• Navigli

Naviglio Martesana

Also called 'Naviglio Piccolo', it is the canal that connects Milan with the river Adda

Where
Naviglio della Martesana
Trezzo sull'Adda

The Naviglio della Martesana, which was finally completed under the rule of Ludovico il Moro, flows from Trezzo sull’Adda to Milan with an overall length of 38 km.

The route runs along the ancient Roman road (now the highway SS 11) which crossed the River Adda with two branches: at  Vaprio and at Cassano. For many years, the main function of the canal was for irrigation of lands situated above the water spring band, so much so that in the early days, navigation was limited to just two days a week; at the same time that it brought about improvements in the agricultural infrastructure, the villas of the nobility sprang up along the banks in the Baroque period, the owners taking advantage of the waterway to escape from the city and also keep an eye on their lands.

The irrigation function of the Martesana was less important than that of the Naviglio Grande, but it certainly served as a demarcation point between the arid plain to the north and the irrigated lowland to the south.

Identity card:

Year of birth: 1475

Navigable since: 1482

Length: 38 km

Land irrigated: 25,000 ha

Start: Trezzo sull’Adda

End: Milan


History:
The Naviglio Piccolo, or 'little canal', later to be known as the Martesana, was begun under Francesco Sforza in 1475 in order to transport "grindstones, oil presses, spinning wheels and map chests".

It starts at the River Adda, on the right bank, beneath the castle of Trezzo, and has over 129 branches which irrigate almost 25,000 hectares of land before it arrives in Milan at Cascina de' Pomm and ends up underground in San Marco. It was completed in only three years. It linked the city with the River Adda, Lake Como and thus Northern Europe. In 1497, Ludovico il Moro inaugurated the link with the inner culvert of Milan. Boats that travelled on the canal reached Milan in 7 hours and returned to Trezzo in 12 with the help of two draught horses.

Take me here: Naviglio Martesana

Places

From Lecco to the Martesana Canal

  • Cycle Tourism
Borgo di Pescarenico on the Adda river
1.12 km

Visconti Castle

From the tower of the Castle the view of the river and of the surrounding territory is priceless, from the Pre-Alps to the plain
  • Art & Culture
Visconti castle
1.58 km

Leonardo Adda Ecomuseum

Open-air museum along the Paderno Canal in which to rediscover the historical, artistic and naturalistic events of the territory
  • Art & Culture
Adda Leonardo Ecomuseum
2.29 km

Park North Adda

  • Parks
Park North Adda
2.46 km

Info Point Crespi d'Adda

Infopoint and Unesco Visitor Centre of Crespi d'Adda: information, ticket office, museum, meeting rooms, bookshop and much more
  • Infopoint
Info Point di Crespi d'Adda
3.06 km

Crespi d'Adda Workers Village

  • Unesco Sites
Crespi d'Adda Workers Village
3.09 km

Villa Paradiso Golf Club

Villa Paradiso Golf Club is situated in the splendid Adda Natural Park, just 20 minutes from Milan and Bergamo.
  • Golf
Villa Paradiso Golf Club, Cornate d’Adda (MB)
3.33 km

Vaprio d'Adda

A journey through time on the Adda, among the locations that inspired Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings.
  • Villages
Ph: I Mille
4.54 km

Villa Melzi d'Eril

Villa Melzi is a residential villa belonging to the Melzi family that looks out onto the River Adda
  • Art & Culture
Villa Melzi D'Eril
4.66 km

Cornate d'Adda

In the province of Monza e Brianza, the history of Cornate d'Adda goes back a long way and starts with water.
  • Art & Culture
Cornate d'Adda, Centrale idroelettrica Esterle
4.79 km

Leonardo's El Rudun in Groppello

  • Navigli
El Rudun on the Martesana Canal
7.89 km

Bridge of Paderno d'Adda

Also known as the Rothlisberger Bridge it is a rail-road traffic and connects Paderno and Calusco through the Adda River
  • Art & Culture
Bridge of Paderno d'Adda
8.61 km

Tre Corni alla Rocchetta: Leonardo’s Landscape

  • Leonardo
Tre Corni alla Rocchetta
8.62 km

The Mulberry Tree of Cassano d'Adda

  • Art & Culture
The Mulberry Tree of Cassano d'Adda
9.82 km

Naviglio di Paderno

It was a product of the genius of Leonardo da Vinci who in the early 16th century was a guest of Count Melzi in Vaprio d'Adda.
  • Navigli
Naviglio di Paderno
9.83 km

Infopoint Vimercate

  • Infopoint
Infopoint Vimercate
10.19 km

Vimercate

From the Vimercate district museum to the jewels of little Oreno. Discover what to visit in Vimercate.
  • Art & Culture
Vimercate
10.38 km

Church of san paolo in imbersago

  • Religious Tourism
Church of San Paolo in Imbersago
11.23 km

Golf Brianza Country Club

Golf Brianza Country Club is located in the south of Lake Como in a charming and wavy natural amphitheater.
  • Golf
Golf Brianza Country Club
11.7 km

The Ginkgo Biloba of Gorgonzola

An excellent Ginkgo biloba, a legendary tree from the Far East, embellishes the heart of Gorgonzola.
  • Active & Green
The Ginkgo Biloba of Gorgonzola
12.1 km

Events

The bridge festival

Vari luoghi del paese
Paderno d'Adda, 23877, Lc
10/10/2025 - 12/10/2025
  • Music and show
The bridge festival
8.68 km

Ma mere l'oye, omaggio a Rave

Cascina Maria
Paderno d'Adda piazza Vittoria, 8, 23877, Lc
25/10/2025
  • Music and show
Ma mere l'oye, omaggio a Rave
8.84 km

Hop hop street food

Via Alpini, 23807, Merate, LC
10/10/2025 - 12/10/2025
  • Food & Wine
Hop hop street food
11.12 km

Al centro del mio cerchio

Municipio
Via Lina Castelbarco, 1, 23898, Imbersago, Lc
19/10/2025
Al centro del mio cerchio
11.2 km

Merate incontra la fotografia 11esima edizione

Merate varie sedi
Merate, 23807, Lc
04/10/2025 - 26/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Merate incontra la fotografia 11esima edizione
11.22 km

La guerra d'Italia

biblioteca di Osnago
Osnago, viale Rimembranze, 3, Lc, 23870
18/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
La guerra d'Italia
11.23 km

Mercatino dell'antico 2025

Piazza Garibaldi e vie del paese
19/10/2025
  • Lifestyle
Mercatino dell'antico 2025
11.25 km

Mercatino dell'antico 2025

Piazza Garibaldi e vie del paese
16/11/2025
  • Lifestyle
Mercatino dell'antico 2025
11.25 km

I giardini di villa Belgiojoso Sforza

Villa Belgiojoso Sforza
Via Roma, 26, Merate, Lc, 23807
11/10/2025 - 12/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
I giardini di villa Belgiojoso Sforza
11.36 km

Profilo Basso

teatro Manzoni
Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, 23, Merate, 23807
23/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Profilo Basso
11.37 km

Bentornata Mercoledì

CineTeatro Manzoni
Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, 23, Merate, 23807
25/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Bentornata Mercoledì
11.37 km

100 anni di astonomia in Brianza

INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Piazza Prinetti, 1, 23807, Merate, Lc
11/10/2025 - 12/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
100 anni di astonomia in Brianza
11.48 km

100 anni di astonomia in Brianza

Merate piazza Prinetti
Piazza Prinetti, 1, 23807, Merate, Lc
18/10/2025 - 19/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
100 anni di astonomia in Brianza
11.48 km

Cortili di Palazzo Prinetti Merate

Piazza Prinetti
Piazza Giulio Prinetti, 10, Merate, Lc, 23807
12/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Cortili di Palazzo Prinetti Merate
11.54 km

Nati per leggere

Biblioteca di Lomagna
Via Roma, 2, Lomagna, 23871
18/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Nati per leggere
11.58 km

Sulle ali della canapiglia

Museo civico don Ambrosini
Via collegio Manzoni, 45, Merate, Lc, 23807
11/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Sulle ali della canapiglia
11.69 km

Arte senza confini

Auditorium Comunale G. Spezzaferri
Piazza degli Eroi, 3, Merate, 23807
10/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Arte senza confini
11.7 km

Musica e parole

Auditorium Comunale Giusi Spezzaferri
Piazza degli Eroi, 3, Merate, 23807
11/10/2025
  • Music and show
Musica e parole
11.7 km

Le schiacciate

Auditorium Comunale G. Spezzaferri
Piazza degli Eroi, 3, Merate, 23807
15/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Le schiacciate
11.7 km

Asini che volano

auditorium Spezzaferri
Piazza degli Eroi, 3, Merate, 23807
24/10/2025
  • Art & Culture
Asini che volano
11.7 km

Activities

MTB Freeride – Full day high Orobie Alps, Bergamo

  • Cycle Tourism
MTB Freeride – Full day high Orobie Alps, Bergamo
9.56 km

de bello. notes on war and peace

  • Art & Culture
de bello. notes on war and peace
14.26 km

Eat like a local not like a tourist

  • Food & Wine
Eat like a local not like a tourist
14.53 km

Where to sleep

GARDEN HOUSE TREZZO

TREZZO SULL'ADDA
GARDEN HOUSE TREZZO
997 mt

Best Western Villa Appiani

Trezzo sull'Adda
Best Western Villa Appiani
1.68 km

GVB IMMOBILIARE VIA MILAZZO 7 sub. 706

TREZZO SULL'ADDA
GVB IMMOBILIARE VIA MILAZZO 7 sub. 706
1.75 km

B&B ESTERCARLO

Trezzo sull'Adda
B&B ESTERCARLO
1.87 km

Martesana 1 Sub 501

TREZZO SULL'ADDA
Martesana 1 Sub 501
1.95 km

HOTEL ELYSIUM SELF CHECK IN ROOMS

Trezzo sull'Adda
HOTEL ELYSIUM SELF CHECK IN ROOMS
2.15 km

B&B BEB FAMILY FIRST

Capriate San Gervasio
B&B BEB FAMILY FIRST
2.22 km

B&B CA' FORTUNATO

CAPRIATE SAN GERVASIO
B&B CA' FORTUNATO
2.31 km

B2IN GARDEN

CAPRIATE SAN GERVASIO
B2IN GARDEN
2.35 km

HOTEL DEL BREMBO

Osio Sotto
HOTEL DEL BREMBO
2.36 km

LE VIGNE SULL'ADDA

Bottanuco
LE VIGNE SULL'ADDA
2.38 km

CRESPI APARTMENTS

CAPRIATE SAN GERVASIO
CRESPI APARTMENTS
2.38 km

B&B ADDA

Capriate San Gervasio
B&B ADDA
2.39 km

B2IN

Capriate San Gervasio
B2IN
2.57 km

VILLA CAROLINA B&B

GREZZAGO
VILLA CAROLINA B&B
2.57 km

PREVITALI LAURA

CAPRIATE SAN GERVASIO
PREVITALI LAURA
2.67 km

B2IN SUITE & LOFT

Capriate San Gervasio
B2IN SUITE & LOFT
2.88 km

LT LE TRE SORELLE

BUSNAGO
LT LE TRE SORELLE
2.89 km

LOCAZIONE TURISTICA LA CASETTA DI GIO

Cornate d'Adda
LOCAZIONE TURISTICA LA CASETTA DI GIO
2.97 km

B&B BAMBOO GARDEN

Cornate d'Adda
B&B BAMBOO GARDEN
3.04 km