Molinella · IT

Torre Civica

The Torre Civica di Santo Stefano is the defining monument of Molinella, a small town in the low Bolognese plain just a few meters above sea level. Built in the early 1300s as a fortress guarding Bologna's northeastern border against Ferrara, it has stood watch over this watery landscape for nearly seven centuries, surviving sieges, total destruction, and careful rebuilding. Today the tower is more than a museum piece: after a 1982 restoration, it has served since 1995 as a venue for exhibitions, cultural events, and performances, while remaining the symbol of the town, even appearing on Molinella's official coat of arms alongside a watermill wheel. Its unusual silhouette, a late-medieval military tower crowned with a four-sloped roof and a small arched turret that once housed church bells, makes it instantly recognizable from any approach to the town center on Corso Mazzini.