A little bit Notting Hill, a little bit Burano but without water. Via Abramo Lincoln is a nuanced little gem to be discovered at least once in Milan. Colorful terraced houses. Born as a working-class neighborhood in the late 19th, it is now a vibrant area of Milan nicknamed the “Milanese Notting Hill” or the “Rainbow Quarter” because it recalls the vibrancy and colorfulness of the London neighborhood, famous for its pastel houses and unique atmosphere.
The idea for the neighborhood was born in the late 19th century by a housing cooperative with the goal of building a “working-class village” and an “ideal neighborhood” for workers in the area. The result was a “garden city” with affordable housing that also included small gardens and vegetable gardens.
Milan’s Notting Hill
But where we are as an area, we are between Piazza Cinque Giornate and Piazza del Tricolore. Now that there is also a stop for the new subway, the blue “tricolor” line, there is no excuse not to take a ride there.
As we said, the intent was also noble: to provide comfortable homes for people belonging to the lower class of society, offering comfortable accommodations with vegetable gardens and gardens. But unfortunately the project foundered with the onset of the world wars.
To this day there remain 40 colorful cottages with their well-kept gardens that stand out well with the skyscrapers and apartment buildings around them, maintaining as in those days that magical, almost fairy-tale atmosphere, and if you pay attention, heaven forbid you happen to see around the corner Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts starring in the famous movie Notting Hill.
You may be wondering: but why are the houses colorful? Well, since the idea was to build a kind of more welcoming neighborhood for working-class families, they painted the houses themselves so as to bring out the idea of a “happy-island ward.” And then also a friendly challenge was born among neighbors between who had the most garish house., hence the Burano-style cottages that give the Milanese capital a festive and lively landscape . Definitely the perfect place to take an Instagrammable photo.