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South of the city the area known as Navigli quarter you enter a different worl, not the Milan of style chic and high paced commerce but an area peeling houses flanking the two canals and waterside views in the world of the city's would-be bohemians. This was a thriving inland port from the fifteenth century until the 1950s, the Naviglio Pavese - that links Milan with Pavia - and the Naviglio Grande - that runs to the west - are part of a network of rivers and canals covering the whole of Italy's northern plain territory. They were also much used by travellers, romantics will remember that Prospero and Miranda escaped along the Navigli in The Tempest, and more realistically they were used right up to the eighteenth century but travellers; it is easier to face the Italians on water than on road! On this Goethe, described the discomfort and hazards of journeying by canal. During the day it is the place to leisurely stroll and browse the artists' studios and antique shops. At night, however, its bars and clubs are among the city's best. |