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Riserva Naturale
Fontana del Guercio
The places
The Incasate washhouse
At the beginning of the Reserve, we come across the ancient Incasate washhouse.
The washhouse is located along the Borromeo Canal, at a point where a small ford once stood. It was built in 1725, when Count Carlo Borromeo authorized the residents of the Sant'Ambrogio and Incasate farms to build a passage for watering their animals and washing their clothes, placing seven washstones: three to the right and four to the left of the ford. This arrangement was to be maintained at the expense of the community, which also agreed not to obstruct the free flow of water.
In front of the washhouse is a chestnut wood noticeboard, embellished with two bas-reliefs: one depicting washerwomen at work and the other a crayfish, symbol of the canal. The reliefs are the work of Luigi Marelli (drawing) and Danilo Borgonovo (sculpture).
At the beginning of the Reserve, we come across the ancient Incasate washhouse.
The washhouse is located along the Borromeo Canal, at a point where a small ford once stood. It was built in 1725, when Count Carlo Borromeo authorized the residents of the Sant'Ambrogio and Incasate farms to build a passage for watering their animals and washing their clothes, placing seven washstones: three to the right and four to the left of the ford. This arrangement was to be maintained at the expense of the community, which also agreed not to obstruct the free flow of water.
In front of the washhouse is a chestnut wood noticeboard, embellished with two bas-reliefs: one depicting washerwomen at work and the other a crayfish, symbol of the canal. The reliefs are the work of Luigi Marelli (drawing) and Danilo Borgonovo (sculpture).
At the beginning of the Reserve, we come across the ancient Incasate washhouse.
The washhouse is located along the Borromeo Canal, at a point where a small ford once stood. It was built in 1725, when Count Carlo Borromeo authorized the residents of the Sant'Ambrogio and Incasate farms to build a passage for watering their animals and washing their clothes, placing seven washstones: three to the right and four to the left of the ford. This arrangement was to be maintained at the expense of the community, which also agreed not to obstruct the free flow of water.
In front of the washhouse is a chestnut wood noticeboard, embellished with two bas-reliefs: one depicting washerwomen at work and the other a crayfish, symbol of the canal. The reliefs are the work of Luigi Marelli (drawing) and Danilo Borgonovo (sculpture).
At the beginning of the Reserve, we come across the ancient Incasate washhouse.
The washhouse is located along the Borromeo Canal, at a point where a small ford once stood. It was built in 1725, when Count Carlo Borromeo authorized the residents of the Sant'Ambrogio and Incasate farms to build a passage for watering their animals and washing their clothes, placing seven washstones: three to the right and four to the left of the ford. This arrangement was to be maintained at the expense of the community, which also agreed not to obstruct the free flow of water.
In front of the washhouse is a chestnut wood noticeboard, embellished with two bas-reliefs: one depicting washerwomen at work and the other a crayfish, symbol of the canal. The reliefs are the work of Luigi Marelli (drawing) and Danilo Borgonovo (sculpture).
At the beginning of the Reserve, we come across the ancient Incasate washhouse.
The washhouse is located along the Borromeo Canal, at a point where a small ford once stood. It was built in 1725, when Count Carlo Borromeo authorized the residents of the Sant'Ambrogio and Incasate farms to build a passage for watering their animals and washing their clothes, placing seven washstones: three to the right and four to the left of the ford. This arrangement was to be maintained at the expense of the community, which also agreed not to obstruct the free flow of water.
In front of the washhouse is a chestnut wood noticeboard, embellished with two bas-reliefs: one depicting washerwomen at work and the other a crayfish, symbol of the canal. The reliefs are the work of Luigi Marelli (drawing) and Danilo Borgonovo (sculpture).
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The Incasate washhouse
At the beginning of the Reserve, we come across the ancient Incasate washhouse.
The washhouse is located along the Borromeo Canal, at a point where a small ford once stood. It was built in 1725, when Count Carlo Borromeo authorized the residents of the Sant'Ambrogio and Incasate farms to build a passage for watering their animals and washing their clothes, placing seven washstones: three to the right and four to the left of the ford. This arrangement was to be maintained at the expense of the community, which also agreed not to obstruct the free flow of water.
In front of the washhouse is a chestnut wood noticeboard, embellished with two bas-reliefs: one depicting washerwomen at work and the other a crayfish, symbol of the canal. The reliefs are the work of Luigi Marelli (drawing) and Danilo Borgonovo (sculpture).
The "Fontana del Guercio"
It is this spring that gives the entire Reserve its name.
The origin of the name is a matter of debate: some hypotheses suggest it derives from a nickname linked to a former owner with a particular physical characteristic; others suggest the name is connected to the very nature of the place—a wetland, marshy, or "guercia" (meaning "dark-eyed") area, meaning degraded—or even that it may have Celtic origins.
In the 1970s, the traditional Fountain Festival was held every year near the spring: a community event with food, music, and a solemn mass, created to celebrate the reclamation of the area once used as a landfill.
The Head of the Nan
The Testa del Nan fountain (formerly known as del Neno) is one of the most important in Lombardy and is the source of the Borromean Canal, which once reached the gardens of Villa Borromeo. Its construction dates back to 1682, a date engraved on the outside of the small dock used for the boats needed to maintain the site. The engraving becomes visible only in particularly dry years, when the water level drops. The original structure was built with wooden walls, later replaced by the current dry stone walls, which are still well preserved today. It is likely, however, that the spring was used much earlier: the toponym "Nan," according to some theories, has Celtic origins, and the site may have been a sacred site. The fountain is located in an area of ​​the Po Valley where, for geological reasons, most of Lombardy's fountains are concentrated.
The Testa del Nan is an exception, having unique characteristics. Each fountain is composed of a "head," the point where the water rises from the subsoil or rock, and an "ass," the watercourse that flows from there. While the head maintains a constant temperature throughout the year, the ass undergoes seasonal variations. The head area is the most interesting from an environmental perspective: it hosts plant and animal species specialized in environments with stable temperatures. However, over time, the head tends to fill with debris, aquatic plants, and sand, reducing the ecosystem's naturalistic value.
In the past, every two to five years, the fountains were cleaned in the winter, draining the head and removing the mud. Today, this practice has been almost completely abandoned due to the decline in agricultural activity, but the Municipality of Carugo continues to manage its maintenance. Starting in the 17th century, the entire watercourse was defined by dry stone walls, which today support a rich and varied vegetation. In the sunny areas, the spaces between the stones are home to reptiles and small mammals, while the more humid areas are home to ferns and hygrophilous plants. To facilitate the emergence of groundwater, eight alder or chestnut wood vats, approximately two meters deep, were sunk into the ground at the base of the head. These elements, along with the low walls, today represent a valuable historical and naturalistic heritage.
"Capùn" Fountain
Just beyond the source of the Fontana del Guercio is the "Capun" fountain, one of the largest fountains in the Reserve.
The (former) landfill
In the postwar years, the area we now know as the Fontana del Guercio Nature Reserve was unfortunately relegated to a sort of illegal landfill, used as a place for the unrestrained dumping of all kinds of waste. It was thanks to the strong commitment of local volunteers—known as Amis de la funtana—that, in the summer of 1974, a full-scale cleanup and environmental restoration effort began. Their commitment not only restored dignity to a degraded environment, but was the driving force that transformed the area into a thriving nature reserve and biodiversity resource, today a symbol of hope, community, and ecological rebirth.
It was primarily located in the meadow adjacent to the fountain furthest downstream.
Attenzione, il Parco è un'area videosorvegliata
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