Mulino Colombo
Historic mill and oil press on the Lambro in central Monza, an example of industrial archaeology with original machinery, run by the Museo Etnologico Monza e Brianza.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Mulino Colombo stands along the river Lambro, in the historic centre of Monza. Built as a plant for grinding cereals and for fulling and dyeing woollen cloth, it was later converted into an oil mill producing linseed and rapeseed oil; the surviving water wheel is dated 1871. The building used the energy that the waters of the Lambro supplied to the wheels, which for centuries was the only motive force for the manufacturing activities along the river.
The mill preserves its internal equipment intact and complete, a testimony to working Monza and to the junction between the agricultural tradition and the manufacturing expansion of Brianza between the 19th and 20th centuries. Today it is the exhibition seat of the Museo Etnologico Monza e Brianza (MEMB), an association founded in 1978, which organises guided visits, educational activities and exhibitions on the crafts and everyday life of former times.
Accompanied by guides and volunteers of the MEMB, visitors can look closely at stone millstones, machines and tools and understand the stages of oil production. Inside, a multimedia video museum with 500 documents on the Mulino Colombo and the mills of the area can be consulted.
Highlights
- 19th-century oil mill with a water wheel dated 1871
- Original machinery, millstones and tools, still complete
- Multimedia video museum with 500 documents on the mills of the area
- Location on the river Lambro in the historic centre of Monza
- Guided visits and exhibitions by the MEMB
Permanent exhibition
- Il Mulino Colombo e il suo oleificio – Guided route through the historic plant with the machines for processing oils, and a video museum on the mills of the area.
- Operated by
- Museo Etnologico Monza e Brianza (MEMB)
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The mill is in the historic centre of Monza, along the Lambro, between Vicolo Scuole and Vicolo De Gradi.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visits for classes and adult groups by booking, by telephone or e-mail; extraordinary openings are also planned for events such as Ville Aperte in Brianza. |
