BOLOGNA: THE CITY OF WATER
Bologna, with its lively atmosphere and its thousand-year history, is a city that often surprises its visitors. Besides being famous for its medieval towers, churches and renowned cuisine, it also has another hidden treasure: its canals. These waterways once constituted a vital network for the city, contributing both to the transport of goods and to the irrigation system. The Art Hotel Commercianti, a ‘boutique hotel in the centre of Bologna, offers guests a unique opportunity to experience Bologna in an authentic way, exploring its past and its most hidden treasures.
A little bit of history
The system of canals in Bologna dates to the Middle Ages, when the city, already an important commercial hub, needed river routes to connect the urban centre with the outside, thus favouring navigation and trade. In fact, water transport was cheaper than land transport. The Bologna canals had three main tasks: As a first task they provided energy to activate the movement of mills and for commercial activities such as craftsmen. The second function was to link trade between the different rivers in the region. And finally, the canals were designed to collect and channel the water from the surrounding streams. Canals also played an important role in cleaning the city.
Bologna: silk and its water
Thanks to the development of these canals over the years, the city of Bologna became a commercial centre and was able to develop a flourishing industry, but few know that it concerns the production of silk. The 'silk mill bolognese', thanks to the hydraulic wheel, an innovation of the time, gave birth to the industry of bolognese spinning, whose silk began to be marketed throughout Europe through the Navile Canal. This machine is now available to the most curious at the Museum of Industrial Heritage.
A few steps away from the Hotel you can find the most famous of these canals: the Moline Canal, which takes its name from a series of water mills that were used to grind grain. It was not only a commercial channel, but also an element of urban beautification and vitality. This canal, running along the city, was interlaced with other streams coming from different points in the region, including the Reno Canal. The latter was used to supply the city’s canals, distributing water for industrial and domestic use. In fact, craft shops, especially those that worked wood, iron and cotton, needed this water to move the wheels of the mills, thus constituting an important economic function for the development of the city. As a further curiosity, the canals were also of vital importance in the social sphere, especially for the laundresses, who gathered at the banks of the canal with their baskets for washing the linen, social cohesion was thus fostered by a simple daily activity.
Along the canals
Most of these canals have been covered over the centuries to make way for buildings and roads, nevertheless, some sections are still visible but often hidden behind corners of Bologna that tourists and even many locals do not know. The Art Hotel Commercianti is perfect for a historic stay in Bologna, its central location will allow you to take a walk from the heart of the center to Via Piella, where you can admire the Moline Canal, or to
the Cavaticcio Park to discover the area of the ancient Porto Naviglio, it is an experience that invites you to reflect on how the city has changed over time, but keeping firm traces of its past. For the guests of the Hotel, this is a unique opportunity to discover Bologna in an original way.
The city, to preserve its historical memory, organizes periodically guided group tours aimed at discovering both its waters and historic-technical sites usually not accessible to the public. Tours require a reservation as they have limited seats, they last about an hour and include routes that alternate between open-air routes and more hidden routes under the city, which bring life to the 'underground city'.
After a day exploring the hidden canals of Bologna, nothing beats relaxing in the elegant rooms of the Art Hotel Commercianti, an authentic hotel in the centre of Bologna with the charm of history and modern comforts. Guests can enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet before setting off on new adventures and take advantage of the many exclusive services designed to make their stay even more special. The hotel with parking gives you the opportunity to leave your car at the hotel, allowing you to walk around the city or more comfortably by bike. In this sense, the hotel is not only a place to stay, but also a starting point for an unprecedented historical and cultural journey that extends beyond the walls of its structure, reaching the deepest heritage of this charming city.
Book your stay at the Art Hotel Commercianti now and experience Bologna like you’ve never seen it!