Along the Adda river there is no shortage of great attraction aspects that demonstrate man’s ability to use his ingenuity to produce energy, work and progress.

The Villa d’Adda Ferry, which still functions today was conceived through a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci.

The Iron Bridge of San Michele, in Paderno, is a masterpiece of industrial architecture dating back to the years when the Eiffel Tower was built, and that in many ways resembles it.

At the same time the island offers places that combine learning and fun, such as the parco astronomico Torre del Sole (an astronomic museum equipped with a giant telescope and plantarium) and the Museum of carpenter Tino Sana.

In the footsteps of Leonardo

If you want to follow in the footsteps of the genius of Vinci, you can follow the Adda river. In fact, even Leonardo was inspired by the wild landscape that youll find along the river.

While busy studying the dynamics of liquids, da Vinci produced sketches that were useful for works of art. In fact, some say that the gorges, or so-called ravines, which create a powerful landscape, were the inspiration for the Virgin of the Rocks.

In Vaprio d’Adda, Leonardo saw a kind of barge carrying goods and livestock and that becomes another one of his famous drawings. Inspired by that very sketch, a taut steel cable was placed between Villa d’Adda and Imbersago, where it connected to the docked ferry, called Leonardo.

Today you can then get on one of the ferries portrayed by Leonardo and cross the Adda from one bank to another.

 

 

 

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Start point

It’s best to start from Villa d’Adda, located on the opposite bank of Imbersago, where you can cross the river using the Leonardo’s famous ferry.

From here you can walk along the embankment, until you reach Paderno, where you can enjoy the imposing iron arched San Michele bridge.

If you want to find other traces of the genius of da Vinci, continue along the Adda a few kilometers where you can enjoy the so-called “ravines of Leonardo“.

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Il traghetto di Leonardo di Vinci

Durante uno dei soggiorni lungo l’Adda, in particolare a Villa Melzi d’Eril, presso Vaprio d’Adda, Leonardo ha modo di vedere una sorta di chiatta…

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Ponte San Michele

Viene costruito tra il 1887 e il 1889, su progetto dell’ingegnere Julius Ràthlisberger, nello stesso periodo in cui in Francia è realizzata la Tour Eiffel…

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Le forre di Leonardo

Tra Paderno e Cornate la vegetazione si fa più fitta, ma è soprattutto il fiume a diventare intrepido.    Le rapide costituiscono da sempre un problema per la navigazione…

traghetto_leonardo
ponte san michele
forre dell'adda