Let us now climb onto the swing bridge over the Martesana Canal. Work on the construction of the canal began after Francesco Sforza's decree in 1457. The “Naviglio Piccolo” was intended for irrigation, to power mills and to connect the Adda to Milan. The project physically divided the town in two and isolated the church of Santa Maria from the centre. Navigation began in 1471, but the canal did not reach the inner circle of Milan until the end of the century. It was used by passengers travelling to the city, but also by traders who went to neighbouring villages to sell their products in the markets. Food, wood, straw and hay, and building materials were transported to Milan, while fabrics, manufactured goods and precious salt were transported in the opposite direction. The Naviglio was very busy and there was a regular public service. There were also pirates who attacked the boats. From 1777, with the opening of the Paderno canal, it was possible to reach Milan from Lecco without changing boats: it took about twenty hours, and ten days for the return journey. The tramway on the Padana (inaugurated in 1878) and the development of the road network spelled the end of the canal from a commercial point of view. Some legends of the Naviglio Martesana canal can be found at the link https://prolococernusco.wordpress.com/altre-leggende-del-territorio/