Milan neighbourhoods
Gorla and Precotto
A millers' village on the Martesana canal, nicknamed little Paris.
- Market
- Wed · Sat · 2 markets see below ↓
- Transport
- M1 Gorla, M1 Precotto, M1 Turro; tram 7; buses 44, 51, 56
- District
- 2
What it's like
Gorla and Precotto are two former towns annexed to Milan in 1923, along the Martesana canal, which brings water from the Adda river towards the city.
Gorla, with its stone bridge, its mills and the villas facing the water, was so picturesque it was called little Paris.
On 20 October 1944 an Allied bombing raid hit the Gorla primary school by mistake, killing 184 children: the Little Martyrs monument, in front of the school, is one of the city's most deeply felt places of memory.
Today the area is a quiet residential quarter, cut through by the M1 and the Martesana. The canal towpath has become one of the most used cycle paths in Milan, leading from here to Cassano d'Adda without ever leaving the water.
The market
Green space and the outdoors
Dog areas
- vie Giacometti - Gilardi - Breda · 366 m²
- viale Monza · 601 m²
- via Rucellai · 362 m²
- via Cislaghi · 764 m²
- vie Breda - Angeleri · 628 m²
- vie Sesto San Giovanni - Padre Gerardo Beccaro · 736 m²
Playgrounds
- viale Monza · 310 m²
- via Rucellai · 676 m²
- vie Giacometti - Gilardi - Breda · 304 m²
- via Soffredini n. 23 · 214 m²
- vie Breda - Angeleri · 338 m²
- via Cislaghi · 281 m²
Where to eat and drink
Along the Martesana there are a few places with tables on the water, a classic stop for cyclists at the weekend; the rest are neighbourhood trattorias and bars around via Padre Luigi Monti and piazzale Gobetti.
The Martesana / via Aristotele market is on Saturday, the via Monza one on Wednesday.
Getting there
The red M1 serves the area with the Turro, Gorla and Precotto stops, on a viaduct above viale Monza. On the surface there is tram 7. The Martesana cycle path links Gorla to the centre (towards the Cassina de' Pomm) and to the eastern hinterland.
M1 Gorla, M1 Precotto, M1 Turro; tram 7; buses 44, 51, 56
Frequently asked questions
Why was Gorla called little Paris?
Because of the village on the Martesana canal, with its stone bridge, mills and villas facing the water, which recalled Parisian riverside views. Part of that landscape is still visible along the towpath.
What is the Little Martyrs of Gorla monument?
It is the memorial to the 184 children killed on 20 October 1944, when an Allied bombing raid hit the Gorla primary school by mistake. It stands in piazza dei Piccoli Martiri, in front of the rebuilt school.
Data: City of Milan — weekly open-air markets (DS291), CC-BY. Reviewed .