The Naviglio Grande represents Milan's first and most important hydraulic work.
Built in the 12^th century mainly as a water conveyance canal for irrigation use, the Naviglio Grande soon became a waterway and its navigation system was then improved by Leonardo da Vinci.
As a navigable transportation canal between Milan and the Ticino river, the Naviglio Grande saw the passage of goods on ships drift by the stream or towed by horses or even men walking along the towpath. The Alzaia is actually named after this particular transportation technique, being the path along the canal used by animals (or men!) towing boats.
Although the hundreds of people working there, this work of engineering is also known as "the excavation of the lost bred", indicating the huge difficulties encountered in embanking the Ticino river, in flood because of the severe precipitations of those years.
Few years later, in order to increase watermills' production and to improve the irrigation system, the Count of Toulouse succeeded in changing the course of River Garonne building a dam. Following his example, in 1179 a dam was built near Tornavento, leading the Ticino's waters to Turbigo, Castelletto di Cuggiono, Besnate e Boffalora, then to Lugagnano and Gaggiano, reached in 1233. Fifty years of hard work and hundreds of men digging practically by hand were needed to complete this first 30 km stretch of the canal.
Twenty-five years later the Naviglio Grande reached Milan but, as new taxes were levied, the digging had to stop again because of citizens' and clergy's opposition.
In 1359 the excavation work started again under Visconti Galeazzo II, who wanted to use the canal for irrigating the park of his castle in Pavia. Unfortunately, after just one year a terrible pestilence fell upon the region blocking once more the work. Despite that, in 1365 the canal called "il Naviglietto" was already running along Binasco's main street.
After another twenty years, on March 15^th 1386, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Count of Vertus, laid the first stone of the Duomo of Milan. Making the transportation of huge blocks of stone and marble easier, the Naviglio Grande proved itself to be the best means of transportation for the city of Milan and potentially a part of a greater waterways network connecting the whole region. Originally used for the purpose of irrigation, canals experienced in those years a new birth: thanks to the possibility of levying new taxes (except, due to clergy's privileges, on the tons of material directed to the Cathedral's construction site), every government focused on improving their own navigation system.
In 1470 Bereguardo and Martesana canals became navigable, reaching in 1496 the moat of Milan and there joining their waters with those of Rivers Adda and Ticino.
The Navigli experienced years of intense activity and periods of decay, depending on the succession of wars, plagues, earthquakes, famine and foreign dominations.
As an example, in 1603 Count Fuentes, sent to Milan by his king to collect taxes more than to promote arts and commerce, improved the inner navigation network of the town, restructuring Porta Ticinese dock, also known as the Darsena. Unluckily, in 1610 the Aragonese count died and his successors decided not to follow his path, despite all the bureaucracy was already done.
The grievous plague of 1630 (the one described in Manzoni's "Promessi Sposi") caused a long period of disgrace and it was only two hundred years later that Napoleon decided to open a new canal from Milano to the Po river.
By August 28^th 1809, the first stretch up to Rozzano was completed. But, as things got worse for the emperor, the excavation was suspended. After Napoleon's exile, Austrians took control of Milan and, being skilful administrators besides hard leaders, they completed the canal reaching Pavia in December 1816, after just eight months' work. The inauguration was held by archduke Ranieri of Austria.
Today the Naviglio Grande is nearly 50-km-long. Considering 101 km of other canals and 81 km of navigable river stretches , the whole waterway network adds up to a 232 km total length extension.
Many kinds of goods travelled on the canal heading for Milan: flagstone, sand, bricks, lumber, coal, foodstuffs, salt, metals, fabrics, manufactured goods, tableware, manure and ash.
Between 1830 and the end of the century, ship traffic towards and from Porta Ticinese dock reached 8300 units, moving more than 350000 tons per year.
This phase of great activity went on until World War II, when, due to Allied aviation bombing, river navigation seemed to be next best thing to usual land transport. During postwar period, after Milan had been destroyed by anglo-american bombing, the Naviglio rose again and in 1953 Porta Tcinese dock ranked thirteenth among national ports, in terms of goods delivered.
However, nothing could avoid Milanese waterways' decline. Road transport gained the upper hand and consequently became more convenient. On March 30^th 1979 the last barge docked in Darsena, delivering its load of sand.