Naviglio Pavese

The Pavese Canal is a waterway that connects Milan to Pavia, an integral part of the system of "Navigli" in Milan. Originates at the dock of Porta Ticinese and continues until the end of the province of Milan for a total length of 33 Km. Initially, it linked the irrigation function (which still plays) to the waterway: used until the mid-twentieth century for cargo shipping, it was crossed by the last boats in the 60s. Francesco Sforza ordered its construction in 1457, but the work, interrupted several times over the centuries, saw the completion only under Napoleon, with the intervention of Vincenzo Brunacci (rector of the University of Pavia). They went down coal, lime, granite and fertilizer; as they climbed timber, salt, bricks and grains. There are uncertain news on steam navigation. Today, the urban section of Milan (in the stretch of Via Ascanio Sforza) is the center of young nightlife thanks to the presence of several barges adapted as restaurants and bars; the banks and pedestrian bridges are well kept until Fallata, where it concludes the restoration. Continuing, the Canal passes through a long stretch the South Agricultural Park of Milano. Between Milan and Pavia it doesn't encounters large urban centers, except Rozzano, offering an immersion in the agricultural landscape untouched just steps from the city.