Attraction, Bologna
Canale delle Moline (Moline Canal) is one of the 5 waterways which cross Bologna’s centre, together with Navile, Savena, Cavaticcio and Reno, and belongs to a network of canals created in the Middle Ages for civil and commercial purposes. At the time, the Moline Canal powered 15 mills used for the production of wheat and silk.
The mills were demolished at the beginning of 20th century, while the canals were buried during the 1900s. Still, a short stretch of the original course of Moline Canal remained uncovered and it’s one of the best places for those who want to go back in time and discover the medieval Bologna.
Moline Canal is the second branch of the Reno Canal. It originates in the current Via Indipendenza and flows in the heart of the city before joining the Aposa torrent (a natural waterway), and finally merging with the waters of the Navile canal near the Sostegno della Bova, not very far from Bologna's train station.
You can see the canal from Via Piella, the street where you can see the silent waters flowing among the coloured houses stretching between Via Malcontenti and Via Oberdan. Here you can find the famous Little Window of Via Piella (Finestrella di Via Piella) as well and a bridge overlooking the canal that is the ideal spot for a souvenir photo.
Another open air stretch of the canal is visible between via Capo di Lucca and Via Alessandrini streets. Set in the university area, walking along these streets it’s hard not to notice the lapping of waters which emerge from the underground, especially during overflows. Also, don’t forget to see the group of houses between numbers 9 and 25 of Via Capo di Lucca, built in the XVI century by “Università delle Moline e delle Moliture” as houses for the millers who were responsible for the wheat mills along the canal.