CASALECCHIO DI RENO

From the end of the 19thC until the 1940s, Casalecchio was one of the favourite destinations of the inhabitants of Bologna for Sunday outings with the Lido on the River Reno being one of the most popular and frequently visited in the Province. With a number of roads and railway lines converging here, the town now has a population of 34,000 and is one of the most lively and dynamic centres in the Region. In 1995 “Project City” was begun with the new town hall(inaugurated in 2003), the new War Memorial Piazza, the Piazza of the People with a 10,000 square metre pedestrian area and the Casa della Conoscenza. Casalecchio is a district centre for school services (6 nursery schools, 3 elementary and middle schools and 3 high schools as well as a jointly administered public limited company producing school meals), health services (seat of a Health District, Residence with Health Assistance and Rest Home) social services (7 social centres with over 3,000 members, 2 day centres and a number of voluntary associations), sport services (29 sporting associations with over 10,000 members, 3 swimming pools and a sports centre) and cultural services (a Theatre, a Youth Centre and a new Cultural Centre). Casalecchio di Reno is the most important commercial centre in the Region with 2 shopping centres, hypermarkets and a very large network of shops and services both in the centre and on the outskirts (gyms, multiple cinemas and the Malaguti Sports Complex) and has also become the home of a number of important multinationals. There are over 3,000 companies in the municipal area with the most important sectors being mechanical engineering (125 companies), shops (over 700) and services (350).