Sostegno del Battiferro was originally made of wood and designed by Pietro Brambilla. In 1548 it was finished in masonry by Vignola and later modified on various occasions.   It is an important hydraulic work that allowed boats from the sea to pass the great differences in level of the Navile Canal to reach the city. The word “Battiferro” comes from an old iron and copper beating works. On the right bank of the canal there are the remains of a rice husker and a brick kiln. And on the left the first hydroelectric power station in Bologna, built in 1901 and you can see also the Fornace Galotti (brick kiln), now restored and used as a museum.