The Sluice of Casalecchio
The Chiusa di Casalecchio (Sluice of Casalecchio) was built in 1300 to regulate the flow of the Reno river and channel its waters towards the centre of Bologna. This structure is unique in Europe, as it is the oldest still functioning hydraulic work on the entire continent.
Thanks to this primacy and its technical complexity, the sluice has been recognised by UNESCO as a ‘messenger of a culture of peace for the benefit of young people'. Since water is a source of life, as a plaque dated 26 March 2011 states, 'its preservation and sharing with neighbours are a source of peace'.
Today the sluice is part of the urban context of Casalecchio di Reno, with which it has always had a very close relationship. Near the dam, in the 1960s there was the Lido di Casalecchio, one of the most popular holiday resorts for the people of Bologna. At the lido you could stay in a hotel, relax in a restaurant or go wild on the dance floor, as well as cooling off from the summer heat.
The Chiusa di Casalecchio and the canals of Bologna
Most of the water that still flows in Bologna's underground canals today comes from the Chiusa di Casalecchio, which was built to divert the course of the Reno towards the city centre.
The spot where the Reno enters the city can be recognised by
a grating still visible today from Via della Grada, which originally served to control the flow of water and goods. This task was essential to prevent untaxed products from entering the city, especially during the night, and thus prevent unfair competition on the Bolognese market.
Before the existence of the Chiusa di Casalecchio, Bologna suffered from the
lack of a large river that would foster the necessary commercial development. The passage of water through the centre of the city also had a defensive purpose.
In the course of time, the network of canals was gradually expanded until it became a true
network of waterways. As a consequence, an urban naval port was created near the present-day Parco del Cavaticcio.
Water was essential to drive the wheels of the
mills, now completely disappeared, which were used to grind cereals and process silk. Some traces of their presence remain in the names of Bolognese streets (the most striking example is Via Delle Moline), as well as inside the
Museum of Industrial Civilisation, which preserves the ancient remains of urban mills.
