Unfolding the Layers: Legacy and Potential Futures of Reno Valley Paper Mills (Bologna)

In recent decades, the disuse of large paper mills has become a significant issue within the field of industrial heritage, adaptive reuse and urban regeneration in Italy. These complexes, often characterized by notable architectural quality and a strong relationship with the territory, can represent valuable resources for rethinking the identity and future of local landscapes. Among the Italian examples, the paper mills of the Reno Valley (Bologna) stand out for their historical continuity and architectural diversity, reflecting the evolution of industrial production in the Apennine area. This contribution focuses mainly on the Cartiera del Maglio (paper mill) in Borgonuovo (Sasso Marconi, Bologna), a vast complex founded in the late nineteenth century and abandoned in 2008. Comprising about thirty buildings, it embodies different construction phases, from early masonry structures to rationalist buildings and post-war reinforced concrete expansions. The growth of the factory deeply shaped the surrounding territory, stimulating the formation and expansion of the Borgonuovo settlement between the late nineteenth century and the 1960s economic boom. The research aims to outline a framework that, building on a solid historical understanding of the complex, can guide future regeneration, enhancement, and adaptive reuse projects. Through an analysis of the historical and geographical context of the Reno Valley, combined with architectural and documentary examination of the case study, the contribution reconstructs the functional and structural evolution of the site, emphasizing its relationship with the surrounding landscape and historical context. The Cartiera del Maglio case suggests that the recovery of abandoned industrial heritage can serve to redefine the concept of heritage itself and the interrelations between architecture, urbanism, and historical context. Spaces restored to public use must preserve the collective memory of the place while adapting to contemporary needs, thus acting as catalysts for new cultural and social dynamics.