Like many other Milan parks, the idea for creating Parco delle Cave came as a result of the need for a green space for the ever-growing number of inhabitants of the urban area. Moreover, reconstruction and preservation of the land was necessary because of the severe damages made by the sand-extraction works since the 1920s. As a result of this activity, four sandpits were formed, Cabassi, Casati, Ongari-Cerutti and Aurora, which were not only unpleasant to the eye but also provoked illegal usage of the abandoned land. The idea of turning these damaged areas into a park dates back to the 1970s, but nearly two decades had to elapse in order for the green zone to be officially established. Parco delle Cave was founded in 1986, with the approval of the plan for the park’s design by architects Gian Luigi Reggio and Oge Lodola. In the meantime, voluntary works were organised to raise the land’s quality and to try to stop illegal activities such as building, growing vegetables, hunting and even continuing the excavation works.
The first actual steps toward realising the Parco delle Cave started in the early 1990s, according to the Regio and Lodola plan, but encountered many obstacles of a financial character. By 1996, 20 hectares of the park were ready for public use, but a lot of work still remained for the organisers. In 1997, the City Council’s administration arranged for an intensive effort to be exerted on this project, and gave a concession to the organisation Italia Nostra, which successfully took care of the nearby park called Boscoincitta. As a result, many additional projects were realised in order to bring volunteers to work on the park’s development. Extensive work was done during the period until 2002, including the construction of lakes instead of the old sandpits. For example, the Cabassi quarry was turned into a haven for vegetation, with pathways around the lake, wooden wharfs great to watch the sunset from, and the '”moist zone” that’s in the north-eastern side of the pit, where the best living conditions for many species are maintained.
Parco delle Cave can offer a lot of entertainment to its visitors, starting from just strolling or cycling to doing gardening in the free vegetable gardens, or exploring nature around the lakes, lawns or in the “moist zone”. Playgrounds are available and there’s also a kindergarten at the southern end of the park. The old Caldera shack provides a place for refreshment. All around the park, one encounters picturesque irrigation canals with romantic bridges running over them, groves alternated by vast meadows luring for a picnic lunch and last but not least, the wonderful lakes. All this thanks to the great share of work done by volunteers, who turned this neglected area into the perfect place to spend one’s free time.