This is a very peculiar district south of the city centre, the very heart of Milan nightlife, famous for its restaurants and bars, but most of all for its atmosphere. Navigli district gets its name from the Navigli, which are canals that connect different cities and lakes in Lombardia. They were meant to be used for travelling, trading and bringing waters to the countryside. The need of watering lands was already understood by the Romans who conquered Milan, so they thought about deviating the closest river, Seveso, to bring water to the city. Later on, in the early 11th century a proper system of canals started to be built and was then improved over the centuries to answer the different needs of the city: to favour its economy, travel fast to the closest cities, but also to defend itself from foreign raids. In the 20th century though, the use of the canals had diminished until it was decided to cover most of them to answer the need for higher hygiene and practicability in the city.
