Milan is one of the principal cities of Europe not only as an industrial centre but also for the wealth of its artistic heritage (with, for example, the Duomo, St. Mary of Graces with Leonardo’s Last Supper, and the Brera and Ambrosian museums). The province of Milan includes a built up, industrialised area to the north of the city, while to the south, creating a singular contrast, there is an agricultural and natural area stretching as far as the River Ticino. Obviously the presence of the large metropolis has an imposing and decisive influence on the surrounding territory, but at just a short distance from the city there are many places of interest from the artistic and landscape viewpoints. First of all, there is the town of Monza, famous for its Park with the well-known racetrack, but not to be forgotten is the medieval Cathedral, the Arengario and the eighteenth century Villa. To the south and east the province stretches as far as the River Ticino and the Natural Park of the same name, a huge green oasis no more than 30 km from the centre of Milan. Here, too, apart from the recreational value of the area, there are interesting aspects: the Grande Naviglio, the canal whose construction was begun in the XII century to irrigate the countryside and as a means of water transport (the road that runs along side it, offering very pleasant cycling, is also beautiful, and has noteworthy villas in the upper section), the town of Abbiategrasso with the remains of a castle built by the Visconti family, and the Cistercian abbeys of Morimondo and Chiaravalle (splendid and well preserved).