Molinella is situated in a rural area on the old San Donato Road (which historically connected Bologna with Argenta and its port on the Po di Primaro).

[3] The name Molinella comes from the Italian word for mill, molino, as during the Middle Ages, there were numerous watermills in this area.

[4] The village was established before the 14th century on a hillock between the Marshes of Marmorta and Marrara, just south of the Po di Primaro river.

The construction of the railway in the 19th century marked the beginning of its development, and today, Molinella is a small town with a high standard of living.

[6] On 12 January 1985, the official weather station of San Pietro Capofiume recorded the absolute lowest temperature in Italy for a lowland area: −28.8 °C (−19.8 °F).