The ferry slides from one bank of the Adda River in northern Italy to the other, guided by a cable and pulled by the currents, offering restless passengers five minutes of peace and an alternative route now that the bridge’s closure has backed up traffic.The mechanism of the so-called reaction phrase, called the “Leonardo phrase,” was conceived five centuries ago, and immortalized by the Renaissance genius himself in a drawing preserved in the royal collection at Windsor Castle outside London.It is the last remaining of its kind along the Adda River, which runs from the Alps to the Po River in the Lombardy region.“This is a means of transport that has been here for 500 years and has always connected the two banks of the Adda River,” said Massimo Zoia, one of the volunteer ferry workers who operate the ship.
“Now it has returned to its original goal: to connect two populations living on two different banks of the river.”Despite its name, it remains unclear whether Leonardo himself actually designed the phrase. What is certain, however, is that he painted it in 1513, as part of his famous studies of waterways, including the Milan canal system. Leonardo was one of history’s greatest polymaths, filling notebooks with designs across a range of disciplines, including flying machines that would not be implemented for centuries.
The operating principle of the ferry is as simple as it is ingenious, and completely environmentally friendly.“The river pushes us downstream. We have a cable connecting us, and by breaking up the forces, according to the parallelogram rule that we study in high school, the force is broken and part of it becomes resistance and we use the other part for lateral movement,” Zoya said.“The rudder is used to adjust the pitch of the ferry so that it better absorbs the current that hits us and makes us move,” he said.The ferry is operated by the city of Embarsago, and runs to the city of Villa d’Adda on the other side. It came close to disappearing in 2023, when its operator abandoned the franchise. Determined to save the city, Fabio Vergani, the mayor of Embarsago, obtained a ferry license himself and, in cooperation with the local tourism association, assembled a team of volunteers.Since 2024, they have primarily ferried weekend visitors from one side of the Adda River to the other.But they added commuter service this spring after a nearby bridge was closed for maintenance to help ease traffic congestion. He now works from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a two-hour lunch break at noon. Passengers pay €1.50 (about $1.75) if walking, €2 ($2.30) by bike, €2.50 ($2.88) by motorcycle, and €3.50 (about $4) by car.Gianpaolo Graffagnino lives and works at Villa d’Adda across the river.
He started riding his bike to work, using the phrase as a shorthand.“At the moment, this is the fastest system, but above all it is the most beautiful because you get three minutes of peace,” he said.Mauro Carnati drove his Maserati onto the ferry to bring his daughter to school on the other side, avoiding the long detours caused by the bridge closure.“It’s true that we spend a little money, and it’s not possible every day, but the romance and added value of Adda and the ferry is really amazing. It’s a better start to the day,” he said.
