The song was composed by Dalla and Ron with the working title "America", and it was initially supposed to tell the story of the 1620 Mayflower voyage.

[1] The title of the song is a reference to Piazza Cavour in Bologna, close to Dalla's birth house.

[1][2] The RCA label lobbied to change it into a more well known "Canal Grande", with Dalla resisting to its requests.

[3] The song premiered at the Sanremo Music Festival 1972, with Dalla being accompanied by Ron as guitarist.

[1][2] Artists who recorded cover versions of the song include Fiorella Mannoia, Gianni Morandi, Albano Carrisi, Tosca & Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Fiorello, Tomislav Ivčić, Franck Pourcel, Pierdavide Carone.