The best gravel rides around San Donato Milanese

The Adda River is the fourth longest watercourse in Italy with its 313 kilometers and is entirely within the Lombardy region. It represents one of the main left tributaries of the Po River and has a very large hydrographic basin that covers about a third of the regional territory

The Abbey of Chiaravalle Milanese is a Cistercian monastic complex founded in 1135 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Located within the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, it represents one of the most important examples of the transition between Romanesque and Gothic architecture in Lombardy. The abbey is famous not only for its historical and artistic value, but also for the historical role of the monks in the agricultural reclamation of the surrounding territory.

The Ex Filatures de Schappe is an ancient industrial complex located in Rozzano, along the banks of the Naviglio Pavese. This site is an important example of industrial archaeology in the area south of Milan. The plant was founded in 1898 by the Société Anonyme de Filatures de Schappe of Lyon for the combing and carding of silk fibers (silk waste called "schappe"). It is located at the third lock of the Naviglio Pavese in Rozzano, where the water jump was used to produce electrical energy for the factory.

The Muzza canal (61 km long in total) is a branch of the Adda River and has recently celebrated its 800th anniversary, making it one of the oldest in Europe. Its name, with slight variations over the centuries, still recalls the Roman family Mutia who moved here in 90 BC, starting the first land reclamation works. Smaller watercourses branch off from the wide canal, winding through the countryside for a total length of about 1000 kilometers, mainly intended for agricultural irrigation. The surrounding landscape of countryside and farmhouses is evocative, with a succession of tree-lined rows and open fields. It is also very interesting from a naturalistic point of view as it attracts many aquatic birds that can be observed along the route.

Fondazione Prada is a cultural institution created by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli in 1993. Believing that culture is useful and necessary, as well as attractive and engaging, Fondazione Prada offers an experimental and multidisciplinary program that includes temporary exhibitions, film screenings, conferences, and music and performance projects.

The Abbey is famous because it contributed to the reclamation of the surrounding lands in past centuries, transforming the marshes of the Po Valley into productive organisms. And in fact, right here, around the year 1000, the monks invented Grana Padano, the globally less famous version of Parmigiano.

The small church of San Biagio, unique in its location, in a rural hamlet almost lost in the countryside of the upper Lodi area. The entire complex can be considered, in short, a general rehearsal for Bramante. The structures, absolutely innovative for the time, highlight the engineering knowledge typical of the architect. The oratory dedicated to San Biagio (Bishop of Sebaste and martyr) has a lower parallelepiped part with three apses and an octagonal upper part, with a row of round windows and another of blind rectangular windows. It is completed by a low tower that serves as a bell tower; the entire complex is made of terracotta and retains a classical Renaissance appearance of elegance and proportions.

The Abbey of Chiaravalle Milanese, founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1135, is one of the most important Italian monastic complexes, located in Milan within the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano. Still populated today by the traditional Cistercian monastic community, it is a place of considerable spiritual value and a significant hub from a historical, artistic, and cultural perspective. The complex is a highly prized tourist destination, whose value has increased significantly in recent years thanks to restoration and enhancement projects.