“Il little Mount, whose takes the name the town, is called Orfano because rises lonely and isolated in a flat area. To North, its older brothers observe it all together, one close to the other. The Mount, sad and sorrowful, cried every night, when nobody can see flowing its drops. But in a morning, when the sun was rising, it became aware that its drops have create a little lake at its foot, the Lake Montorfano. From that day the little Monte Orfano was not sad more: he looked down to the lake as a mirror and felt less alone.”

This story for kids is founded on a particularity of this territory, that is evident for everyone who rises up above Monte Orfano: the hill, 554mt of altitude, not exactly a mount, is really rounded by flat zones, becoming the only one upland on the surrounding territory.
This characteristic makes it a place with an high strategic relevance, and from there it was possible to control all the surroundings. On the top of the hill there was in fact an ancient fortified structure of Gallic origin, destroyed by Romans during the conquest of Gaul. The fortress, rebuilt more than a time, was object of fights during the centuries, which involved the peaceful inhabitants of nearby Montorfano. The most famous guest of the castle was certainly Federico Barbarossa, who retired there its soldiers after the strong defeat of the battle of Tassera in 1160, in Carcano. The fortress stopped to exist, as a simple defence point yet, in 1600, when Carlo V chose to teared it down. From that time, Montorfano has a peaceful story, finally ended the period of fights that flared up on its territory cause of its fortress. Today, from the town centre, it is possible to reach Monte Orfano easily, where you can see the last remains of the Barbarossa’s fortress, but there you can have a spectacular view above Lake Montorfano and the land that extends to the South. In the limpid days you could see Milano, too: it is easy to understand the importance of this place and the battles for the control of it.

The beauty of the lake, but also its richness of flora and fauna, have always represented a strong attraction for human: on the northern bank of the lake there was founded remains of a dwelling settlement from the Bronze Age.

Villa Barbavara is more recent, born to defensive aims in XV cent. and then object of radical changes that give to it the typical aspect of a XVIII cent. villa. More recent are the ice-houses, those remains are hidden nearby the banks of the lake. The Barbavaras changed the lake into an ice industry, equipping the banks with mechanical tools for the transportation of the largest blocks.
For the lovers of relax, on the South-East bank of the lake it is possible to reach the Lido, large grass area with the access to the water, where, during the summer, it is possible swimming or sunbathing. To protect the integrity of the area, in 1984 it was created the Riserva Naturale Lago di Montorfano; today ir is recognized as Site of Community Interest, and it is trusted by Parco Regionale Valle del Lambro. For years there are organized several didactical events for kids, to increase awareness about the respect to the nature. The future of these lands is in their hands.