Milano's Navigli. Image by Francesco Sciolti from Pixabay
 
The port Darsena was built in 1603 as a trade hub and is today the main link between the Navigli: indeed, the Naviglio Grande is flowing into the Darsena while Naviglio Pavese and Ticinello are flowing out. The Darsena, the canal port, had been closed since 1979, when the last boat left its load of sand on the dock of Porta Ticinese.
 
Along the Darsena there is a weekly market held on Saturdays, where mainly second-hand goods and antiques are offered. The canals were used for irrigation providing the city with water and transport for people and goods to and from remote areas as far as the Alps and the sea via the river Po. The marble used for the construction of the Duomo was transported via these waterways from the Lago Maggiore to the center of the city.  
 
Thanks to this network of canals, Milan had one of the country’s largest inland ports, despite the absence of a main river. The canals were a large part of the urban fabric of the city. 
 
 

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