Molinella

Molinella (Bolognese: Mulinèla or La Mulinèla) is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Bologna.

Molinella
Comune
Comune di Molinella
Location of Molinella
Molinella Location of Molinella in Italy Show map of Italy Molinella Molinella (Emilia-Romagna) Show map of Emilia-Romagna
Coordinates: 44°37′N 11°40′E
Country	Italy
Region	Emilia-Romagna
Metropolitan city	Bologna (BO)
Frazioni	Marmorta, San Martino in Argine, San Pietro Capofiume, Selva Malvezzi
Government
• Mayor	Dario Mantovani
Area [1]
• Total	127.84 km2 (49.36 sq mi)
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Population  (31 March 2018)[2]
• Total	15,607
• Density	120/km2 (320/sq mi)
Demonym	Molinellesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	40062
Dialing code	051
Patron saint	St. Matthew
Saint day	September 25.
Website	Official website

Molinella borders the following municipalities: Argenta, Baricella, Budrio, Medicina.

Molinella is situated in a rural area on the old San Donato Road (which historically connected Bologna with Argenta and its port on the Po di Primaro). The municipality is crossed on the northern side by the Reno River and is surrounded by several marshes and canals. The town has a railway station on the Bologna-Portomaggiore Railway.^[3]

History

The name Molinella comes from the Italian word for mill, molino, as during the Middle Ages, there were numerous watermills in this area.^[4] The village was established before the 14th century on a hillock between the Marshes of Marmorta and Marrara, just south of the Po di Primaro river. Historically, it served as a customs post on the border between the Bologna Territory and Ferrara Territory until the 18th century. It was also one of the few access points to the ferries crossing the Po di Primaro.^[5]

For a long time, Molinella remained one of the most isolated villages in the Province of Bologna. The construction of the railway in the 19th century marked the beginning of its development, and today, Molinella is a small town with a high standard of living.^[6]

Climate

On 12 January 1985, the official weather station of San Pietro Capofiume recorded the absolute lowest temperature in Italy for a lowland area: −28.8 °C (−19.8 °F).^[7]