From the Royal Villa to the fabulous world of Brazilian sushi: a journey within a journey in Monza, Part I

The first image that comes to many of us when we think of Monza is that of the Formula 1 cars speeding at three hundred kilometres an hour around the racetrack. Speed and adrenaline, but also the sacred and mysterious atmospheres inspired by the historical figure of the nun of Monza, described by Manzoni in the famous novel "The Betrothed". One could begin the tour of the city with her too, taking a literary tour: in reality the nun was called Marianna de Leyva, in religion Sister Maria Virginia. Via della Signora and via De Leyva preserve her memory, as does the former convent of the Capuchin friars in via Marsala. In the seventh century Monza was the summer capital of the Lombard Kingdom, and even in the Holy Roman Empire it enjoyed wide autonomy and a series of privileges.

The most imposing monument of Monza bears witness to its greatness: entering the Villa Reale we find ourselves immersed in the atmosphere of the court of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was in fact Maria Theresa of Austria who decided on the construction of what was then the Archducal Villa, and she chose Monza for "the healthiness of the air and the pleasantness of the town". From the gardens of the Villa our walk continues into the vast park of Monza, the fourth-largest walled park in Europe. Near the point where the river Lambro leaves the park of Monza stands the beautiful sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Built between 1463 and 1467, the sanctuary is a place of pilgrimage, although no legendary miracle is known to be linked to the place.

The terracotta aedicules that border the courtyard, depicting the Stations of the Cross, by the sculptor Dante Ruffini, represent an important place of recollection. During our walk we admire several other very beautiful churches such as Santa Maria al Carrobiolo, so called because at one time the carriages, that is carts drawn by animals, stopped in the square in front of the monument. The sense of peace of the streets of the historic centre is accentuated also by the presence of the river Lambro that crosses the city. And where there is a river, there are also beautiful bridges: the ponte dei Leoni, built in 1842 near the remains of the Roman bridge, and the ponte di San Gerardino, dedicated to San Gerardo dei Tintori. In 1174 the saint founded a hospital for the poor at his own house.

The bridge crosses the river right by the ancient hospital, of whose complex the church of San Gerardino is also part, and nearby is the eighteenth-century Mulino Colombo. When we arrive in piazza Duomo we find ourselves in the middle of a film set: the extraordinary beauty of the Duomo, built between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries, inspired a director to set a scene of a film in the very elegant square. A little way from the Duomo we also admired the Arengario, the ancient Town Hall, built in the thirteenth century. After this lovely stroll through Monza's history, we decide to give ourselves up to the pleasures of the palate with a journey within a journey: from the atmosphere of Brianza we thus arrive in a flash among the exotic ones of the Barracuda Tropical Maki restaurant, located in via Gianfrancesco Parravicini.

The exclusive settings of the rooms furnished in an informal, trendy style, dressed in the soft notes of pleasant background music, frame an extremely fascinating and creative culinary offering, capable of uniting lands far from one another and creating a synthesis of flavours and emotions that is completely irresistible. "There has always been a restaurant in this building; some time ago it was a typical Brianza venue. Our project, based on an Italian-Japanese format, was born from the idea of a group of friends. At first we had a small place in via Volta, the Barracuda Sushi and Wine, then four years ago we decided to expand by taking over and completely renovating this restaurant. From the initial Barracuda Downtown we then arrived at the current reality, based on a Brazilian sushi formula.

In practice, in Monza we were the first to create a sushi restaurant, and although this fashion has taken off in the meantime, our original format allows us to stand out to the point that we have customers who come even from Milan. The secret is always improving," Andrea, Francesco and Guido explain to us, the young owners who run the restaurant with genuine enthusiasm and great professionalism. "The pivot of our project, however, is Giada, our sushi girl, that is the chef.

She learned the trade with a master and managed to surpass him thanks to her talent and the passion with which she works." The words of admiration expressed by the owners towards Giada are soon confirmed also by our experience, as soon as we begin to taste her first creations, veritable works of art in which, however, beauty is never an end in itself: every ingredient, every decoration, even the smallest drop of sauce, contributes to the harmony of flavours and the perfection of the dish. While at lunch the menu is Italian and sushi is available on request, in the evening everything is dedicated to sushi, prepared with Italian raw materials of excellent quality. We also appreciate the very fair quality-price ratio that allows you to taste the best without fear for your wallet.