Attractions in Navigli-Porta Ticinese (Milan)

S. Eustorgio

Outside the medieval city walls, along the road that runs from the Pusteria to Porta Ticinese, there is the church and monastery of S. Eustorgio. Originally the surrounding area was not built up, but was agricultural land, then it was occupied by Dominicans and is now surrounded by a public park area. The building has undergone various modifications from when it was first built (some say in the 4th century, others say the 5th), but still conserves it's Roman form due to it's reconstruction in the late 11th century. The cross vaults of the central nave are notably wide leaning on pillars, while the right nave opens onto a series of chapels which are part of the holy places of the adjoining cemetery. Notice in particular the Brivio chapel, the first from 1484, built in Florentine renaissance style which has been reinterpreted by local artists and the Torelli, the second built in 1424, which is in Gothic Lombard style. Beyond the pseudo crypt a series of spaces lead to the Portinari chapel. This is a true expression of renaissance Lombard style, built from 1422 to 1466 by Pigello Portinari, a Florentine banker, as a chapel for the nobility. The chapel boasts frescoes by Vincenzo Foppa, to whom recent studies also attribute the architectural planning.

Basilica di San Lorenzo Maggiore

Built outside the Roman city walls, near the ampitheatre from which it has taken most of its salvage materials, this extremely old religious building is of great importance not only for art history but also for all sacred Western Christian architecture. It can be compared to San Vitale of Ravenna and the Aquisgrana cathedral. It went through numerous renovations through the end of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth century, and today has a sixteenth century style in features such as the dome. There are also features left over from the early Christian era such as the main building, the four towers, some lateral chapels and the foundations formed of enormous blocks taken from other Roman sites. The interior walls were probably covered by marble lower down and by mosaics higher up depicting sacred scenes and saints. On the right there is a stupendous rectangular portal from the Roman era which leads to the chapel of Sant'Aquilino, which is octagonal and holds a tomb with the remains of St. Lorenzo and St. Ippolito. Some say this is an imperial mausoleum. After many interventions in the nineteenth century the church was restored to it's current state between 1937 and 1938. There is a legend that the chapel was built by Galla Placidia, and it is thought that she is buried in the tomb on the right of the entrance. Outside there is a statue which is a copy of the statue of Constantine, who was made Emperor in 313, and gave freedom to the cult of Christianity. Also to be noted is the umbrella shaped dome and fragments of early Christian mosaics.

Sede dell'Università Bocconi

The building of the private Luigi Bocconi university was designed between 1937-41 by architect Giuseppe Pagano with Gian Giacomo Predeval. Inspired by the plan for the Bauhaus school by Walter Gropius, it is one of the buildings in Milan most influenced by European rationalism. The complex, to which many additions were made after WW2, occupies the entire block between Via Sarfatti and Via Toniolo. It is in the shape of a cross: the arms are used for services and connections, while the ends provide office space and classrooms. The open arrangement of the various sections, the connections between the volumes and the white surfaces marked at regular intervals by square windows lined with lythoceramic tiles divide up the rooms of the university through rational architecture conceived by Pagano as 'service' and as an answer to concrete needs.

Naviglio Grande

Naviglio Grande was one of the first canals in Milan and was one of the most important engineering works to be carried out in Lombardy during the Middle Ages. For centuries it played a fundamental role in the city's economy by connecting it to the great canal network in Lombardy. Exiting the Darsena along the towpath of the Naviglio Grande, you will see the large residential buildings with fenced courtyards from the early 1900s, arts and crafts workshops, old barges (now turned into bars), the many areas that are undergoing urban renewal, and, further out, the country villas of the nobility (particularly between Abbiategrasso and Robecco sul Naviglio). Make a quick stop near Vicolo Lavandai, the ancient shelter with wooden beams that covers the old communal wash-house, a quaint location that is one of the relatively few remainders of Milan's distant past. Check website for more details.

Naviglio Pavese

The Naviglio Pavese leaves the Darsena below the Trofeo bridge before heading off to the river Ticino 30 km away, through 12 locks that allow boats to overcome the 52 metre difference in water level. Dug around 1300 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti for irrigation purposes, it was only made navigable in 1819 when its traffic exceeded that of the Naviglio Grande with more than 1400 convoys per year. This means of transport was only halted in 1978 due to the competition from land traffic. From the Darsena, the left bank is still characterised by old buildings with landings while the Alzaia bank was prevalently rebuilt after WW2 and has no particular character. On the right bank, the small Via Magolfa is a charming little hamlet that lines a narrow irrigation ditch, and is an example of fast-disappearing Milan.

Chiesa Cristiana Evangelica

St Luke the Evangelist is one of the prominent figures in primitive Christianity. His works, such as the gospel and the Acts of the Apostles constitute a great part of the New Testament. Luke tells us that after the Pentecost the message of Christianity, with its Hebrew origins, was retold in polytheistic cultural circles and in Greek culture. Also in the works of St Luke you can read about how the first Christian communities were structured.