- Villages
Vaprio d'Adda
A journey through time on the Adda, among the locations that inspired Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings.
Vaprio D'Adda offers a scenic aperitif surrounded by natural landscapes with pictorial views. Just over 30 km from Milan, you come to the Adda river, crossed by the Naviglio della Martesana, the artificial canal that runs for 38 km from Trezzo sull'Adda to Milan.
In Vaprio D'Adda, water is the protagonist of walks along the Via Alzaia, where you can admire sumptuous noble villas, such as Villa Melzi, owned by the painter Francesco Melzi, who hosted Leonardo Da Vinci in the early 16th century. From the villa, the view of the river and the park below inspired Da Vinci for the naturalistic backdrops of some of his famous works such as The Virgin of the Rocks and The Mona Lisa. The walk, however, is enhanced by other historical testimonies such as the Cotonificio Visconti and the Casa del Custode delle Acque [House of the Water Guardian]. During the summer season, you can take a swim in the river, resting in the shade of the trees at Villa Pagnoni in Canonica d'Adda, just after the bridge connecting it to Vaprio d'Adda. If you want to follow Leonardo Da Vinci's walks, in a place of literary beauty, this village is for you and can be reached via the A4 motorway, exiting at Trezzo sull'Adda. From Milan you can also take the metro to the Gessate terminus and then change to the bus.
