Walk dedicated to Leonardo: from Malpensa to Rome on foot

Exit the airport and immediately set off on foot. In Malpensa, this is possible, and a group of people have already done it, thanks to one of the initiatives organised by the Association “Cammino di Sant’Agostino”.

The walk to Busto Arsizio is 16 kilometres long. You set off from Volandia, right behind Malpensa, and from there, walk along the road beside the airport to Ferno, and then, on to Busto Arsizio.

The walk is along the road, on footpaths and cycle paths, with a small section through a wood, in complete safety.

The initiative suggested by Renato Ornaghi is one of a series of events which include walks dedicated to Leonardo, 500 years after the genius’s death. A route connects fifty sanctuaries dedicated to Mary, in Lombardy, including Milan and Pavia.

The airport offers many possibilities for walkers from all over the world, including Italians. The route, which connects Malpensa to Busto Arsizio immediately brings you onto the historical Via Francisca, which joins the Via Francigena, in Pavia, before continuing on to Rome.

However, there are other possibilities.

The St Augustine Way, which is remarkably long, from Pavia to Genoa, passing first along the Naviglio Grande, and then along Via del Sale, and either the section that connects Milan with Monza, along the Villoresi and Martesana Canals, or by train, to Varese and from there by bus to Lavena Ponte Tresa, making your way on the Via Francisca.

On the morning of 5 May, a group of people went from Volandia to Busto Arsizio, walking mostly on asphalted roads and through built-up areas. The ground was hard and not very comfortable, but very convenient.