The best traffic-free bike rides around Pontirolo Nuovo

The two eye-like spherical openings and a mouth-like rectangular slit make it a nice attraction

I was curious to see it up close, and so it was

To posterity the difficult judgment

Naviglio della Martesana is perhaps the least known of the ancient artificial canals connecting Milan to the great Lombard rivers. It originates from the Adda in Concesa, a hamlet of Trezzo d’Adda, crosses the Martesana sub-region, northeast of the provincial capital, and once in the city, it plunges underground beneath Via Melchiorre Gioia, at the height of Cassina de’ Pomm. It measures approximately 38 km in length, with a width varying from 9 to 18 meters. However, once upon a time, the Naviglio della Martesana continued in the open air all the way to the center, where a lock system centered on the Conca dell’Incoronata connected it to the short Naviglio di S. Marco and the urban network of the Navigli. The lock was inaugurated in 1496, utilizing lock gates designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The canal had been opened in 1471, under Francesco Sforza. By connecting it to the other Navigli, Leonardo laid the foundations for realizing a dream of the Sforzas: to travel by water from the Ticino, and therefore from Lake Maggiore, all the way to the Adda.

The route runs alongside the Naviglio della Martesana, perhaps the least known among the ancient artificial canals connecting Milan to the great Lombard rivers. It originates from the Adda river in Concesa, a hamlet of Trezzo d’Adda, crosses the Martesana sub-region, north-east of the provincial capital, and once in the city, it plunges underground beneath via Melchiorre Gioia, near Cassina de’ Pomm. It measures approximately 38 km in length, with a width varying from 9 to 18 meters. However, at one time, the Naviglio della Martesana continued in the open air right into the center, where a system of locks centered on the Conca dell’Incoronata connected it to the short Naviglio di S. Marco and the urban ring of the Navigli. The lock was inaugurated in 1496, utilizing lock gates designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The canal had been opened in 1471, under Francesco Sforza. By connecting it to the other Navigli,

The Naviglio della Martesana, initially known as Naviglio Piccolo, is one of the Milanese canals that connects Milan with the course of the Adda river through the municipalities of Martesana. Commissioned in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza, it was used for irrigating the countryside but also represented the ambitious project of connecting Milan with Lake Como and thus with the Alps and Ticino. The Naviglio della Martesana is a place rich in history and beauty, a heritage for everyone that, however, today is still little known and protected. Along the Naviglio runs a rather busy cycle path, which allows you to admire the landscape and cultural beauties, such as the rich flora, fauna, or the numerous historic villas, including the Renaissance Villa Melzi d’Eril in Vaprio d’Adda.

The construction of the Naviglio Piccolo, later known as the Martesana, was started by Francesco Sforza in 1475 to transport along the route "grinding stones, oil presses, spinning mills, paper mills". It originates from the Adda, on the right bank, below the Castle of Trezzo and reaches Milan at Cascina de' Pomm, ending buried at San Marco. The Naviglio della Martesana, definitively completed in 1496 under the guidance of Ludovico il Moro, flows from Trezzo sull’Adda to Milan for a total length of 38 km. The route runs alongside the ancient Roman road that crossed the Adda with two branches: at Vaprio and at Cassano. Concurrently with the improvement of the agricultural structure thanks to irrigation, a notable flourishing of stately villas occurred in the Baroque era. The irrigation function of the Martesana marks the clear boundary between the dry plain, to the north, and the irrigated plain, to the south.

The church's current structure is largely the result of 20th-century reconstructions and expansions, although its origins date back to older religious buildings. It is the hub of the town's religious and community life. The building stands out for its modern architectural lines, typical of the reworking of traditional 20th-century styles, and for its imposing bell tower that marks its presence in the urban landscape.