Canale della Molinanca

Together with the Mulino Moro mill in the Bottonera district, the Canale della Molinanca is the main evidence of industrial archaeology present in Chiavenna. For centuries, the supply of motive power necessary for the operation of the many craftsman’s and industrial workshops that flourished in past centuries in Chiavenna along the Mera River depended on the Canale della Molinanca. This same power was necessary to operate the Cotonificio Amman cotton mill – now transformed into the Residenza sul Mera (discover this renovated property).

The canal was made of stone with a raised arched structure. As it stands today, it may date back to the second half of the 1700s, with only one part rebuilt in reinforced concrete after the flood of September 25, 1927.

The canal was in a state of severe decay. When the construction of the Residenza sul Mera was finished, Emmezeta company felt it was its duty to take care of the restoration of the Canale della Molinanca.

Since April 2015, water has returned to flow in the last section of the canal, in memory of the historical craftsmanship and industrial vocation of the city of Chiavenna.

The restoration project included the renovation of the existing canal and the creation of a public square alongside the canal itself. The Fontana del Viandante (Fountain of the Wayfarer) designed by architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni and produced in white cement by Zecca Prefabbricati Spa was setup on the square.

The restoration of the Canale della Molinanca gave an important part of its artisanal history back to the city of Chiavenna and valorized an urban area that had been abandoned for years.