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This paper focuses on the use of GIS with historical maps of the Bologna plain. A. Chiesa was entrusted, in 1732, by the Senate of Bologna to create a geographical map of the entire plain, with particular reference to the waterways, in order to provide an overall view and to plan considerable land reclamation. After digital acquisition, the maps were georeferenced in a new two-stage technique, using the international UTM-WGS84 datum. The elements contained in the maps were digitized using different layers: points for settlements, polylines for the waterways and polygons for marshes. A database was created to complete the digital representation. These data were compared with the current hydrographic situation. The main interest is the understanding of the relationships between paleochannels and micromorphology, in order to prevent hydrogeological risk. The study of the A. Chiesa maps is important to understand the evolution of toponyms, to highlight the centuriation and as a decisional support in territorial development plans. The popularization of the digitally obtained layers over a topographic regional map must be carried out using a webGIS application that is accessible and immediately understandable by the general public.