DISCOVERING LEONARDO'S NAVIGLI

The “navigli” have been meeting points and channels to trade exchanges. Today there are clubs, eating places, painter's studios and hydraulic systems as dams and locks.

Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, Alzaia Naviglio Grande and Darsena are the most visited places of Milan's city. Here you can find pubs, nightclubs and a lot of restaurants.

During the holidays there are antiques markets, modern markets and markets of general arts. In the spring festival there is also the flowers' feast which is repeated each year to confirm that in Milan the life begins over Navigli.

It is possible to sail on Navigli a whole day admiring the great nature. You can also visit these beautiful places by bicycle or by a carriage.

To cross navigli is a extraordinary way to discover the wonders of our territory but above all to immerse in a uncontaminated nature.

MILAN'S NAVIGLI

The history of navigli began in the second half of XII century with the building of the first navigable stretch.

Milan is a city crossed by the water, crossed by rivers and by canals regulated by ingenious technical devices.
The first canal, Ticinello, was inaugurated in 1179 and with his 50 kilometres it gave the beginning at the building of the Naviglio Grande.

Some great engineers started the project that nowadays we can admire thanks to the innovative system of locks ideated by Leonardo Da Vinci at the end of  '400.

Over the years the navigli have been very neglected so in 1977 the State gave the administration of Martesana's naviglio to the region. The region started a project for the upgrading of the zone. The navigli were once very popular and they were the hangout of shop and markets.

Nowadays the navigli's zone is characterised by the presence of many artist, models, musicians and young men thanks to the attendance of numerous locals and restaurants which made this zone of Milan very attractive. The atmosphere that you can breathe in the navigli are very peculiar and the landscape is very exciting to admire.

Milan is the fashion and design city; this beautiful town will give hospitality to Expo 2015, however again a lot of places which scent of history and antiquity still exist. Walking through one of the most characteristics part of the city, hidden bars and restaurants, you can observe the fantastic Vicolo dei Lavandai.

NAVIGLIO GRANDE is the oldest of Milan's canals and it was accomplished in 1179 with function of irrigating the campaigns. After in 1270 the Naviglio Grande was considered as a navigable canal.
This naviglio is born by Ticino and it gets to the center of Milan. It is 48,5 km long, between 12 m and 14 m large and about 1 m deep.

The goods were transported by big boats which, arrived to Darsena, and were distributed in the navigli’s area. The marble to build Milan’s Duomo was transported through this water canal.

NAVIGLIO PAVESE  was started in 1365; it begins from Milan’s Darsena and arrives to Pavia, where it joins with Ticino after a 30 km long path.

The Naviglio Pavese, which in the past was used for cargo shipping, now is a night attraction because there are a lot of bars and pubs.

In addition to restaurants, pubs and discos, the attractions are the big boats permanently moored on its riversides. These boats were originally used to transport sand but they have been transformed into floating bars and pubs attended by young people to chat and drink.

NAVIGLIO GRANDE'S TOUR

The stretch between Milan and Gaggiano is one of the most interesting journey over Naviglio Grande.

Between Darsena and the center of Gaggiano there are 10 kilometres. There are a lot of places to visit. You can visit them on foot, by bicycle and you can also sail on a tourist’s boat operating each Sunday. Along this canal there are furnaces, spinning, dry cleaners and paper mills built at the end of the XIX century.

Ticinese's area, where our journey starts, is a typical quarter where the railing houses have been unchanged during the years. This zone was once popular, but now is a very nice place of artists, models, university students and a lot of good society's guys.
The atmosphere is beautiful because near a modern coffee bar you can find ancient workshops and sometimes it is possible to see a painter concentrated on his work.

Suddenly the landscape changes: now we are crossing the abandoned area of ex porcelain factory, Richard Ginori. It is a very big complex and it is about one kilometre long. Now we can observe the area of broken glasses, chimneys off and rusty iron. Some years ago this place was the pride of Milan's workers!

The first taverns were born to give hospitality to the artists and the workers who worked hardly during the day, who painted and who pounded the hammer, then in the evening they spent the time together.

After two kilometres you get to Gaggiano. In the past it was the dormitory for the workers who had to build the Naviglio Grande. Gaggiano has been enjoying a new glory for a few years now; the city has restructured all the houses facing the naviglio giving them bright colours.
The presence of this water way was very important for the development of Gaggiano centre because it has connected Gaggiano to Milan since 1278.

This interesting journey ends here but the navigli continue in Vigevanese and Magentino, between villas, castles and villages.

                                            Emma Valenti, Ginevra Scaglioni, Francesco Manzoni,

                  Andrea Ammirabile, Arianna Pavesi