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Located within the Southern Agricultural Park of Milan, in a narrow strip of land between the Naviglio Pavese and the Lambro Meridionale, Cascina Basmetto is surrounded by fields but has the densely built-up districts of Missaglia and Gratosoglio as its backdrop.

The surrounding landscape changes depending on the season and the rice cultivation phases. After sowing, when they are submerged in water, the rice fields become a mirror, while in summer they release a brilliant green which becomes more and more intense as the rice grows.

The structure has the typical appearance of the farmhouses of the Lower Milanese area, with a closed square courtyard. It is characterized by a portico with four stone columns covered with a picturesque wisteria. Around the farmyard, the heart of the farmhouse, there are the houses, an imposing stable and a series of large barns. The main building, the main house, is the highest part of the entire complex, a device that allows control of all the activities that take place there.

In the 700th century Cascina Basmetto was owned by Cardinal Cusani. The expropriation and acquisition by the Municipality of Milan date back to 1942.

Since 1958 it has been managed by the Papetti family, who maintain a rural tradition handed down from father to son. The source of income today is mainly the cultivation of rice and corn but there is also a small horse farm.

The first documented information on Cascina Basmetto dates back to 1400. At that time it belonged to the monastery of San Barnaba in Gratosoglio. Saint Barnabas, called an apostle although not included in the group of the Twelve, is considered the first bishop of the city of Milan. Legend tells of his arrival in the city and how, due to the hospitality and conviviality he received, before leaving he said "Goodbye, oh grateful threshold". From here the toponym Gratosoglio derives.

Barnabas is venerated as a saint by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The monastery in his honor was built in the 1784th century by the Vallombrosian monks of the order of San Giovanni Gualberto and was suppressed in XNUMX. The locality of Valleambrosia remains in memory of these monks, on the outskirts of Milan, in the municipality of Rozzano, along the Naviglio Pavese .