Once navigable, it is 33 km (21 mi) long and connected the city of Milan to Pavia, and through a flight of six locks to the River Ticino.

In 1470 the Naviglio di Bereguardo provided an awkward path which divided the canal from the River Ticino with exhausting transhipments on the back of a mule or even towing loaded boats from the river to the canal, but this allowed Pavia complete control over traffic to and from Milan.

Ancient testimonies, e.g. by Bernardino Corio, a Milanese historian, indicate thatt Galeazzo II Visconti had a canal built in 1359 between Pavia and Milan for irrigation.

[1] In 1457 Francesco Sforza ordered that a canal be built from Milan to Pavia via Bereguardi, following the indications of Bertola da Novate.

Ten years later, the Magistrate of the ducal revenues assigned Andrea Calcoto to mainten and upkeep the "new canal", which was navigable.