children – enrich the story of the Palio. Some educational panels and multimedia materials from the collections of the Palio di Legnano complete the exhibition; part of these materials will be positioned on the mezzanine floor of the station.

To visit the exhibition at the Other Luggage Storage, a free reservation is required by registering at this link: https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-storie-sulbinario-giusto-il-palio-di-legnano-1984610365026

The exhibition is part of the official program of MuseoCity 2026, which celebrates Milan’s museum heritage through extraordinary openings, exhibitions, guided tours and activities spread throughout the city. “The history of Fnm, which this year celebrates 100 years since its listing on the Stock Exchange, coincides with that of the territories – underlines the president of Fnm, Andrea Gibelli -. Thanks to the development of transport networks, starting with the railway network, lifestyles, relationship models and production realities have changed and evolved. There is a link between physical infrastructures and the networks of local relationships that give shape to communities. Our objective and the task we want to undertake is the valorisation of the historical and cultural heritage, such as that of the Palio di Legnano, which is worth knowing in depth”.

The importance of a connection with the territory and the realities that operate there has always been at the center of the activities of the Palio di Legnano. “Bringing the Palio and the Battle of Legnano to the heart of the Cadorna station means putting two Lombard stories that have spanned the centuries into dialogue – adds the president of the Palio Foundation, Luca Roveda -. Choosing a place so central to the life of Milan and the entire Region means opening up our history to the daily footsteps of thousands of people, transforming a transit space into a space of identity. The partnership with Fnm is making us aware of a reality made up of people attentive to memory, but capable of vision and responsibility towards the future”.

The Palio di Legnano is an annual historical re-enactment that celebrates the Battle of Legnano between the Lombard League and Federico Barbarossa, which took place on 29 May 1176, with a parade in medieval costumes and a horse race between the eight districts of the city. The event culminates on the last Sunday of May, with a liturgy linked to tradition and local history, and is recognized as one of the most important Italian historical events. Since 2006 it has regained its original name, after decades of being called ‘Sagra del Carroccio’. From 2022, management and promotion are entrusted to the Palio di Legnano Foundation. It is an event renowned in Italy especially for the iconographic research and historical fidelity of the artefacts, and has received recognition at a national level. In 2026 Fondazione Palio celebrates the 850th anniversary of the Battle of Legnano with a program of special events, including the exhibition in Milan Cadorna station.