Lama di Reno
The History of the Paper Mill of Lama di Reno
The Paper Mill of Lama di Reno is an ancient Italian factory located in Lama di Reno, a hamlet of the municipality of Marzabotto in the metropolitan city of Bologna. Its origins are lost in ancient times, but we know for certain that it has produced paper for 260 years, and perhaps even earlier. The history of the paper mill of Lama is connected to the events of the Counts of Panico, who dominated the Bolognese Apennines for most of the Middle Ages. The place where the paper mill is located constituted the industrial hub of the feudal estate, and in the area there was a flour mill and probably a workshop as well.
Hypotheses about the Workshop
It is not clear what the workshop mentioned in Arturo Palmieri's book on the Bolognese mountain referred to, but it seems unlikely that it was a paper mill, considering the warlike activities of the Counts of Panico. It could instead have been a forge, with blacksmiths dedicated to the production of weapons. The period in which such a workshop was established is also unknown, but it is possible that its location in the locality known as Lama di Panico (or Lamma) connects it to the current paper mill, which is located in an area where the Reno river used to flow.
Floods and the Creation of the Paper Mill
The current paper mill is located in an area where the Reno river used to flow, before changing its course to the current one due to a catastrophic flood. It is not clear whether this was the flood of 1152 or 1333, but it is certain that such an event favored the Counts of Panico in obtaining the driving force for the mill and workshop. They used the abandoned bed of the river, in which some water probably still flowed. The toponym Lama or Lamone derives from "alamonis", which means ravine, ditch, quagmire, or swamp. The first certain news about paper manufacturing at Lama di Reno dates back to 1746, when Pellegrino Zanasi and his sons requested to reactivate the mill to produce paper.
Paper Production at the Paper Mill of Lama di Reno
After the mill was reactivated in 1746, paper production at the Paper Mill of Lama di Reno began to grow and diversify. In 1829, the son of Pietro Zanasi, Jacopo, presented a project for a new paper mill in Lama di Reno to the Assunteria of Camera, but the project was not approved. In 1851, the factory belonged to the Contri family of Bologna, but was sold to Carlo Bonfanti, who in turn sold it in 1861 to a group of Milanese industrialists. In 1885, the paper mill came under the control of Cesare Nigi, who transformed it into a modern paper factory and introduced important technological innovations. In 1946, the paper mill became state-owned and was managed by the IRI.
The Paper Mill of Lama di Reno Today
The paper mill continued to operate until the end of the twentieth century, when production was interrupted due to market and technological changes. In 1995, the Province of Bologna purchased the entire complex of the paper mill with the aim of redeveloping the area and enhancing the historical and cultural heritage of the factory. Currently, the paper mill has been transformed into an industrial museum that offers visitors an interactive experience to discover the history and production techniques of paper. The paper mill of Lama di Reno represents an important element of the cultural and industrial heritage of the Emilia-Romagna region, and an example of how the recovery of historical heritage can create opportunities for the cultural and tourist development of the local community.
