The contest for Stations in bloom was first held in 1926 as an encouragement to improve the company’s image. It soon became a particular feature unique to Ferrovie Nord Milano stations.
It was a true competition among railway stations, whose staff went to great lengths to beautify the flower beds and took scrupulous care of the trees and plants in the green areas around the passenger terminal.
The panel of judges - which initially included a representative of the Agriculture Ministry, a member of the Italian Touring Club, a representative of the railway company and two members of the railway workers’ club - visited all the competing stations in a single day, drew up a ranking and awarded a cash prize to the winners.
The guard houses also participated in the competition, with their vegetable plots and orchards.
The contest was suspended during the war years, when everyone was occupied with graver concerns, and resumed in the early ’50s, continuing uninterrupted until the mid-70s.