from Bologna to Sasso Marconi

km: 20
Difference in altitude +/-: +230 m/ - 200 m
Time: 6 h

We start from the historic center of Bologna, from Piazza Maggiore. From there we go towards Due Torri and take Via Oberdan (left) and follow it until it overlooks the Reno canal. We reach Via Augusto Righi with a stop in Via Piella where we can see the very famous window on the Moline canal and from there via Indipendenza - via dei Falegnami and via Riva di Reno. After Via San Felice we arrive in Via della Grada (you will see the tower with an iron grate for filtering water) and, after passing “la Filanda” and the power plant, we continue towards Via Martinez, a cycle/pedestrian avenue, towards Casalecchio.
Interesting fact:
In 1851, some noble and wealthy Bolognese, including Marco Minghetti and Count Zucchini, were the promoters of the construction of a modern factory for the processing of hemp. The hemp factory, due to its size and machinery, was one of the first in Italy. The development of the activity as well as the evolution in energy supply continued over the years until production suffered a setback during the First World War. After the Second, following the armistice, the building was damaged by a popular uprising and by bombings. We arrive at the present day and here we find a museum area and the hemp factory that has been partially recovered as the headquarters of the Casa della Pace La Filanda.

We go up the canal along the right bank. We cross the Porrettana road towards the entrance of the Chiusa consortium and continue towards via Giordani – Oasi fluviale del Prato Piccolo. Climb the ruins of the ancient 14th century Chiusa to admire the amazing work of Jacopo Barozzi, the Vignola, which still protects Bologna from the floods of the Reno river.
Interesting facts:
The Casalecchio "Chiusa" is the oldest hydraulic engineering work still in operation in Europe. In 2010, the Chiusa obtained UNESCO recognition as “Heritage messenger of a culture of peace in favor of young people”. Here are some facts about the monumental hydraulic work: the slide is 160 m long and 35 m wide, and the difference in height is 8.25 m!

Enter the Chiusa Park by returning again to the Porrettana, crossing the white-red CAI 112 Via degli Dei sign. Follow the tree-lined avenue, pass Villa Sampieri Talòn and skirt the Boccaccio which traps the waters of the Reno and then discharges them into the canal. A large wall contains the left bank, with two hatches equipped with sluice gates for hydraulic regulation, the elimination of silt and gravel and a system for discharging excess water into the Reno river. Leaving the canal, you walk towards a floodplain forest until you reach a large iron bridge that will allow you to cross the Rhine to the left. Here, ancient sand quarries have been used to create sport fishing tanks or to contain water to be used in an emergency.
An underground tunnel will take you past a factory and then take you along a tree-lined avenue towards the northern entrance of Palazzo de’ Rossi, a Renaissance complex consisting of the village, mill, sawmill and paper mill powered by the driving force of the Rhine. In September, the ancient and renowned Fira di Sdaz takes place within these walls, a traditional market, gastronomy and crafts event.
From Palazzo de' Rossi you can reach Colle Ameno, a place full of history that the Via allows you to discover through a route that with a ring will take you to the village and then return to the path (route also marked on the Walk Plus App).
Interesting facts:
Colle Ameno is an eighteenth-century castle-village home to majolica, a complex of buildings built starting from the central nucleus of Villa Davia, surrounded by buildings including workshops and artisan houses. In '44 it was occupied by the Germans and was a camp for civilian prisoners and partisans. Today, restoration and redevelopment allow you to enjoy spaces dedicated to art and craftsmanship, exhibitions and artistic displays

Leaving its main entrance, skirting its walls and continuing to the left, you take the Vizzano bridge (inaugurated in 1930 as a ford for schoolchildren). Once you reach the crossroads with Via Ancognano, you will find the CAI 112 – Via degli Dei trail, which shares the path to Sasso Marconi. At the crossroads with provincial road 37, continue towards Sasso Marconi on the right and, after passing an iron gate, a yellow building (the access to Prati di Mugnano), the motorway overpasses and the bridge over the Reno, you will enter Sasso Marconi.