The best traffic-free bike rides around Treviglio

The Naviglio della Martesana, definitively completed in 1496 under the leadership 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 (the current SS 11 padana superiore) which crossed the Adda with two branches: at Vaprio and at Cassano. Irrigation of the land located above the spring belt was for a long time the predominant use of the canal, so much so that initially navigation was limited to two days a week; concurrently with the improvement of the agricultural structure thanks to irrigation, a notable flourishing of stately villas occurred in the Baroque era, aimed at enjoying the convenience of water travel and controlling the owned lands.

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 (the current SS 11 padana superiore) which crossed the Adda with two branches: at Vaprio and Cassano. Irrigation of the land located above the spring belt was for a long time the predominant use of the canal, so much so that initially navigation was limited to two days a week; concurrently with the improvement of the agricultural structure thanks to irrigation, a notable flourishing of stately villas occurred in the Baroque era, intended to enjoy the convenience of travel on water and to control owned lands.

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 (the current SS 11 padana superiore) which crossed the Adda with two branches: at Vaprio and at Cassano. The irrigation of the lands located above the spring belt was for a long time the prevalent use of the canal, so much so that initially navigation was limited to two days a week; concurrently with the improvement of the agrarian structure thanks to irrigation, a notable flourishing of stately villas emerged in the Baroque era, aimed at enjoying the convenience of travel on water and controlling the lands of property.

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.

Very nice tour, the return phase could be improved as, although cyclable, it runs along the provincial road Crema - Lodi. NEW: an embankment has been built with a cycle path on top from Corte Palasio to the Casellario area, running along the Adda with a small bridge over the Tormo stream. Works in progress, it must be completed but is already passable. Beautiful, scenic and shady in the woods.

The imposing water wheel (about eleven meters in diameter) was built in the early 17th century by Cardinal Federico Borromeo to lift water from the canal and convey it to the nearby Archbishop's Palace. A washhouse can be seen near the wheel.

In the center of town, on the right bank of the Martesana Canal, stands an imposing waterwheel (popularly known as a rudun) said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci himself. Despite appearances, the wheel is not a mill, but a noria. Its function, in fact, was never to grind grain or power machinery, but rather to lift water from the canal to channel it into an irrigation system.

We are in Groppello, a hamlet in the municipality of Cassano d'Adda, and we must go back in time to 1618, when Cardinal Federico Borromeo commissioned this large wheel to convey the water needed to irrigate the vegetable gardens and gardens of the Archbishop's Villa. It is said that this majestic work, at the Cardinal's request, was designed by Leonardo da Vinci himself. Which, if anything, adds to its charm.