A trip along the Martesana Canal

is a must-do experience during your stay in Milan. A vacation to the Artist's Garden will also allow you to discover an unseen Milan, a little different from the capital of business, fashion, and art that is sure to fascinate you. But of course Milan is a busy city, it is the city of business and the stock market, the city where everyone is in a hurry to get to work, to an event, to see or do something. So you too will find yourself rushing from one side to the other, and given the distances, I can already tell you that at the end of each day you will be happy but rather tired. That is why I want to advise you to include in your Milan vacation planning a day dedicated to a relaxing and educational experience: a trip along the Martesana canal.

Milan's Navigli

As you may know, Milan was once crisscrossed by several waterways that ran through the entire city. Renowned are the Navigli di Porta Ticinese, the Naviglio Grande and the Naviglio Pavese, whose banks are now crowded with trendy clubs and restaurants. At one time, however, these waterways had the important function of allowing the transport of materials. It was through the Naviglio Grande that the heavy marbles used to build Milan Cathedral, a splendid example of Gothic architecture that you must definitely visit during your stay in Lombardy's capital city, were brought. The precious white marbles used for the construction of the Cathedral originated in the heart of the Alps and more precisely in the Candoglia quarry in the Ossola Valley. From there, via the Toce and other rivers, these materials reached the Ticino, which is directly connected to the Naviglio Grande. Here, in fact, is Porta Ticinese, which gives its name to the whole area and through which one entered the city from the Ticino. We definitely recommend spending at least one evening in this area known for its nightlife. Day and night, Milanese and tourists of all ages walk the streets paved with typical cobblestones, cross the picturesque bridges and crowd the many bars and restaurants with outdoor or even in-water dehors. It is also possible to navigate the Naviglio Grande to see Milan from a different perspective, book an aperitif on the motorboat or even a trip with dinner. To learn more read the article on the Navigli Live website https://www.naviglilive.it/battello-sui-navigli-di-milano/ or log on to the navigami.it website https://www.navigami.com/tour/giro-in-barca-sui-navigli-milanesi-e-darsena/

The Antiques Market

 A must for fans of antiques, clothing and vintage items is the Antiques Market held on the last Sunday of every month on the Naviglio Grande. Two kilometers of stalls on the banks of the Naviglio full of unobtainable objects. I will not hide from you that as a Milanese I love the Porta Ticinese area but I am really happy in the evening to go back to sleep in the silence of the Artist's Garden and relax in the coolness of my beautiful garden, far from the chaotic traffic of motorists desperately looking for a parking space and the noise that never ends. Moreover, as I anticipated at the beginning of this post, even the Greco district has its own little-known and undiscovered Naviglio Martesana also known as Naviglio Piccolo.

The Origins of the Martesana Canal -A Bit of History

Built in 1460 at the behest of Francesco Sforza, who carried out the project already envisioned several decades earlier by Filippo Maria Visconti, the Naviglio Martesana was of great importance in several respects. Like the other navigli, it is not a natural waterway but an artificial canal that was once used to transport materials and provisions to the center of the city. The street that ran along the waterway was traversed by horses that pulled the heavy barges by means of large ropes. The water flow was also used to operate the mills located along the route. Another very important function of this canal was to flow the waters that overflowed the various rivers it intersected, such as the Lambro, whose overflows made the land swampy and unhealthy. The Naviglio overcomes several differences in elevation, thanks to a system of locks and dams that are even said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. It is also said that the nobles of the time, flattered by the luster that having a private landing place could bring, put a lot of pressure on the Sforza to modify the route of the naviglio, which thus appears extremely tortuous.

The silting up of the Martesana Canal and the birth of the Park.

At one time, Via Melchiorre Gioia, near the Giardino dell'Artista, was crossed by the Naviglio Martesana leading into the city center. In the 1970s, the waterway was largely covered over to give more space for 4-wheel transportation and also for safety reasons. In my memories as a child, the river that ran through the city is very present, as is the image of the many dogs falling into the water and the daring rescues by firefighters or some brave passersby. Today a large stretch remains uncovered that, starting from the Adda River, leads right into Via Melchiorre Gioia. Beginning in the mid-1980s, through the work of the president of Zone 2 the journalist David Messina, the area was reclaimed with the introduction of a space dedicated to dogs and areas for relaxation, and the construction of a bicycle path was also begun, which, following the course of the river, today reaches as far as Trezzo d'Adda. The start of the walk is less than a 15-minute walk from the house, 1 bus stop away. So we recommend that you devote one of your Milan days to discovering the Naviglio Piccolo.

The cycle path along the Naviglio Martesana

So whether you want to rent bikes or take a long walk with your four-legged friend, I assure you that when you get home you can tell your friends about knowing a Milan that many Milanese ignore completely. 36 kilometres of cycle track will take you, starting from the historic Cassina de Pomm in via Melchiorre Gioia, to the river Adda, passing through the municipalities of Cologno Monzese, Vimodrone, Cernusco sul Naviglio, Cassina de Pecchi, Bussero, Gorgonzola, Gessate, Inzago and Cassano d’Adda. The route is also very fascinating because it allows you to see the hidden side of many historical villas, the gardens and the private landings that the facades hide from the sight of passers-by. Among these, in the locality of Concesa, you can admire a splendid neo-Renaissance villa today seat of the Adda Nord Park. You can also admire what remains of the old mills and relax in the shade of centuries-old trees. It will also be easy to find bars, benches and fountains along the way where you can stop and refresh yourself. The track is flat and suitable for all types of bikes. Proceeding along the cycle path you can meet several washrooms and a wooden bridge house. At the height of Inzago you will see the building with an octagonal plan and the tower of Villa Aitelli. Further on, beyond Cassano d’Adda, you will be enchanted by Villa Borromeo, a remarkable example of neoclassical architecture contaminated with Baroque elements and the splendid gardens. Coming to Groppello d’Adda you can admire the wooden wheel of an old water mill dating back to 1618 and faithfully reconstructed in the early 2000s.

September the ideal month for a trip along the Naviglio

If we were to suggest a month in which to decide to live this beautiful trip I would say September, both for the weather and because, precisely in this month, the festival of Gorgonzola takes place in the village that takes its name from this delicious cheese. A unique opportunity to buy authentic gorgonzola but also to taste it accompanied by a slice of bread or used as an ingredient of excellence in the famous risotto with gorgonzola. We recommend this stop on the way back because it is impossible to resist the temptation of so much goodness. Whether you've had a cheesecake, eaten at a local restaurant or are just tired, you can take the metro to Cassina de Pecchi and quickly get to Via Melchiorre Gioia. The area of the small ship overlooking Via Melchiorre Gioia is still an area to visit even if you want to take a simple walk or spend an evening in the cosy restaurant recently created in the historic Cassina de Pomm. With several tables overlooking the ship, at the height of the small dam that is said to have been designed by Leonardo, the restaurant, which is very frequented by young people, includes excellent hamburgers in its menu. To conclude, we recommend you to dedicate a day of your stay at the Fam Holidays Artist Garden in Milan to discover the Naviglio Martesana.