In Bologna, Canals are Cool Again

As a Bologna resident, I’ve become accustomed to the throngs of people lining up on Via Piella just to peek through the Finestrella (the “little window”) that opens onto a section of the old Reno canal. Much to the bemusement of the bolognesi, it continues to grow in popularity. Often dry, weirdly grotty and extremely underwhelming, it’s become a kind of meta-attraction, where the disappointment of actually seeing it is part of the draw. 

But the Finestrella can actually