The best traffic-free bike rides around Basiano

The bridge over the Muzza Canal, located in Lavagna (a hamlet of the municipality of Comazzo in the province of Lodi), is a historical landmark for crossing this ancient artificial waterway. The Muzza is a branch of the Adda river, known for being one of the oldest canals in Europe. Lavagna Lodigiana is a small rural village immersed in the countryside that develops right next to the canal. The bridge area is frequented by cyclists and hikers who travel along the Muzza cycle path or the Muzza-Ponte di Lavagna route, enjoying the river landscape.

The Muzza Canal is one of the most important and oldest hydraulic engineering works in Europe. It is a large artificial branch of the Adda river that crosses the Lombard plain. For centuries, it has represented the main resource for irrigating the lands of the province of Lodi and southern Milan. It originates in Cassano d'Adda (Milan), drawing water directly from the Adda near the Visconti castle. It ends its course after about 39-40 kilometers (over 60 km considering the entire main network), rejoining the Adda at Castiglione d'Adda (Lodi).

Unique wildlife oasis, perhaps the last of all ecosystems in urbanized areas. An environment to be respected and carefully maintained. I think of the devastation that routes D and C of the foothill highway will cause. Let's stop useless works and preserve what our territory still offers us.

The Muzza Canal is the oldest in Europe and this year, its 800th anniversary was celebrated by the Municipality of Paullo in collaboration with the Pro Loco and other Municipalities. Its origin dates back to the year 1220, when Frederick II of Swabia, crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, issued an imperial edict that granted the people of Lodi the right to use the waters flowing through their territory. The current route, about 60 km long, receives the waters of the Adda at Cassano d’Adda, at an altitude of 120 m above sea level, crosses the Lodi territory for about 40 km up to near Castiglione d’Adda, at an altitude of 45 m above sea level, and here it releases them back into the Adda. It has a regulated water regime, with a flow rate, depending on the seasons, of about 200,000 liters of water per second; an initial width of 50 meters which reduces to a few meters at the end of its course and an average depth of 2 meters.

The Muzza canal (61 km long in total) is a branch of the Adda River and has recently celebrated its 800th anniversary, making it one of the oldest in Europe. Its name, with slight variations over the centuries, still recalls the Roman family Mutia who moved here in 90 BC, starting the first land reclamation works. Smaller watercourses branch off from the wide canal, winding through the countryside for a total length of about 1000 kilometers, mainly intended for agricultural irrigation. The surrounding landscape of countryside and farmhouses is evocative, with a succession of tree-lined rows and open fields. It is also very interesting from a naturalistic point of view as it attracts many aquatic birds that can be observed along the route.

Naviglio della Martesana is perhaps the least known of the ancient artificial canals connecting Milan to the great Lombard rivers. It originates from the Adda in Concesa, a hamlet of Trezzo d’Adda, crosses the Martesana sub-region, northeast of the provincial capital, and once in the city, it plunges underground beneath Via Melchiorre Gioia, at the height of Cassina de’ Pomm. It measures approximately 38 km in length, with a width varying from 9 to 18 meters. However, once upon a time, the Naviglio della Martesana continued in the open air all the way to the center, where a lock system centered on the Conca dell’Incoronata connected it to the short Naviglio di S. Marco and the urban network of the Navigli. The lock was inaugurated in 1496, utilizing lock gates designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The canal had been opened in 1471, under Francesco Sforza. By connecting it to the other Navigli, Leonardo laid the foundations for realizing a dream of the Sforzas: to travel by water from the Ticino, and therefore from Lake Maggiore, all the way to the Adda.

A valuable 17th-century monument of Lombard Baroque, but also a bulwark that rises in a panoramic position overlooking the Adda Valley in Imbersago, in the province of Lecco. A perfect blend of religious devotion, commemoration of a mystical past, and immersion in lush nature, a symbol of vitality and timeless beauty. The history of the Sanctuary of Imbersago is rooted in a past of apparitions and miraculous events. It all began on May 9, 1617, when three shepherds who were grazing their flock in the woods saw a celestial figure among dazzling lights and harmonious melodies on the three large chestnut trees that stood around the Sorgente del Lupo (so named for the animals that roamed there). At that point, Pietro, one of the children, with great wonder, spotted and picked up a ripe hedgehog, an unlikely event in the middle of spring. And for all the people, this represented the prodigious sign that the Blessed Virgin wished to be honored in that very place. From here, from this miraculous vision, began the devotion to the Madonna del Bosco, also known as Madonna del Riccio, referring precisely to the miracle just narrated, or Madonna dei Miracoli di Imbersago.

Be careful on the steps when the ground is wet! This passage allows you to cross the right bank of the Muzza.