The Ancient River Port of Bologna
Hard to believe, but Bologna had once a river port. Now disappeared, the port stood a few steps away from the MAMBO museum, in Via Don Minzoni, not far from the city's railway station, and for many centuries played a key role in the city's commercial and economic history.
Canals in Bologna
It all began with the construction of
a network of canals between the 12th and 16th centuries. At that time the course of the Reno river was diverted to bring the waters of the Savena torrent to the centre, where they could serve various purposes: provide water resources for the population, power machinery and even connect the city with the Po river.
In particular, water was a precious resource to
power the mills and thus enable the processing of silk, a flourishing market in Bologna, which soon enabled it to become a great power in the field of
textile production.
Consequently, a river port was built in the mid-16th century to cope with the growing volume of goods to be transported. While the port no longer exists, the canals still flow through the centre of Bologna but are no longer visible: since the Second World War they have been gradually covered, and very few sections remain open. The best known is certainly
the Moline Canal, which can be seen from the Finestrella in via Piella.
The river port today
The river port was demolished in 1934. Of the buildings that once stood in the area, only the
Salara remains, once used as
a salt warehouse and now home to the Cassero, Bologna's LGBTQ+ centre.
The area adjacent to the old port, called
Manifattura delle Arti, has over time become a cradle of art and culture, housing the MAMBO museum (Bologna Museum of Modern Art), the Cineteca and Cinema Lumière, as well as the Department of Philosophy and Communication of the University of Bologna.
There is also no shortage of music:
the Cavaticcio park, reopened in 2011 after some renovation work, hosts open-air concerts and festivals.
