The best gravel rides around Borgo Ticino

The Villoresi Canal begins at the Panperduto Dam, a historic and imposing hydraulic junction located in the municipality of Somma Lombardo (VA), where the canal draws its waters from the Ticino river.

And here there is also a trattoria since 1535

Splendid little town on the Piedmontese side of Lake Maggiore.

Another great hydraulic dam work on the Ticino

Villa Clerici on the Naviglio Grande (also known as Palazzo Clerici or Il Castelletto) is one of the most majestic and extensive noble villas located along the Naviglio Grande canal. It stands in Castelletto di Cuggiono, in the province of Milan, perched on a natural spur overlooking a bend in the canal. It stands on the remains of an ancient medieval fortress from the 10th century, transformed in the 16th century into a residence of the Crivelli family. In 1658, the property passed to the wealthy Clerici family of bankers and merchants. The Clerici invested enormous fortunes in the complex. They wanted the facade to have 365 windows (one for each day of the year) and 12 balconies (like the months) to flaunt their wealth in front of the local nobility. In the 19th century, due to the family's economic collapse, the structure was sold and adapted first into a spinning mill and weaving factory, entering a long period of semi-abandonment. In 2026, an important private recovery project was initiated.

The unique name "Panperduto" derives mainly from the local dialect and ancient stories related to river navigation before the construction of the dam. In the past, commercial barges carrying goods or stones often collided with the rapids and rocky riverbeds of this stretch of the river, ending up capsizing and losing their entire cargo. This meant the loss of the entire day's work and the earnings needed to buy food, hence the saying "we lost the bread" (hence Panperduto).

La Diga del Panperduto (or rather, the Dighe del Panperduto) is one of Lombardy's most important and fascinating hydraulic junctions, located on the Ticino river in the municipality of Somma Lombardo, in the province of Varese. This monumental complex of hydraulic engineering dates back to the late 19th century (inaugurated in 1884) and mainly serves to divert the waters of the Ticino to feed two fundamental artificial canals: Villoresi Canal: used for irrigation purposes, guaranteeing water for over 100,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Po Valley. Industrial Canal: fundamental for the production of hydroelectric energy through various power plants in the area.

very cute