ITGet to know the Province
Between parks and waterways
The territory of the Province of Milan is in the main an area of flat-land criss-crossed by an intricate network of waterways, rivers and canals. The river Adda to the east and the Ticino to the west respectively separate the province from the Province of Bergamo and the Piedmont region. Some points of the river Adda provide some wonderful sights.
The most spectacular of these is the stretch from Trezzo to Cassano, where the river flows between really steep river banks on which stand such monuments as the Castle of Trezzo and spectacular buildings such as the Villa Borromeo in Cassano are a reminder that this area was once an elegant holiday location. Historical sites of industrial archaeology, such as the Taccani Hydroelectric Power Plant at Trezzo, are to be found along the river. The Ticino River passes through interesting locations such as Castelletto di Cuggiono with its old houses lining the Naviglio.
To the north, vast areas that were once home to large manufacturing companies have been reclaimed and regenerated creating a countryside that is a reminder of this part of the territory’s strong historical association with industry.
The Navigli (artificial navigable waterways) constructed as far back as the early medieval ages, form an interconnecting network that linked Milan with the Lago Maggiore and Switzerland to the north and the river Po to the south. Nowadays this is an area that is of interest, from an artistic point of view, because of its canals, picturesque villages, and splendid villas lining the river as well as its landscape.
The Naviglio Martesana has its source in the Adda and reaches Milan by crossing interesting centres such as Cassano and Vaprio.
The Naviglio Grande originates from the Ticino and its major localities are Abbiategrasso, Cassinetta di Lugagnano and Robecco sul Naviglio. Abbiategrasso has a wealth of artistic heritage that includes the church of S. Maria Nuova, the buildings in the historic town centre and the Castello Visconteo.
At Cassinetta and Robecco, once the holiday resorts of the great families of Milan, it is still possible to see the splendid villas (privately owned and consequently not open to the public). The southern Abbey route includes four monasteries to the south of Milan, the construction of which began in the eleven hundreds. Belonging to different orders, the Cistercians and the Humiliated, their task was the renewal of the church’s role, combining prayer with work-like activities and they introduced extraordinary innovations, above all into the farming sector.