MILANO E I

NAVIGLI

Milan is strictly connected to water

The city is laced with waterways, criss -

crossed by rivers and canals controlled by ingenious technical

devices used to regulate water flow.

It is still possible to see the hydraulic engineering works such as drawbridges, sluices

and dams; these works testify the high degree of

hydraulic knowledge reached centuries ago

Ever since Roman times, as a matter of fact, Milan has counted on an

impressive number of Waterways for a variety of practical functions.  

These waterways are named Navigli.

Navigli are the artificial canals constructed

between 1179 and the 16th century with the

purpose of making Milan accessible from Ticino and Adda rivers and

its navigations system was improved by the

genius of Leonardo da Vinci.

The Navigli were a passing route for the merchandise on its’ way to Milan: the marble used to build the "Duomo" (Cathedral), for instance, came from the Candoglia Quarry on Lake Maggiore and also, in more recent times, a transporting route for the rolls of paper used by the typewriters of Corriere della Sera, the most important Italian newspaper.

During the twentieth century, with the advent of rail and wheel

transportation, the  canals in Lombardy  were gradually

abandoned, until the Naviglio Grande (Grand Canal)was finally covered with asphalt at the Cerchia dei Bastioni, in the

middle of the city.

During the last years, a lot has been done to make tourists and locals return to the waters of its canals .

Nowadays the Navigli are famous for their of pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, wine shops, bars and art studios: Naviglio district is one of the best for the local “movida“

There are boutiques, expositions, and artisans to be discovered along the banks of Grand Canal.

On Sunday it is possible to find modern and ancient paintings and antique markets and every year at the beginning of May, there is the Flower festival.

A periodic analysis of the quality of bathing has  tested that nowadays the waters of the Naviglio Grande are clean, pure, safe and can be compared to the Ticino river

Expo Milano 2015 is a non-commercial Universal Exposition with some very unique and innovative features. Not only is it an exhibition but also a process, one of active participation among a large number of players around the theme of Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. It is sustainable, technological, thematic and focused on its visitors. Open from May 1 to October 31, 2015.