Busto Arsizio (Lombard: Büsti Grandi) is a city of 83,000 people (2017) in Varese Province, in the Lombardy region of Italy.

Understand

Busto Arsizio is at the northern limit of the Po Valley.

Climate

The climate of Busto Arsizio is continental. Winters are cold and have many frosty days. Summers are hot and muggy. The phenomenon of fog is frequent, although less and less.

Get in

The main accesses to the city consist of the two stations (both in a fairly central position) and the Busto Arsizio exit of the A8 motorway north of the city, which allows you to enter the town via the SS33 del Sempione or from viale Repubblica and via Quintino Sella.

The main parking areas (generally paid) near the historic centre are: San Michele car park (free, along via Michele Amari), Einaudi car parks (free), Lualdi and Vanzaghi (in corso Europa), Giussano car park (near the square Trento and Trieste), Facchinetti car park (along via Giuseppe Mazzini), Landriani car park (in via Landriani, crossroads of via Andrea Zappellini), Culin car park (in via Roberto Culin, corner of via San Giovanni bosco) and smaller parking areas in piazza Trento e Trieste, piazza Garibaldi, via Giovanni Battista Bossi, via monsignor Paolo Borroni and via Fratelli d'Italia.

By train

Busto Arsizio has two railway stations: Busto Arsizio (RFI/FS) on the east side of the city centre, and Busto Arsizio Nord (Ferrovienord/FNM) on the south side of the city centre. At Busto Arsizio FS station, Platform 4 is used by trains arriving from Milan and trains departing for Varese (and other northbound destinations). Platform 5 is used by trains arriving from Varese and trains departing for Milan (and other southbound destinations).

TiLo operates the S30 train service from Malpensa Airport up the eastern side of Lake Maggiore to Bellinzona in Switzerland. It stops at both the stations in Busto Arsizio.

By plane

Milano Malpensa Airport is close by. A bus departs the airport every two hours between 06:46 and 18:46, with an extra departure at 09:46, taking 33 minutes to Busto Arsizio Nord FN and 38 minutes to Busto Arsizio FS. The buses depart Busto Arsizio FS every two hours between 8:39 and 20:39, with an extra one at 11:39. Check the timetable at Muoversi in Lombardia by entering the line name "Malpensa Aeroporto - Busto Arsizio Fs (56)" or "Busto Arsizio Fs - Malpensa Aeroporto (271)".

Get around

The main points of reference are the Sempione course and the Milan-Gallarate-Varese railway. Their intersection takes place precisely in Busto Arsizio, in an important road junction called "the Cinque Ponti". Also in Busto Arsizio, the Milan-Gallarate-Varese railway (which runs from south-east to north-west) intersects the Milan-Novara railway (which runs from east to west and cuts the city horizontally).

Other key points of Busto Arsizio are, in addition to the three historical centers, the hospital (to the north, near the "Cinque Ponti"), the monumental cemetery (to the west, along the SS527) and the Buon Gesù locality. partly under the municipality of Olgiate Olona and constitutes the area in which the municipalities of Busto Arsizio, Olgiate Olona and Castellanza meet at the intersection between the SS33 del Sempione, corso XX Settembre (one of the main bustocche streets) and viale don Giovanni Minzoni (important road axis of Castellanza).

See

The shrine of Santa Maria di Piazza

The most important buildings of the city are the churches. There are several built in the last millennium, many of which are reconstructions of former churches.

• The shrine of Santa Maria di Piazza: The most remarkable building of the Renaissance period – indeed the only remaining – is the shrine of Santa Maria di Piazza ("Saint Mary of the Square"), also called shrine of the Beata Vergine dell'Aiuto ("Blessed Virgin of the Help"). The building stands in the city centre. It was built between 1515 and 1522. The village of Crespi d'Adda, built up for Cristoforo Benigno Crespi, is home to a smaller version of the shrine.
• The church of Saint John the Baptist: Paintings in Saint John the Baptist church. The church of Saint John the Baptist, in the city centre, was built between 1609 and 1635 by Francesco Maria Ricchini, but the bell tower is older (between 1400 and 1418). The façade, finished in 1701 by Domenico Valmagini, has many statues and decorations. In the interior are numerous paintings by Daniele Crespi, a celebrated painter born at Busto Arsizio, such as Cristo morto con San Domenico and Biagio Bellotti. The square in front of this church was built over the ancient cemetery.
• The church of Saint Michael the Archangel: The third biggest church in the city is the Church of Saint Michael Archangel (San Michele Arcangelo). Its bell tower, built in the 10th century, is the oldest building in Busto Arsizio; built as part of a Lombard fortification. The present church was built by the architect Francesco Maria Richini. In the church there are some relics, the most important of which is the body of San Felice Martire.
• The church of Saint Roch: Built after the 1485 bubonic plague and dedicated to Saint Roch, invoked against the plague, it was rebuilt from 1706 to 1713 thanks to donations by the lawyer Carlo Visconti. Inside the church, there are frescos by Salvatore and Francesco Maria Bianchi (1731) and Biagio Bellotti.

Museum of Textiles and Industry

• 1 Museum of Textiles and Industry (Museo del tessile). Its collections are representative of Busto's economical history. They explain how the city developed from a small agricultural village to a thriving, industrial centre of manufacturing and commerce in a few decades. (updated Sep 2022)
• Art gallery Bambaia, 2 Carlo Porta St, ☏ +39 0331 622440. 
• Art gallery Palmieri. 
• Art gallery Memoli, 2 C. Cattaneo St, ☏ +39 0331 635488, memoliarte@virgilio.it. Daily 18:00-00:00. 

Do

• Extreme Park, 9 Arezzo St, ☏ +39 348 4148553, extreme.park@libero.it. M–F 15:00-19:30, holidays 14:00-19:30. Park acrobatic urban. For children up to 12 years €4.50/12.00. 

Buy

The streets of the historic centre are home to numerous bars and various shops, especially clothing, underwear, accessories and jewellery, especially along via Milano, corso Europa, via Felice Cavallotti, via Cavour, via cardinale Eugenio Tosi, via Stefano Bonsignori, via Montebello, piazza Santa Maria, piazza San Giovanni, via San Gregorio, via Daniele Crespi, via Giuseppe Mazzini, piazza Trento and Trieste, piazza Garibaldi and Corso XX Settembre. Spaces for shops are planned in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.

On Thursday and Saturday mornings in piazzale dei Bersaglieri, near the Busto Arsizio north station, there is the largest market in the city.

• City Garments, For Fagnano snc, ☏ +39 0331 626 430, info@citygarments.it. 
• Chiappa Foto Video, 44 Mazzini St. Tu-Su 09:00-12:30, 15:00-19:30; M closed. 
• Woodworking La Moderna, 6 Toniolo St, ☏ +39 0331 341140, la-moderna.fb@libero.it. 

Eat

• Bacco Tabacco E Venere S.N.C., 49, Lonate Pozzolo St, ☏ +39 0331 333810. Daily 18:00-02:00. 
• Crazy Point, avenue Pirandello 25, ☏ +39 0331 635377, info@themilleniumpub.it. M-F to 12:30 for 14:30, Tu-F to 20:00 for 00:30, Sa to 19:30 for 00:00. Italian regional cuisine, creative, ethnic and traditional. Telephone reservations. 
• I 5 Campanili, Maino Luigi St 18, ☏ +39 0331 630493, fax: +39 0331 630493, antonio.pagani5@tin.it. Closing day: Monday. Italian regional cuisine, creative, ethnic and traditional. Telephone reservations. 
• Pizza Restaurant da Mario, Micca St 5, ☏ +39 0331 636046, fax: +39 0331 1970447, damarioristorante@libero.it. Has been active for over 40 years to offer a variety of dishes for lunch and dinner cooking of meat and fish. It also offers an interesting take away service. 
• Osteria Dul Tarlisu, Ugo Foscolo St 12, ☏ +39 0331 631728, info@osteriadultarlisu.it. Closed on Mondays. Local traditions and local cuisine. Lunch menu €13. 
• Pizza Restaurant Antichi Sapori, Mauro Venegoni St 10, ☏ +39 0331 333799, fax: +39 0331 333799, info@ristoranteantichisapori.com. Closed on Mondays. Cuisine family tradition. 
• Pizza Restaurant Cinese Asia, Sella St 138, ☏ +39 0331 380700, fax: +39 0331 380700, asia888@tiscali.it. Tu-Su open for dinner and lunch. Cuisine family tradition. 
• Pizza Restaurant Capri, Avenue A. Diaz 42, ☏ +39 0331 639018, fax: +39 0331 380700, info@capriristorante.it. 12:00-14:30, 18:00-01:00; closed Wednesday. Pizzeria with 2 wood-burning ovens, fresh fish every Thursday, Air-conditioning, free wireless. 
• Pizza Restaurant da Mimmo, Giuliani Padre Reginaldo St 13, ☏ +39 0331 630308, damimmopizzeria@gmail.com. Closed Wednesday. Neapolitan specialties. 
• Pizza Restaurant & Grill La Cornacchia e il Mosto, Avenue Cadore 8, ☏ +39 0331 386651, allacontrada@libero.it. 12:00-14:30, 19:00-00:00; closed Tuesday. Local minimal. Pizza menu €10. 
• Restaurant Rosso di Sera, Course XX September 36, ☏ +39 0331 631706, +39 338 7138530 (cell), rossodiserabusto@gmail.com. Saturday lunch. Sunday. 

Drink

Water home

• Comerio St and Redaelli St. Water on tap, natural or sparkling water. 5 cents per litre. 

Pubs

• Floyd Pub, Course sempione 215/C, ☏ +39 339 8524133, info@floydpub.it. Original Irish pub since 1977. 
• Il Barbaresco, Novara St 68, ☏ +39 0331 459630, legnano@barbarescoenopub.it. Eno gastropub. 
• Karma Kafe, Venzaghi sq, 4, ☏ +39 0331070544. Good selection of draught beers and cocktails. The manager speaks excellent English. 
• Madigan's, Course Sempione 236, ☏ +39 0331 595427. Irish pub, brewery sandwich. 
• The Millenium Pub, S. Michele St. 4, ☏ +39 0331 623106, info@themilleniumpub.it. Original Irish pub since 1977. 

Sleep

Budget

• Hotel Pineta, Course Sempione 150, ☏ +39 0331 381220, fax: +39 0331 365069, info@hotelpineta.com. The 55 guestrooms, over two floors, all furnished in a modern style and equipped with every comfort: air conditioning, telephone, safe, mini bar, pay TV, internet and private car parking. 
• Hotel Hortensia, 15, Adua St, ☏ +39 0331 626299, +39 347 2925261 (cell), fax: +39 0331 625860, info@hotelhortensia.it. €50-160. 

Go next

• Cascina Elisa
• Castellanza
• Dairago
• Gallarate
• Legnano
• Olgiate Olona
• Quattro Strade
• Sacconago
• Samarate
• Villa Cortese