The Green Palace Center is Gallarate’s Convention Center. 
I decided to fill my afternoon with a leisurely walk, up to the village of Crenna, to see what I could of its castle, which, unfortunately, is now closed to the public. Crenna is a tiny hamlet, located just outside of Gallarate. It is a fairly easy walk, and I highly recommend doing it, if you are in Gallarate for a few days, as I was.
Crenna sits at the top of a hill. If walking, you have two choices: one — you can walk along the road that slowly sweeps up to the town; or two — you can take the more direct and safer stairway that will lead you right to the main piazza of Crenna. I chose the stairway!
Once you have reached the top of the stairway, turn left, and follow the bend in the road. There, you will have reached your destination! You will find yourself in Piazza della Repubblica, in front of the Chiesa di San Zenone, which dates from the 14th century.
In front of the church, in the middle of the piazza, there is a monument dedicated to the citizens of Crenna, who lost their lives in the World Wars. 
As I mentioned earlier, the castle is closed to visits from the public. Not much of it is even visible from the streets, most of the property being located behind a wall, but I did get a glimpse of one of the towers. 
The monument dedicated to the Alpine troops who never returned was lovely, and set in a beautiful park-like area.
I returned to the stairs, and to the city of Gallarate.
The local botanical garden was closed, so unfortunately I will have to save that for another time.
I made a reservation for myself at Ilario Vinciguerra, a Michelin-starred restaurant, in the heart of Gallarate. If you are a lover of creative, delicious food, then do yourself a favor, and make a reservation here. Not only is the food wonderful, but the villa the restaurant is in, is beautiful, and surrounded by a lovely park. I highly recommend it!
Next up: We head south, to take in the healing waters of Fiuggi!
Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations which may appear. If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for additional posts from Gallarate, as well as other Italian destinations. Grazie!