Canals have always played a crucial role in trade and communication, as shown by the expansion of the Panama Canal, which has profoundly altered the global trade landscape.
Naviglio Grande, the oldest navigable canal in Europe
Looking back at the history of strategic waterways, it might be surprising to discover that Europe’s oldest canal is located in the city of Milan. The Naviglio Grande is the first of the canals that make up the Milanese Navigli system, both the oldest and most important of its kind. Its origins date back to 1177 when a moat was expanded to create the first canal, the Ticinello, inaugurated in 1179. This marked the beginning of the construction of the Naviglio Grande, which starts from Tornavento on the Ticino River, in the municipality of Lonate Pozzolo (Varese province), passes through the municipality of Abbiategrasso, and reaches the Darsena at Porta Ticinese in the city of Milan. Initially, it served only defensive and irrigation purposes and was not navigable.
In 1270, the Naviglio Grande (named for being the largest in length and capacity among the five Lombard Navigli) extended to Milan, reaching the small lake of St. Eustorgio (now the Darsena). It became Europe’s first and largest canal, linking Milan to Lake Maggiore and Switzerland, and was essential for transporting goods such as coal, wine, meat, fish, wood, and even the marble used to build the Duomo. Additionally, it allowed goods to be transported north for trade, including salt, linen, iron, wheat, and rice.
Even Leonardo da Vinci contributed to the maintenance of the Naviglio Grande—which included upkeep of the banks, bridges, and ensuring a water depth of at least one meter—and received a “water right” (ownership of an irrigation outlet) for his involvement.
In the 1600s, passenger transport needs also arose, and by 1645, a regular service operated from Tornavento to the Darsena in Milan, picking up travelers along the way. This service was eventually discontinued in 1913 with the introduction of Milan’s new tram line.
Spanning 50 kilometers, with an elevation difference of over 34 meters without the use of navigation locks, and with its waters still irrigating 50,000 hectares of farmland, the Naviglio Grande remains an extraordinary feat of hydraulic engineering in one of Milan’s liveliest districts.
