Porta Genova is a neighborhood ("

quartiere A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of (). Formed a ...

") of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, located within the Zone 6 administrative division. The name "Porta Genova" means "

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

gate"; the district is named after a city gate of the old Spanish Walls of Milan, namely that leading to

, that used to be in what is now Piazza Cantore. The only remnants of the old gate are the small buildings that used to house the customs offices, which replaced the Spanish gate in the 19th century.

Current description

As for all Milanese ''quartieri'', the boundaries of Porta Genova are not formally defined; yet, they are usually thought of as comprising Via Solari, Via Bergognone, the

Naviglio Grande The Naviglio Grande is a canal in Lombardy, northern Italy, connecting the Ticino river near Tornavento ( south of Sesto Calende) to the Porta Ticinese dock, also known as the ''Darsena'', in Milan. It drops over . It varies in width from from ...

canal and the Darsena. The district is centered in Piazza Cantore, where the city gate used to be, and the Porta Genova railway station, the oldest Milanese railway station to be still in operation. The station is the

terminus Terminus may refer to: Ancient Rome *Terminus (god), a Roman deity who protected boundary markers Transport *Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination *Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end des ...

of the railway connecting Milan and Mortara. Since the station is in the centre of Porta Genova, the district is divided in two parts by the railway; an old iron bridge connecting the two sides known as "la scaletta" (the "ladder"), located next to the station, is one of the traditional landmarks of the district. Porta genova 1886

Porta Genova is also characterized by the

Navigli The navigli (; ) are a system of interconnected canals in and around Milan, in the Italian region of Lombardy, dating back as far as the Middle Ages. The system consists of five canals: Naviglio Grande, Naviglio Pavese, Naviglio Martesana, Navi ...

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

s and the Darsena (the old

dock The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engl ...

), where two major Navigli meet, namely the

and the

Naviglio Pavese The Naviglio Pavese is one of the canals making up the Navigli system in Lombardy, Italy. Once navigable, it is long and connected the city of Milan to Pavia, and through a flight of six locks to the River Ticino. Construction started in 1564, ...

. As a consequence, much of the district is traversed by watercourses. One of the best known landmarks of the canal banks in Porta Genova is Vicolo Lavandaie, a small alley where Milanese woman used to wash clothes in the Naviglio's waters. The area was redeveloped from an industrial area to a residential, arts, and commercial area, starting with an initiative by photographer

Fabrizio Ferri Fabrizio is an Italian first name, from the Latin word "Faber" meaning "smith" and may refer to: * Fabrizio Angileri (born 1994), Argentine footballer * Fabrizio Barbazza (born 1963), Italian Formula One driver * Fabrizio Barca (born 1954), Italian ...

. While Porta Genova is one of the most old-fashioned districts in Milan, and it is strongly connected to the tradition. It is also extremely popular with the Milanese youth, both for the night-life (especially along the banks of the Naviglio) and its anti-conformist atmosphere. There are numerous "alternative" shops, as well as the peculiar character of the main street market of the area, the Fiera di Senigallia, which is renowned as one of the best places in Milan where to look for "vintage, streetware (sic.) and quirky boutiques." The monthly market is also popular for locals and tourists.

References

{{Districts of Milan Districts of Milan Entertainment districts in Italy

Current description

See also

References