Naviglio della Martesana
The
Naviglio della Martesana was commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti in 1457. the chief purpose of the canal was to provide the fields of the area with water. Later, it was also used as a method of transportation between Milan and Bergamo, Brescia, and the Adda Valley. A project prepared by Leonardo da Vince helped to overcome the 20-metre difference inheight between Milan and the River Adda. The great Renaissance polymath devised a system using locks and natural basins. At Trezzo, the waters of the Adda were directed towards Milan, into the Scaritore Canal, and then through the Redefossi Canal into the River Lambro south of the capital of
Lombardy.
The transportation and agricultural function of the Martesana ceased by the 17th Century. By that time, the banks of the canal were lined with summer houses and country mansions of wealthy Milanese families. The most splendid of these residences included Villa Alari Visconti, Villa Rey at Anzago, Villa Uboldo, Villa Castelbarco at Vaprio, and Villa Biancani at Cernusco. Navigation along the canal stopped altogether in the first half of the 20th Century. The stretch between Via Castelfidardo and Via Melchiorre Gioia was closed in 1933, and other parts of the Martesana fell into neglect. Nowadays, the authorities of Milan are gradually re-glamorizing this almost totally forgotten part of the city. A cycling route along the Martesana offers a chance to take a closer look at this prominent page in Milan’s history.
Name: Naviglio della Martesana
Address: Via Tirano - Via Tofane
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