Navigli is situated south of the city center of Milan, around the canals that were used to transport marble from Lake Maggiore to Milan for the building of the Duomo. Together with Brera it’s Milan’s most popular neighborhood among expats.

When you walk from the city center to Navigli, you almost have the feeling that you are leaving the chaotic city behind to enter into a quite, romantic village made of yellow houses, small shops and canals.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Navigli is one of the oldest parts of Milan. The area developed around the canals that were constructed in the twelfth century. They connected Milan with the countryside. The sluices (still visible) are the work of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Canals

Until the nineteenth century there was heavy traffic on the canals. Boats transported passengers and food products and construction materials coming from the country side like corn, fruit and vegetables, wood, sand and stone.

Ringhouses

Navigli was originally a working-class quarter with markets and workshops. People lived in small apartments in the typical Milanese case a ringhiera, apartment buildings around small courtyards.

Fashionable

Over the last years Navigli has become a popular neighborhood among designers, artists, expats, young urban people and well-off students. The working-class houses became fashionable apartments, often not bigger than 30-50 square meters, for which you pay 1000-1500 euro per month.

Unique atmosphere

But nonetheless Navigli kept its unique atmosphere and it’s probably for this reason, that the area is highly desired. In between the many fashionable shops and cafe’s you can still find workshops of craftsmen.

Night life

Except for living, Navigli is popular for its night life. In the evening when it gets dark Milan life seems to move towards the trendy cafe’s, typical restaurants, wine bars, birrerie and night clubs along the canals.

Street markets

Every last Sunday of the month, Navigli is scenery for a famous antique market. Here you can find fine Italian furniture and other objects of far-off times. For fresh fruit and vegetables, there’s a daily mercato comunale. In spring the yearly flower market takes place here.

Reopening

In 1929-1930 the canal that lead into the city center was closed. Cars, busses and trucks had taken over transport of passengers and materials. Lately discussions are going on about urban projects for reopening the canal.

Foto: franco64