Starting: Piazza Maggiore
Starting from Piazza Maggiore, the heart of the city and surrounded by important buildings: the Basilica di San Petronio, and on the right side of the church, Palazzo dei Notai, Palazzo d'Accursio…and others
Bologna water tour soft
Trek in a city criss-crossed by canals. Bologna as an important industrial city with a sophisticated hydraulic system of which, to this day, we can still find traces. In the thirteenth century, Bologna was the fifth largest city in the European population and the largest textile center of Italy.
Of dense water system traces can still be in place names. The channels were almost all underground, as the only natural watercourse, the river Aposa, which runs beneath the streets of the city center and is still seen today with an exciting journey through underground Bologna.
The water has meant for centuries as the essential energy to fuel the manufacturing and trade, particularly for the silk mills, now reconstructed at the Museum of Patriminio Industriale. There is therefore no coincidence that modern symbol of Bologna is really the fontana del Nettuno.
The tour starts at Piazza Maggiore, approaching the fontana del Nettuno make your way down to the end of via Rizzoli to the corner of Piazza della Mercanzia where is Palazzo della Mercanzia, and head down via Zamboni.
Along via Zamboni, on the left, an arch adorned with a mask marks the entrance to the old Jewish Ghetto, underneath which the Aposa Creek flows. Take via del Carro and turn right into via dell’Inferno to reach Piazzetta Marco Biagi, then leave the Ghetto to get to Piazza San Martino. Here, at street level, there is a hatch that hides a steep staircase leading to the underground riverbed of the Aposa Creek.
Continuing through the portico on the right, enter the side of the Church of San Martino, known as “in Aposa”.
Go around the apse of the church and turn into via Mentana to get to via delle Moline, another of the ancient city’s canal zones. At the intersection with via Capo di Lucca you can “hear” the roar of Moline Canal Drop, whose energy was once used to turn the grain mills.
From via delle Moline take via Oberdan. Turn right into via Bertiera and then right again into via Piella, passing under Porta Govese, or Torresotto dei Piella, and you get to the famous little window (finestrella) on the Moline Canal and the bridge that crosses it, both with lovely views of the water.
Continue on via Piella, turning left into via Righi; from there cross over via Indipendenza and then take via Falegnami up to Piazza della Pioggia. Here you can see the churches Santa Maria della Pioggia.
Proceeding along via Riva Reno, turn right into via Polese, follow the street to the end and turn left into via del Porto. Cross via Marconi and Piazza dei Martiri, in order to reach via Don Minzoni. where is the Salara (from the word “sale”, meaning “salt”), today this area is the Manifattura delle Arti (Arts’ Manufacture).
Turning back and then right into via Fratelli Rosselli, you will cross via del Porto, retracing your steps on the Cavaticcio, then via Azzogardino, the heart of the cultural centre of the Manifattura delle Arti, and the park of the former Manifattura Tabacchi, to arrive at via Riva Reno.
Continuing on the right, here’s the second church Santa Maria della Visitazione al Ponte delle Lame. Along the winding course of via Riva di Reno, you will find the church Santa Maria della Carità. Cross via San Felice, and go along via della Grada to the Reno Canal Consortium, an old leather tannery. Here you will find the fourth, and last, church Santa Maria e San Valentino della Grada. Go back towards the Piazza Maggiore, along via Ugo Bassi, reached from via San Felice or by via del Pratello.
DATA SHEET
Departure: Piazza Maggiore
Difficulty: easy
Time: 2 hours and 30
Distance: 5345 meters
Fontana del Nettuno
Passing from the Fontana del Nettuno. Fountain was built between 1563 and 1566 by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna.
Palazzo della Mercanzia
Make your way down to the end of via Rizzoli to the corner of Piazza della Mercanzia where is Palazzo della Mercanzia. Seat of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Crafts, Palazzo della Mercanzia has governed trading and business activities of Bologna since the late 14th century.
Via Zamboni
Head down via Zamboni, a historic street located in the center of Bologna and heart of university life.
Jewish Bologna: Ghetto
Along via Zamboni, on the left, an arch adorned with a mask marks the entrance to the old Jewish Ghetto, underneath which the Aposa Creek flows. The layout of Bologna's 16th century ghetto can still be precisely traced amid the narrow streets in the medieval heart of the city under the Two Towers.
Torrente Aposa
Flows in the ghetto the Aposa, the only natural river in Bologna. It originates in
the hills and empties into canale Navile.
Piazzetta Marco Biagi
Take via del Carro and turn right into via dell’Inferno to reach Piazzetta Marco
Biagi. This square is dedicated to the economic adviser killed on 22nd November
2002.
Piazza San Martino
Leave the Ghetto to get to Piazza San Martino. Square of the Ghetto where, at the level of the pavement, a tailgate conceals a steep staircase leading underground to the river Aposa, traveled to Piazza Minghetti.
San Martino
Continuing through the portico on the right, enter the side of the Church of San Martino, known as “in Aposa”. Since the XIII century San Martino has been the cradle of the Bolognese community of the Carmelites Order.
Canale delle Moline
Go around the apse of the church and turn into via Mentana to get to via delle
Moline, another of the ancient city’s canal zones. At the intersection with via Capo di Lucca you can “hear” the roar of Moline Canal Drop, whose energy was once used to turn the grain mills. Canale delle Moline is the extension of Canale di Reno.
Porta Govese
From via delle Moline take via Oberdan. Turn right into via Bertiera and then right again into via Piella, passing under Porta Govese, or Torresotto dei Piella.
Finestrella di Via Piella
get to the famous little window (finestrella) on the Moline Canal and the bridge that crosses it, both with lovely views of the water.
Via Indipendenza
Continue on via Piella, turning left into via Righi; from there cross over via
Indipendenza, the main street of Bologna. It starts from Piazza Maggiore and ends at the railway station.
Santa Maria della Pioggia
Then take via Falegnami up to Piazza della Pioggia. Here you can see the churches Santa Maria della Pioggia.
via del Porto
Proceeding along via Riva Reno, turn right into via Polese, follow the street to the end and turn left into via del Porto. So named because old access point to the Port Canal, the port for river traffic from Bologna (on channel Navile).
Piazza dei Martiri
Cross via Marconi and Piazza dei Martiri in order to reach via Don Minzoni. Piazza dei Martiri initially named to Re Umberto I, took place at the end of the last century the ancient gardens of Garagnani.
Salara
reach the Salara (from the word “sale”, meaning “salt”), today this area is the
Manifattura delle Arti (Arts’ Manufacture).
11 Settembre Park's
Turning back and then right into via Fratelli Rosselli, you will cross via del Porto, retracing your steps on the Cavaticcio, then via Azzogardino, the heart of the cultural centre of the Manifattura delle Arti, and the park of the former Manifattura Tabacchi, to arrive at via Riva Reno. Public park near the Cineteca of Bologna.
Santa Maria della Visitazione
Continuing on the right, here’s the second church Santa Maria della Visitazione al Ponte delle Lame.
Santa Maria della Carità
Along the winding course of via Riva di Reno, you will find the church Santa Maria della Carità. This church has been rebuilt in 1583 on the plant of an old church.
Arrival: Santa Maria e San Valentino della Grada
Cross via San Felice, and go along via della Grada to the Reno Canal Consortium, an old leather tannery. Here you will find the fourth, and last, church Santa Maria e San Valentino della Grada where the trek ends.