Viale Jenner, the adrenaline

This area is to nice to even just think of going away without visiting it a bit more. I realize i’m alone and it’s not a good idea to go more inside, because i don’t knoe the place, i don’t knoe what kind of dangerous things i could encounter and i’ve no idea of what was here before. Visiting a place without knowing anything about it might be stimulating, but good explorers suggest to find information before, just to be sure to be well equipped against toxic substances or stuff like that. I have no intention to go inside by myself, so from the health point of view i should be safe enough. What really scares me is the possibility to find someone hiding behind corners. A lot of attention and caution should work good enough here. As usual i’m not dressed in the most proper way for a fast run, but i think that if i’m scared enough, there’s no coat that could be an obstacle to my escape. To tell the truth it has happened to me already in the past to have to run as fast as i could away from a maniac, and i was dressed definetly worse than today: miniskirt, heels, umbrella and purse. And he had no possibility to reach me, i was going so fast. Now only my coat could be in my way. I take a deep breath and then few steps towards the inner part of the area, away from the main gate. I keep an eye behind my shoulder, and i walk turning on my self, to be sure no one comes out from any hole. From this point of view i feel trained enough, because my paranoia about maniacs (and my mother always teased me!). it seems like there’s nobody around here, except some pijeons that suddently fly away making noise with dead leaves and branches. I have no intention to go more inside than what i need to. I’m between two buildings, behind the one i could see from the open space. At the floor level all the entrances and windows are perfectly walled. The building on my left has broken windows only on the first floor, which disturbs me, cause i can’t think of anyone throwing himself fram that hight just to assault me. I try to move quickly, i don’t stop too long in the same point, like an animal in the forest, allerted and ready to hide at the first hint of danger. The yellow coating of the building on my left is completely ruined letting me see the different layers and the bricks. Where the rain splashes out from the eaves the wall is darker, with musk and well growing climbing plants. The windows seem to have been walled recently, with many layers of cement: i can clearly see the shape of the moulds. The building on my right doesn’t have an entrance, and it is also very ruined by humidity. The ground is full of weeds, trash and dead leaves and there’s no sign of any kind of precedent pavement. The weeds aren’t anyway that high, as if someone was worried enough to leave the passage free. In the middle there’s an extinguisher: i wonder way it is always one of the last objects that desappear from abandoned places. The building on my right is kind of spookie on the corner at the end of it: a part of wall sticks out, with a cross on top of it and dead branches covering the whole thing, as i’d expect from a forgotten cemetary. It’s a pity that right underneath it there’s a lot of trash, as to try to undramatize the scene and take back to nowadays. Now i’m far enough from the gate and i can feel fear grow inside of me, but i do have to find ut what hides behind the corner. Always watching my back and with very light steps, trying not to step on dead leaves so i don’t break the silence that reigns on this place, i turn left. Luckly enough this side is short and it gives me the possibility to observe everything without exposing myself too much. There’s anther big open space of grass and trash here and there. The perimeter is given by a series of buildings of diffrent hights and in different state of damage. All the entrances are walled with cement. The windows on the first floor have probably been always false windows. The arched parts of the windows are the same of the building in the entrance: red bricks. The coating follows different tunes of yellow from one building to the other. All these have a façade on the street. In some points plants climb where they find space enough. I’m far, but i don’t feel i need to get closer, cause it doesn’t seem too different from where i am now. On the background i see i skyscraper, that reminds a lot of the “male” in Garibaldi, which makes me feel confused for few seconds, cause from where i am, that is not supposed to be there. It’s another building, very similar. I go back to the first open space, convinced that i risked enough for today. On my right i have the building on the open space. There’s no entrance here either and a cascade of dead branches try to hide a writing on the wall that says “keep clean” that time passing by is trying to brush away, and that few people seem to respect, seeing all the trash around the area.

Viale Jenner, the fortress

At the beginning i think of studying only the building i’ve baptized “the fortress”, because it’s in a good position, visible and safe, and so fascinating that it could easly represent the whole area, althought it is the one in worst conditions. The covering is almost completely crumbled, specially next to the pillars, that stick out a bit. The bricks can see the air, whitened by the traces left by the lime. The arched windows are in couples, as to form a sort of bifor (?), with the arched part very simple but visible with it’s red bricks as decoration, in opposition to the coating of the rest of the building. The inside part of the arches is the only trace left of what the windows used to look like, althought the glass is so dirty that i can’t be sure it is glass at all. The metal structure around the building it bacame part of the building itself, dividing the whole thing into modules. The climbing weeds are an element that makes everything seem more fantastic and misterious, beside disturbing the regular division of the metal structure. I get closer to one of the entrances, left free by the weeds, to study the interior conditions. The room is completely dark, except for a ray of light projected on a wall, coming from the façade on the street. The shape of this ray of light marks the presence of the climbing plants, that don’t let the windows project their fancy design. Humidity has taken place all over on the walls, revealing all the possible causes of degrading due to it. The coating is completely wet and all the salts have crystallize. The bricks seem to have pushed away all the layers, to find some breath. In the inside too there’s the metal structure to prevent the building from collapsing. The impression is that if no one restores this place it will crumble anyway to the ground. The metal poles are rusty. The floor is so full of stuff that i can hardly see it. It’s not rubbish, but wooden axis, pieces of bricks and concrete, lime and metal poles. The feeling is that the ceiling collapsed, which brings me to raise my head and look at it. The ceiling is another proof of how old this place is. It’s made of wood, tecnique that it’s not used anymore around here, because it deforms, it ruins and it burns so easly. The wooden ceiling have been used for ages in the past, because it works good with flexible strains. I’ve seen a similar ceiling before, when i had to survey an old cowshed for the restoration course. The different layers are visible, and i can see everything is in very bad conditions, which doesn’t make me want to go upstairs and proof the supporting capacity. I walk around the building from outside, to reach another entrance. To reach it i have to step on high weeds and what i see in front of me doesn’t invite to go inside. The floor is covered with junk, plastic bags full of stuff i don’t want to find out, glass bottles, cans and dead leaves. Althought i’m not a fussy person this really is disgusting, and i can’t imagine the quantity of germs flying in the air. The stairs are beautiful and it seems like it has been taken out from the rock, the humidity deformed so much. The walls are like the ones in the previous room. From here i can see the frame of a door, of rotten wood, but that probably used to be a nice decorative element. The handrail of the stair is so rusty that the reddish colour is infiltrating on the steps. The metal structure here is not on the perimeter anymore, but it holds the ceiling from the middle of the room, as to underline the precarious state.

Viale Jenner

From the street all i can see is a small building, two floors high, reduced in a ruin. In the past there probably was the aim to restore it, or at least to prevent it from collapse, ‘cause it still has the scaffolding around the whole perimeter. The ruin got  hold of that too, the weeds grew around the metal poles completely rusty. It really is a show to look at, cause it looks like a chopped tower of a long time ago, it is so ruined. The roof is not there anymore and windows and frames disappeared completely, enough to make me imagine that they have never been there. In few weeks the building will be completely hidden behind green shiny leaves. This is not a nice street, and i don’t feel so secure, althought it’s morning and the sun has never been so bright. This beautiful winter day makes the building even more spookie, cause it feels like being in another dimension, another time, very far from us. And i’m going to plunge myself inside the silence it sends out. A high wall doesn’t let me see what happens beyond it, but getting next to it i realize there’s a big gate wide open. What i see taking few steps inside, leaves me completely without breath: it’s a big area, in front of me an open space, surrounded by many small buildings. It reminds me of a labirynth, cause there’s no way to find the main building. I take a pictuce to my small fortress, walking in te middle of the weeds, but remaining next to the entrance, so that i can be seen from the street. In that moment three women arrive from inside the area, chatting cheerfully. They look at me with disattention, as somebody used to see strangers around. My curiosity is enough to brush away my shyness. I don’t ask them what that area has been in the past, but only if in theyr opinion there would be any problems if i went around taking pictures. There’s no problem as they concern, but they also tell me to be carefull, cause all the buildings are inhabitated by clandestines. So then i ask them what there is inside the area, why are they passing by. There’a a public medical section, specialized in infective diseases. They have been moved there not from a long time, not more than two years. Only one of the small buildings have been restored to give them a place to work. They are too enthusiastic telling me that twice a day they have to cross the entire abandoned area to reach their offices. During the summer time they can see men, with no shirt, stretching out after a good sleep. I imagine it’s not a good feeling, specially in the winter, when daytime is shorter and it gets dark early. This area is impressive enough during a bright day, i can’t imagine what it must be like when you can hear the cars passing by outside, but everything inside is silent and dead. I’m alone today, and the women tell me again to watch myself and not to go too much inside the buildings. I was already shivering for the cold, but now the fear is getting higher and i can feel the adrenaline growing.

The rest

After walking around the whole perimeter, i deserve a rest. All i have to do is to sit on a very comfortable seat left tidly on the sidewalk, leaning against the wall. The element is functional, it has an arm too that i could use as a table for a warm cup of tea, ideal in this cold day. It seems like a huge urban cat passed around here, leaving signs of it’s claws on the seat. You could also lean down: the seat has a lever to transform it in a chase lounge. A regular crack in the asphalt signs the border of the seat’s block. The brick wall is perfectly regular, and only the different colouring recalls the disorder of the rest of the scene. Not far from this there’s another victim of urban abuses. A scooter, tied to a light pole with a chain, restes desolate, conscious that it’s owner can’t do much to save it, being that it has been deprived of anything that made it usefull. The mudguards, the seat, the lights and part of covering structure desappeared.

Tobacco manufacture. Informations.

After the infinite journey along Suzzani street, we finally turn in S. Monica street, hoping to find someone who can give us some information. Used to the view of a high wall, we feel a bit of despondency, ‘cause looking at hundreds of windows might be interesting, but it would be also amazing to know what’s happening at the ground level. This new view gives us some breath, ‘cause the dimension is more human, and we feel less insignificant and small. This side is short and we can see the end with no difficulty. The fact that we can see our car from here makes us feel reliefed, but on the other hand we are disappointed cause it means we are at the end and we haven’t discovered that much. The façade we are looking at is not so big, but the small sidewalk and all the cars parked on it, don’t give us the opportunity to have a clean full view of it. To take this picutre we almost had to lay down on the ground, worrying of the cars passing by on the street, that not seeing us, they could run over us. Another little thrill. The building is part of the area, for sure: i can tell by the sign on it which says “deposit of monopoly products”. More than a deposit, it looks like an office building, with an entrance not so imposing. To tell the truth it looks more like the keeper’s house. Another hint of the belonging is the same style of the main building on Fulvio Testi avenue. This building can’t be in function: the shutters are down and they really look like they haven’t been opened in a long time, as if each part is glued to the next one by the dust. The building is perfectly simmetric, with the central axis given by the stair case, visible thanks to the rectangular glass cement that signs the hole hight. Humidity has eaten away the covering, showing the different layers. Some parts are yellow, too much to be caused by humidity, which makes me think to a previous colouring, like the long building behind the corner. In some parts the covering has disappeared completely, showing the bricks. Humidity here tries to take it’s way eating away the concrete between the rows. One of te shutters is slightly open to let some light inside: it really looks like it’s in that position from a long time, cause the guidelines are rusty and it seems like they could break into pieces if someone tries to close them. Right next to this building there’s an open gate, and we can see some movement. It’s a small bowiling for the elder. Inside the small courtyard there’s a bar, and from outside i can tell it’s very crowded. Old people are usually the best for informations about a site. I let my shyness aside and we go inside: the place is dark and full of smoke. I look around, i don’t want to be unpolite and interrupt conversations, so i choose to ask to the first old man i find alone and in silence. Maybe i ask the wrong question “sorry, may i ask an information?”, ‘cause he looks at me a bit annoyed and he points towards a door. An office. I look at him to say all i need is his knowledge, but he disappeared already. Wasn’t it that the elder couldn’t wait to find someone to tell theyr story too? We go at the door, i knock timidly, i don’t hear nothing, so i knock with more strenght. Nothing. The noise around me is too loud and wait for an answer is riduculous. So i open the door and go inside. Without closing the door, waiting for the lady at the desk to tell me i can go in. Instead she’s very cool and speaks to me with indifference. “excuse me, did i tell you you could come in? Can’t you see i’m busy?”. Actually there are others in the room. I apologise, but the guy outside told me the entrance was free. “so, what do you want?” “i need an information”. I try to explain her in two words who i am and what i’m doing, hoping that it is enough to convince her i don’t want to sell anything and that i’m not a criminal. It looks like it’s working, she becomes a bit more gentle, and the people around start smiling at me, to comfort me. She doesn’t know anything about the area, but only that it’s probably closed, and that the kindergarden right next is used as a deposit. I feel a bit disappointed, cause this place is inside the area. They tell me to ask the police, right next to the main entrance. We go away. Touchy i don’t forget of the welcome and i complain about it with Alessandro. We go in Testi avenue again, we pass in front of the kindergarden, where there’s someone moving stuff. From the windows we see that everything is dusty and full of boxes. It should be interesting to visit this place too, but i don’t see hy they should give me the permission to get insede and take pictures to a private place. We procede and go in front of the police station. The captain is coming out with a two others. We pass them, we esitate, we observe the main entrance of the area, but the two guys that were there at the beginning aren’t there anymore and everything is closed. I go back to the policemen, i hesitate, and go back. I act a little suspicious. All i have to do is to interrupt the conversation and ask. “i’m doing my final work on the abandoned areas of Milan... could you please tell something about this area?” “it’s not abandoned, but just closed”... there’s no difference from my point of view. Isn’t it a big area not used? The captain tells me it’s property of the monopoly of Trento, which is trying to sell it to one of the pubblic television stations of Italy. They insist that it can’t be of my interest. They think of other places around, but apparently there aren’t any. They feel lucky, ‘cause there aren’t  any around here. I have a hard time believing there aren’t any, and i bet that i i walk around i’ll find many.

Tobacco manufacture. The prison

We go on with our walk, to realize how big this area is. We reach the end of the first side, where there’s a curved turn in Esperia street. Here is where the fence ends to leave space to a 3 meters wall, plus a fence on top of it. It reaches at the end at least 5 meters, which doesn’t help to let me see what happens inside, nor leaves any possibility to get inside the place. On this side there’s a huge gate, which makes me think of the passage of trucks: it wouldn’t have any sense to put such a big entrance just for cars. It looks good enough for tanks. On the other side of the path we are walking on, that was the passage for trams, there is a green spot. A green triangle, not bigger than median strip, not good enough as a park, not used and not acceptable as a green lung. Some trees wouldn’t be bad around here. The only piece of urban furniture, is given by a druggy staggering in the middle of the isle. Completely lost, out of the world. At the beginning it looks like he didn’t notice us, wihch makes me feel better, but i accelerate, anyway, cause i don’t want to risck any nasty meeting. He isn’t in a state of communicating anyway. I talk with Alessandro, trying to distract myself. I’d like to stop and study the huge gate, but the guy is starting to notice us. I look around, but there’s nobody else except us. Few cars pass by, but to fast to be worried about a druggy and two people dressed in black, walking where normal ones don’t even think of passing. This curved side is short, but it seems like eternity before i manage to see what’s behind it. It’s not a nice walk, loneliness is the only compagnon of the druggy too. Finally we turn and i hope i can feel reliefed. What i see instead is even more sad. A very large street, too large from what i’d expect from the few cars passing and from what’s on the sides. On the other side of the street there’s not much too see. There’s a military area, with high walls, big fences, security cameras, barbed wire, and whatever can be usefull to keep anyone in a good distance, enough not to feel a gun pointed against. Or at least this is the sensation i have when i happen to walk close to these places: all those yellow signs full of exclamation marks and impressive words like “don’t pass!”, or “you are observed”, or armed people inside... how can’t i feel disturbed by all this? I’m afraid i could do a wrong step and find myself inside one of those subway thrillers, where an innocent gets mixed up in misunderstoods and conspiracies, and has to run away or spend it’s entire life in jail: cause of course the real criminals get out the next day, the innocent has to follow infinite justice trials, like in a story from Kafka. I comfort myself deciding to stay on the side of the abandoned area, hoping to pass in a hurry the military one. The sidewalk is very large and used by cars as parking lot. Everything here is bigger than normal: the walls, that remind me of castles more than industries, the street, the sidewalks and the buildings. I feel like a citizen of Lilliput. At the end we have to go on the other side, cause from here there’s no way we can see anything. The wall is so long i can’t see the end of it, always the same, giving to the walk a very boring tune. I have to forget about my fear for military areas and we cross. If i walk on the street side of the sidewalk i might not feel so observed. The view from here is much better. And disturbing at the same time. This side of the area is perfectly simmetric: two huge yellow buildings are separated by a white one slightly smaller. The entire façade seems quite new, as if it has been restored recently. There’s no sign left by humidity, the light hasn’t faded the covering, unfortunately. Eaves and gutters look quite new too. Everything looks perfect, if it weren’t for the windows. Beyond the wall i can see that the first floor is much higher than it should be and it’s protected by a roofing sticking out. The first row on top of it is protected by gratings: probably to avoid anyone to climb over the roofing to get inside the building. All the windows of the yellow buildings are slightly arched, which gives a bit of elegance to a façade otherwise too squared, regular and repeatitive. The windows of the white building are instead perfectly rectangular, as too underline the simmetric axis, the diversity in the middle. The window frames aren’t in good condition: i can easly see the white paint coming off, showing the underneath wood. The windows are all closed, but they are all different in small details: some are opaque, and from here i can’t tell if it’s the glass that has been covered, or if there are shutters inside; others are opaque only partially, letting me see the darkness inside; some are missing parts of glass, letting the cold winter air inside; some have been covered not to let the air in, where the glass came off. The left building is the one in worse conditions, cause there are more windows without glass. I don’t see any kind of sign that makes me think somebosy’s working on this area. Silent is absolut. No cars covering imaginary noises. Everything tells me that this area is not in function, althought is in such good conditions. The majesticity and impenetrability remind me of the layout of a prison. If i hadn’t see the side on Fulvio Testi with the cimney on the background, it would have been my first thought.

Tobacco manufacture continues

The courtyard right after the main entrance sends a clear message: we’re closed. This part hasn’t been used in a long time: neither the clandestines took a hold of it, which prooves that the area is not abandoned from ages, but also that there could be a good security control. Probably untill a new function is found the owners try to keep the area in a decent condition. At first sight the two courtyard look very similar, but then little details reveal the differences. The building right in front of us is badly kept: the covering has been eaten by humidity, and we can clearly see the attempt to refrain it, which gives a consumed and irregular view to the façade. The grating on the windows leave no possibility to go inside. The red door stands out more than the rest, taking all the attention for itself. It seems an invitation to get closer, but a fence divides us from the area, not hard to climb, but enugh for two honest people to stay out, specially with the guys right next to us in the main entrance, and the exposition on the street. The windows with gratings don’t seem to have any glass, ‘cause we can clearly see the space inside: the windows should be at least opaque from dust, and the light that passes through one side to the other is too bright. The roof is tipical of industries: tipical in our imagination, ‘cause at the end i haven’t seen so many around. The urban wave covers normal residential buildings on the background and we can’t see the horizon. A ship seems to want to try to go right inside the storm: the truck shelter, perfectly perpendicular to the urban wave, seems to break right against it: the pillars supporting it, remind me more of guides helping it to slip more easly towards the open sea. The weeds growing underneath, between the porfid blocks, look like splashes caused by the launch. The green musk trying to make itself some place between the seams of the ground, can’t be nothing but the foam of the calm sea brought to agitation.

Tobacco manufacture

I should have started from here to tell about this area, without any misteries. The main entrance is so imposing that there’s no doubt of what it used to produce. The style of this building could be of the fascist period: hard to be mistaken and very fascinating, not for the aesthetics, but for the dimensions. It reminds me of the justice Palace in the center, hich i know for sure being of that period. The perfect conditions of the building make me think that it’s not abandoned, which could be because it hasn’t been closed for a long time, or that it was thought to last in time and the materials used are good and resistant. This main entrance is right next to the not in function open space. We stopped in front of the main gate, studying the entry phone: there three or four buttons and the names on it are clear, which makes me think again that it could be not closed. In the meantime the gate starts to open, it’s electric, and a car arrives with two guys on it. We stand there a bit perplexed observing the two guys opening the main door. Alessandro suggestes me to go inside and ask informations, but i feel blocked. The building is so big it scares me and the two guys don’t seem to worry about us, althought it’s clear we are staring at them. This indifference offends me and i don’t feel like asking anything. I assume that the building is at least partially in function, that there is a guardian, so i don’t really care that much about it. My sensitivity will ruin me. Alessandro noticed this place at first, fascinated by the big cimney and the peace reigning on the area. I agree with him, but i can’t stand the building in front of me and i can’t wait to procede and see the rest. I’ll walk around the whole area, and at the end if the two guys will be still here, i’ll stop and ask information.