4 abandoned factories in Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the Italian regions with the strongest industrial tradition. Factories, spinning mills, steel mills, cement plants, and manufacturing facilities profoundly changed the Lombard landscape between the 19th and 20th centuries.
With the economic transformation and the closure of numerous factories, many of these buildings have remained unused. Some have been demolished or converted, while others still exist and retain the features of the era in which they were in operation.
In this article we look at 4 abandoned factories and industrial complexes in Lombardy , chosen for their history and above all for the still recognizable presence of the original structures.
In this article
Former Italcementi Cement Factory – Alzano Lombardo
Among the most interesting abandoned industrial complexes in Lombardy we find the former Italcementi cement factory in Alzano Lombardo , in the province of Bergamo.
Its history begins in 1883 , when engineer Cesare Pesenti ordered the construction of the cement factory in Alzano Sopra. The location was no coincidence: the plant was in a particularly favorable area for production, close to other factories, the railway infrastructure of the Seriana Valley, and the energy sources necessary for production.
Over the decades, the complex was progressively expanded and modified. Between 1883 and 1909, numerous interventions were carried out to adapt the facilities to the evolution of cement production.
The main structure was made up of several departments, including the one for the furnaces and the one for grinding Portland cement.
Technological progress, however, gradually made some parts of the plant obsolete.
Cement production was suspended in 1966 , but the plant continued to be used for grinding for a few more years. It finally closed in 1971 .
From that moment on, a new phase in the history of the complex began.
The former cement factory still stands as an imposing presence in the landscape of Alzano Lombardo. The structure has been under protection since 1980, and the Ministry of Culture classifies it as privately owned and in a very poor state of repair.
Its interest therefore does not only derive from its decadent appearance.
The building represents a concrete testimony to the industrial revolution of the Seriana Valley , an area in which cement, textiles and manufacturing played a fundamental role in the local economic development.
Former Ticosa Thermal Power Plant – Como
In the Como area there is another great example of industrial archaeology: the former Ticosa Thermal Power Station , also known as S. Arella.
The complex belonged to TICOSA, one of the most important industrial concerns in the modern history of Como.
The factory's production activity began in the early 1900s along the Cosia River. During the 1920s, the company acquired additional land, and the complex continued to expand with various buildings and departments.
The crisis came in the mid-1970s.
Production entered an irreversible period of difficulty, and the entire site was gradually abandoned. In the early 1980s, the area passed into public ownership.
From that moment on, various redevelopment options were hypothesized, but for decades none of the planned uses succeeded in transforming the building into a stable use.
The result is a large industrial complex that is still present, but unused.
The so-called C-shaped building , which constitutes the main part of the plant, has a characteristic C-shape. It is composed of three buildings: two three-story buildings and a central one with four floors above ground. Inside, the industrial structure, pillars, stairwells, and spaces originally intended for production activities are still visible.
The facades still feature architectural elements typical of industrial buildings of the period, such as pilasters, string courses and cornices.
The Ministry of Culture today lists the building as completely abandoned , with significant signs of decay and a terrible state of preservation. The property is also under protection.
It is one of those places where the urban charm arises above all from the size of the building : large empty spaces, multi-storey structures and an industrial history closely linked to the city of Como.
Chemists' Building of the Former Redaelli Steelworks – Milan
An abandoned factory doesn't always have to be a huge establishment.
An interesting example is the Chemists' Building of the former Redaelli Steelworks , in the Rogoredo area of Milan.
Its history is linked to the Ferriere Redaelli, one of the large iron and steel complexes that developed between the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Most of the industrial buildings in the area were demolished in the late 1980s. However, the chemical building represents one of the few remaining architectural remains of the former production area.
And that's exactly what makes it special.
The building was designed in 1941-42 by architect Griffini as an experimental laboratory. The structure is two stories high and features a distinctive semicircular plan.
At the center is the double-height rehearsal room, aligned with the main entrance. On the sides were laboratories, offices, and service rooms, connected by a central corridor.
The facade is also very recognizable, with the structure regularly punctuated by openings and the architectural framework.
The peculiarity of this building is therefore different from the large cement factory in Alzano or the Ticosa.
Here we do not find an entire factory still preserved, but the last surviving building of a large industrial sector that has disappeared .
It's a particularly interesting situation from an industrial archaeology perspective: the building has become a sort of physical reminder of the Redaelli Ironworks, while everything around it has gradually disappeared.
Former Fumagalli and Ottolina Spinning Mill – Sulbiate
In Sulbiate, in the province of Monza and Brianza, we find another type of industrial archaeology: an old silk mill .
The Fumagalli and Ottolina silk mill complex was built in the 1920s, when the silk industry still represented an important component of the local economy.
The plant had a particularly interesting structure.
The main body of the mill extended longitudinally and featured a long exposed brick façade, punctuated by fifteen bays and large arched windows. Next to the production area was a two-story main building, architecturally distinct from the factory and featuring decorative elements.
The spinning mill remained active until the mid-twentieth century.
The complex was later adapted for other uses, including a commercial laboratory for the sale of dried flowers. However, in the final decades of the twentieth century, the activities within the long building began to gradually decline.
Today the building is still recognizable and retains much of its original architectural features.
The situation, however, is different from that of large, completely abandoned factories: the complex is publicly owned, and over time, projects have been developed for its recovery and enhancement.
This aspect is important because it demonstrates that a disused industrial building is not necessarily destined to remain abandoned forever .
The Sulbiate silk mill is, in fact, an example of industrial heritage that can be transformed and given a new function without erasing its history.
Why are factories abandoned?
The abandonment of Lombard factories is closely linked to the transformation of the economy.
For much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many areas of the region were organized around large industrial plants.
Textiles, steel, cement production, mechanics, and agricultural processing employed thousands of people and drove the growth of entire neighborhoods and municipalities.
As time went by, however, many factories began to become economically uncompetitive.
In some cases, production was relocated. In others, the plants became technologically obsolete or too large and costly to maintain. The result was decommissioning.
The problem is that a factory is not a simple construction: it often occupies enormous areas and comprises numerous buildings, systems, and infrastructure. Demolishing or converting one can therefore be a very complex operation. Furthermore, many historic factories are now protected.
This means that any transformation must also take into account their historical and architectural value.
This is how many of the large areas of industrial archaeology that still characterize the Lombard landscape today were born.
Conclusions
Abandoned factories perhaps better than any other category describe the economic changes in Lombardy.
The former Italcementi cement factory bears witness to the industrial growth of the Seriana Valley. The Ticosa plant, on the other hand, tells the story of Como's industrial history and the difficulty of repurposing a large, abandoned complex.
The Palazzina dei Chimici preserves the memory of an entire steelworks now disappeared, while the Filanda Fumagalli e Ottolina represents the textile past of Brianza.
These places have one common feature: they are not simply empty buildings .
These are pieces of industrial history still visible in the area, structures that allow us to understand how work, production, and Lombardy's cities have changed.
And this is precisely what makes industrial archaeology particularly interesting for urbex: behind an abandoned factory there are not only empty rooms and deteriorated walls, but decades of work, innovation and economic transformation .
Note: Abandoned buildings do not mean they are freely accessible. Some of the structures cited are fenced off, unsafe, private, or under conservation. This article is for informational and historical purposes only and does not provide guidance on unauthorized access.
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