Finestrella di Via Piella

The Finestrella di Via Piella is a small wooden shuttered window set in a wall at Via Piella 18, a quiet side street a few minutes north-west of Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. When visitors open the shutters, they look down a short corridor of old buildings to the Canale delle Moline, one of the medieval canals that once ran through the city. Bologna was historically a city of water, with canals powering mills, silk works and tanneries, and most of them were covered over in the early twentieth century. The window offers one of the very few remaining glimpses of this hidden network and is often compared to a scene from Venice, which has earned Bologna the nickname Little Venice. The view shows the canal flanked by colourful houses with balconies and laundry, reflected in the still water. A visit takes only 10 to 15 minutes, so it works best as a small detour while exploring the centre. The window is small and only one or two people can look at a time, so a queue can form at midday on busy days, particularly in spring and summer. Early morning or late afternoon on a weekday is quieter. Daytime light gives the clearest view of the water, while photographers should hold the camera close to the opening, since the space is cramped. There is no entry fee, as the window is on a public street, and it is always accessible. Visitors are asked to close the shutters when they finish and to be considerate of residents nearby. It combines well with the Quadrilatero and the Oratorio di Santa Maria della Vita.