The Bolognese Valleys of the Idice, Savena and Setta

Home , Baricella, Bolognese dialect, Calderara di Reno, Castel Maggiore, Castiglione dei Pepoli, Futa Pass

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The Rivers the Futa state highway SS 65 and the road The valleys of the tributaries to the right of along the valley-bottom, which continues as the Reno punctuate the central area of the far as the Lake of Castel dell’Alpi, passing the Bolognese Apennines in a truly surprising majestic Gorges of Scascoli. Along the river, variety of colours and landscapes. They are there are numerous mills, some of which can the Idice, Savena and Setta Rivers, of which be visited, constructed over the centuries. only the Idice continues its course onto the Before entering the plains, the Savena cros- plains, as far as the Park of the Po Delta. ses the Regional Park of Bolognese Gypsums and Abbadessa Gullies, which is also crossed The Idice by the River Idice. The Idice starts on Monte Oggioli, near the Raticosa Pass, and is the largest of the rivers in these valleys. Interesting from a geologi- cal and naturalistic point of view, its valley offers many reasons for a visit. Particularly beautiful is the stretch of river where it joins the Zena Valley: this is where the Canale dei Mulini (mills) branches off, continuing alongside it until it reaches the plains, in the territory of San Lazzaro di Savena. Flowing through the Valleys of Campotto, the Idice finally joins the Reno. Here an interesting system of manmade basins stop the Reno’s water flowing into the Idice’s bed in dry periods.

The Setta The Setta’s journey begins in Tuscany, in the Province of Florence, but a few kilometres from its source, it already enters Bolognese territory. A typical Apennine river of a tor- rential nature, its valley has always been a crossroads for people and goods to and from Tuscany. Today this land of travellers offers tourists innumerable opportunities of discovery along ancient trails, on foot, horseback or by mountain bike. In the territory of Castiglione dei Pepoli, one of its tributaries, the River Brasimone, flows into the Lake of Santa Maria, which, together with the basins of Suviana and Brasimone, make up the Regional Park of the Lakes. From the Setta, the Romans built an underground aqueduct (18 kilometres of tunnel, some of which can be visited) which still today carries water to Bologna. A little further on, about fifty kilometres from its source, the river ends its course, joining the Reno.

The Savena First of all the pronunciation: we say Sávena and not Savéna, as would be natural according to Italian phonetics. An Etruscan term meaning “vein of water”, the Savena and Reno are the territorial borders of the city of Bologna: Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy identifies the Bolognese as living “between the Savena and Reno” (Inferno, River Setta Canto 18th). The river’s course is followed by Photo by Provincia di Bologna

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H The Bolognese Valleys of the Idice, Cr Savena and Setta Tu Va al the Apennines m N Tourist itinerary Not to be missed: th The itinerary starts in the Apen- The Bread Route and the ancient mills on the Idice th nines: our main rood will be the and Savena be historical Futa road, on the The Route of the Gods and Bologna-Florence an range between the Savena and Trekking Trails lis Idice, from which there are infi- The Natural Parks re nite possible deviations to The Gardens of Casoncello Fa discover the treasures of the The spa-village of Monterenzio re various valleys. The Monzuno Golf Club Ce The Futa and the Raticosa Pass ge From the SS 65 “Futa” The Etruscan-Celtic village of Monte Bibele liv Highway to the Idice Valley and the Monterenzio Archaeological Museum th - Pianoro The Sanctuary of Boccadirio Bo - Loiano The chestnuts, mushrooms, truffles and their festivals of - Monghidoro The acrobatic park of Monghidoro be - Monterenzio The Loiano Observatory su The Zena Valley th The Valleys between an the Savena and Setta th - Monzuno ni - San Benedetto Val di Sambro ry - Castiglione dei Pepoli of w Pianoro th co w Th ni ne Monterenzio ex cl of ar

Monzuno E Loiano F ( F m c Monghidoro n San Benedetto Val di Sambro H T B a t g 1 Castiglione m dei Pepoli o d

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History and environment Buon appetito Crossed by the ancient pilgrims’ route from The Bolognese Apennines in these valleys Tuscany, the territory of the Bolognese has remained faithful to the simplicity and Valleys of the Idice, Savena and Setta has flavours of the traditional inn: mountain coo- always been an obligatory passage for com- king which unites the specialities of Emilia mercial and cultural exchanges between and Tuscany. The “tortelli di patate” (filled North and Central Italy. Human presence in pasta) and steaks “alla fiorentina” (T-bone) these Valleys has been found dating back to are a must, as well as unusual dishes such as the Palaeolithic Period and on Monte Bibele, the “agliata” (a garlic-based sauce). Every year between Monterenzio and Loiano, Etruscans in autumn there are festivals based around and Celts left important traces of their civi- chestnuts, mushrooms and truffles, perfect lisations. Created to house the numerous occasions to taste the most classic Apen- relics brought to light in the area, the “Luigi nines products. The ancient presence in the Fantini” Archaeological Museum in Monte- area of water mills has led to the baking tra- renzio today has one of the most important ditions of these valleys, celebrated by the Celtic collections in Italy. According to le- “Bolognese Mountains Bread Route”. gendary sources, the Etruscan King Ocno lived in this area, as also recalled by Virgilio, How to get there the legendary founder of Felsina (today’s - A1 Motorway Bologna-Florence: exit Sasso Bologna), as well as Parma and Mantua. Signs Marconi, Rioveggio, Pian del Voglio and Ron- of the successive passage of the Romans can cobilaccio. be recognised in the Flaminia Minor, a con- - Roads: State highway SS 64 Futa (Pianoro, sular road used by the Roman legions on Loiano, Monghidoro and Firenzuola in Tu- their way to conquer Gaul. Then the castles scany). State highway SS 325 Val di Setta and towers in these valleys take us back to Val Bisenzio (Sasso Marconi, Vado, Rioveg- the troubled medieval affairs of the Apen- gio, Pian di Setta, Castiglione dei Pepoli nines. The Lord of a large part of the territo- and Montepiano in Tuscany). ry in the 11th century was Marquis Bonifacio State highway SP 65 Savena Valley-bottom. of Tuscany, the father of Matilde of Canossa, - Railway: the “Direttissima” Bologna-Florence, who chose to reside in the Castle of Pianoro, with the possibility of transporting bicycles; then destroyed by the Bolognese in 1377. The stations in Rastignano, Pianoro, Monzuno, countryside of these valleys has remained Vado, San Benedetto Val di Sambro e Ca- wild and uncontaminated in many places. stiglione dei Pepoli. The landscape is typical of the mid-Apen- - Buses ATC www.atc.bo.it. connect nine mountains, where the highest peaks are the towns to each other and Bologna never more than 1,200 metres. Ideal for exploring slowly on foot, horseback or cy- Tourist Information cling, here you can experience the emotions Monghidoro - IAT Tourist Office of following in the centuries of footsteps of Via Matteotti, 1 - 40063 Monghidoro (BO) armies, pilgrims and writers. Tel. 051.6555132 - [email protected] www.tuttoservizispa.it Events Opening times: Favolando per le Valli From Monday to Saturday 9-12.30 am / 4-7 pm (Fairy Tales in the Valleys) Sunday (from June to September) 9-12.30 am Festival internazionale dedicato al teatro su misura per bambini e ragazzi ospitato dai comuni delle Valli Bolognesi tra Idice, Save- na e Setta. www.vallibolognesi.it

The Bolognese Valleys Tourist System, History and Culture created by the “Five Bolognese Valleys The Bolognese art of Bell-ringing Mountain Community” in conjunction with Between Monzuno and Monghidoro, an the “Idice, Savena and Setta Tourist Consor- ancient musical tradition still survives, linked tium”, offers unique proposals to tourists, to the sound of bells. The roots of the Bolo- allowing them to immerse themselves fully in gnese art of Bell-ringing date back to the mid- uncontaminated countryside, rich in history. 16th century: it requires a particular “athletic- Viale Risorgimento, 1 - 40065 Pianoro (BO) musical” technique, involving on average four Tel. 051.6527743 - Fax 051.774690 or five ringers (one for each bell), still passed [email protected] down from generation to generation. www.vallibolognesi.it

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The Ancient Apennine Roads between history and legend

The Flaminia Minore and the Via degli Dei With the rebuilding of the road in the 18th Pia Between the Futa Pass and the Via Emilia, the century, restoration work was also carried out up last section of the ancient military and pil- on the Customs Houses of La Ca’ in Bologne- ly grims’ road known as “Flaminia Minore” or se territory, now demolished, and the Floren- m “Flaminia Militare” winds. Built by Consul Fla- tine one of Filigare, near Monghidoro. Built on “la minio in 187 BC, the road links Bologna and the wishes of Grand Duke Leopoldo II, the ba Arezzo and served to connect Rome as quic- ancient Customs House is still surprisingly co kly as possible to the new colonies which magnificent. The Customs Houses survived ar were being created along the Via Emilia. Its until 1859, when, at Villa Loup near Loiano, it an route along the ridge between the Idice, was decided to abolish all duty barriers in anti- st Quaderna and upper-Sillaro valleys, as well as cipation of the imminent Union of Italy (1861). of having splendid views of uncontaminated lan- M dscape, passes through places of great milita- History and Culture ry, historical and cultural importance. The The Futa and the Grand Tour In road took on greater relevance in the Middle Just as the pilgrimages of the various Jubi- Ch Ages: from 1200 onwards, the most ancient lees marked the history of the Via Toscana in stretch of the Via Francigena, the Cisa, beca- in the Middle Ages, so the passage through pi me less important and pilgrims from Nor- the Apennines became fundamental to the of thern Europe, heading for Rome, preferred to Grand Tour which, from the 16th to 19th cen- alt travel along the Via Emilia to Bologna and tury, saw legions of young aristocrats and then join the roads which followed the an- artists visit our nation. Culture, adventure A cient Flaminia Minore. The most famous is the and majestic landscapes were the attrac- m Via dello Stale or Via degli Dei (Route of the tions which led travellers to face the dan- ex Gods), which still today links Bologna and Flo- gers involved. On their return to their (a rence in a series of trails. various European countries, they recoun- St ted the fear and emotions of travelling a- cl The Futa long the Bologna-Florence stretch in either lo The “Strada della Futa”, known to the Bolo- direction. Montaigne (1580), Goethe (1786), gnese as Via Toscana and to the Tuscans as Via Casanova (1761), the Marquis de Sade (1776), Th Bolognese, follows the Savena Valley and Stendhal (1811 and 1817), Sir Walter Scott of then rises along the ridge between the Savena and Emperor Frederick of Russia are only a w and Idice to the Raticosa Pass. From there it few of the illustrious travellers who wrote ta reaches the Futa Pass and then Flo-rence. As their impressions of the Futa Pass in their Ap far back as the 14th century, a similar trail was diaries. These writings are a rich testimony du chosen by the Bologna City Council as the to episodes which also underline the per- th official road to Tuscany. This success was con- sonalities of the various characters. In 1811, firmed on the occasion of the 1300 Jubilee, Stendhal visited Pianoro, Loiano and Mon- Ca when the Via Toscana was recommended to ghidoro and wrote: “Two Frenchmen travel- Ph pilgrims journeying to Rome, since it was con- ling in a good coach with an intelligent ser- sidered safer than the others and moreover, vant can transport the pleasures of a dra- was equipped with inns, hospices, parish wing room into the Apennines, but they churches and monasteries, all fundamental will not enjoy the Apennines as I do, travel- for travellers. In 1759, the Grand Duke of Tu- ling alone in an open carriage”. Both De scany, Francesco di Lorena, achieved his aim Montagne and Goethe, almost two centu- of improving the ancient road by building a ries apart, in their Voyages in Italy (1580 the more efficient means of communication bet- former and 1786 the latter) passed through ween Florence and Bologna. The Grand Duke’s Loiano and Monghidoro. Many other more project had to overcome the opposition of or less famous travellers followed them. the Papacy, which would have preferred the Then progress and the inventions of steam, main link between Rome and its northern electric and internal combustion engines possessions not to leave the pontifical terri- changed the world, the ways of travelling tories, passing instead through the Marches. and so the most important roads changed.

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Pianoro

8th Pianoro is the first town you reach travelling Events ut up the Futa highway. The centre was drastical- The Bologna-Raticosa Time Trials e- ly damaged in the Second World War, so Motoring fans should not miss the histori- n- much so that Pietro Nenni described it as the cal “Bologna-Raticosa Time Trials”, 603 on “largest and saddest example of Nazi-fascist bends against the clock in a race for clas- he barbarity”. Following the devastation and the sic cars. Started in 1950, it was for years ly consequent post-war reconstruction, there one of the most difficult time trials in ed are now two distinct parts - Pianoro Nuovo Italy, for distance second only to the it and Pianoro Vecchio. However, the territory Parma-Berceto. Occasionally staged until ti- still has numerous examples of the thousands 1969, the Bologna-Raticosa was reintrodu- of years of history here, in particular from the ced in 2001 on the road between Pianoro Middle ages. Vecchio and Livergnano. Since then, it has taken place every year. In Pianoro Vecchio, it is worth visiting the Info: www.velocitaraticosa.it - Church of San Giacomo Maggiore, restored a in the 18th century, together with a hospice for h pilgrims which can be traced back to the end Nature e of the 12th century. Inside there is a notable The Paleotto Park - altar piece from the School of the Francia. The Paleotto Park stretches along the d banks of the Savena on gently sloping land e A kilometre before Pianoro Vecchio, there is a in the territories of Rastignano (Pianoro), - medieval tower, the Torre Lùpari, a precious Sasso Marconi, San Lazzaro di Savena and - example of the art of the “Maestri comacini” Bologna. The name comes from an ancient r (an ancient Guild of Master-builders and noble Bolognese family and its history has - Stonemasons - page 71), which was later en- been linked since the Middle Ages to an - closed in a 15th-century building with double- ancient mill which used to exist nearby, r loggia. and which is still recalled today in the na- ), me of a local area, Molino del Paleotto. ), The village of Livergnano has the peculiarity There is a notable ancient stone bridge t of a series of houses built deep into the rock, providing a link to the old road for Sant’An- a with only their façades external. A fundamen- drea di Sesto. e tal crossroads between the low and high r Apennines, it was the site of violent clashes y during the Second World War - this was one of Museums - the main areas of the Gothic Line (page 160). “WINTER LINE” MUSEUM , via della Chiesa, 4 - Livergnano - Calanchi (gullies) 40066 Pianoro (BO) - Tel. 380.5074820 - Photo by Provincia di Bologna Dug at the base of the Pliocene Foothills - above Livergnano, the museum lies in a - cave where there was an air-raid shelter y during the Second World War. It collects - soldiers’ objects of the 65th German Di- e vision and 91st Division of the 361st USA - Infantry, found along trenches and shelters e which still today can be seen in the coun- h tryside around Pianoro. Here, in the winter e between 1944 and 1945, the two opposing . armies blocked passage to each other. , s g .

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Along the Zena Valley, inside the Regional Park Nature of Bolognese Gypsums and Abbadessa The Pian di Macina Amphibian Centre is Gullies (page 137), about 15 kilometres from a European conservation project for spe- Pianoro, there is Monte delle Formiche (Mount cies of amphibians which are rare or in of the Ants), with its highly original Sanctuary. ranger of extinction, promoted and finan- ced by the Province of Bologna and the History and Culture Pianoro Town Council. In the centre’s Monte delle Formiche (Mount of the Ants) is a tanks and humid zones, you can discover rocky crag dominating the Idice and Zena strange animals such as the Spectacled Valleys. From its summit, there is an incredible Salamander, the Alpine Newt and the view which, on particularly clear mornings, goes Apennine Yellow-bellied Howler, whose from the Adriatic coast to the foothills of the name refers to the sounds made by the Alps near Verona. The name of the mount males in the mating season. Workshops comes from a very particular natural phenome- and educational meetings are organized. non: every year, in early September, swarms of Info: Anfibi, Rettili e Territorio Onlus flying ants reach the summit for their nuptial Tel. 051.774253 www.centroanfibi.it flight, then die around the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Zena. Since 1400, the Sanctuary has been known as “Santa Maria Formicarum”, proof Nature that the phenomenon already occurred then. The Zena Valley As Even today, on occasion of the Festival of the The Zena is a river which starts in the ter- Ph Madonna, the ants are collected, blessed and ritory of Loiano and ends its tortuous given out to the faithful: according to popular journey in the River Idice, in San Lazzaro di To belief, they have therapeutic properties. Savena. Near Loiano, in Quinzano, it pas- to ses over a beautiful 30-metre-high water- Un fall, which precipitates into a woody km In the direction of Monte delle Formiche, gorge. The Zena valley has a road along there is the Castle of Zena, which belonged the valley-bottom, the first few kilome- S to the Countess of Canossa. Of medieval ori- tres of which are the provincial road S.P.16 O gins, its architecture today shows element “Val di Zena”, then becoming smaller roads o from the 14th and 17th centuries. Another part for Pianoro and Monterenzio. With its g of the castle is a nearby tower, the Torre bucolic appearance, the valley alternates I dell’Erede (14th century), which being on higher between gentle meadow and wood-cove- 1 ground, served as a lookout. red hills and the occasional gypsum, in a n largely uncontaminated landscape of D Towards the west, the stark, imposing peak great naturalistic and historical interest. d of Monte Adone, dominating the ridge of Apart from the Etruscan-Celtic remains t the watershed between the Savena, Setta found on Monte Bibele, on the river banks f and Reno, is the highest point of the there is the Castle of Zena. With the d Pliocene Foothills (page 60). Pliocene Foothills running along one side, L In Pian di Macina, there is the Centro Anfibi the valley contains the Regional Park of l (Amphibian Centre), where you can encounter Bolognese Gypsums and Abbadessa f rare species of amphibians from the Apennines. Gullies. About 2 kilometres upstream I from the confluence with the River Idice, o Museums just after entering the territory of San T THE “CIVILTÀ DEI MESTIERI” MUSEUM Lazzaro di Savena, near the left bank of u Via del Gualando, 2 - 40066 Pianoro (BO) the Zena, there is a famous cave, the Comune di Pianoro - Tel. 051.6529105 Grotta del Farneto, in which important Tuttoservizi s.p.a. - Tel. 051.6555132 proof of human presence dating back to The “Artisan Culture” Museum has collected the Neolithic period was discovered. numerous craftwork tools. Created as a genuine informative workshop, it is divided into different sections: rural house, cellar, stables, agri- Pianoro is a member of the “National Asso- cultural work, craftwork, weights and measures. ciation of Wine Cities”.

Events Tartufesta (Truffle Festival): in October C’era una volta (Once upon a time): October and in November Festival of Santa Maria Assunta: 15th august MARKET DAY: Wednesday Hi 120 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a

s - Loiano n - e s r d e e e s

Astronomical Observatory - Photo by Provincia di Bologna Loiano is situated on the spur separating the s Idice and Savena Valleys and, apart from the i To justify a visit to Loiano, it would be enough observatory, there is no lack of historical and - to mention the astronomical observatory of the artistic points of interest. The first is the - University of Bologna, along the Futa highway, 2 Church of San Giacomo and Santa Marghe- y kms after Loiano towards Monghidoro. rita, built by the Augustinians in the 14th cen- g tury. Inside there is a painting by Calvaert and - Science and Technique: Park of the Stars the Madonna del Carmine by Angelo Piò. In 6 On Monte Orzale, there is the Loiano Station the town centre, there are still traces of the s of the Astronomical Observatory of Bolo- 15th-century porticos which were part of its s gna, in a structure belonging to the National original character. s Institute of Astrophysics. Inaugurated on the - 15th November 1936, its biggest telescope is The Corona inn is famous, being the place a named after the astronomer Giovanni where, in the 16th century, the annexation of f Domenico Cassini, designer of the great sun- Cento to Ferrara was negotiated, and where t. dial of San Petronio in Bologna. The observa- on the 21st October 1786, Goethe stayed en s tory of Loiano is the second biggest in Italy route to Florence. s for the dimension of the telescope (152 cm in e diameter). Thanks to a collaboration with the Among the most characteristic settlements in , Loiano Town Council and the Province of Bo- the territory is Anconella, an ancient 16th-cen- f logna, the observatory is open to the public tury village. The village develops around a a for evening visits from April to September. particular construction with porticos, a rare m Info and bookings: Loiano Library example in the Apennines, which was once a , on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-12am. hospice for pilgrims. Inside you can admire a n Tel. 051.6543617 beautiful fireplace with the coat-of-arms of f [email protected] the noble Bentivoglio family. In the area it is e also still possible to see the so-called “buse t nelle lastre”, caves dug into the sandstone, o once used as inhabitations and store rooms, and during wartime as shelters.

Along the provincial road from Loiano to o- Quinzano, on a high plain there is the Parish Church of Scanello dedicated to San Giovan- ni Battista, which conserves a painting attributed to Passerotti and two painting from the School of Carracci. Nearby, in Cà di Priami, r you can admire the main mountains of the Idice and Savena Valleys, with the upper- Apennines on one side, and the hills which Hills around Loiano - Photo by Provincia di Bologna frame Bologna on the other. 121 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a

Near Scanello, there is Villa Loup, which owes Nature its name to the Swiss gentleman who, marrying The Gardens of Casoncello a member of the Ghisilieri family, received the Via Scascoli, 75 - Loiano (BO) residence as part of the dowry. Pope Pious VII Tel. 051.928100/928281 stayed here in 1805, after meeting Napoleon in Born from the restoration of an ancient far- Paris, but it became famous in the Risorgimento mhouse and open to the public since 1996, for the “Convegno di Scanello”. Here on the 28th the Gardens of Casoncello are today consi- September 1859, the representatives of Tuscany, dered an excellent example of a “natural Romagna, Modena and Parma negotiated the garden” where the mark of nature and that An abolition of custom duties between their states of mankind exist in harmony and where the bo and the adoption of a single currency, in antici- multiplicity of animal and vegetable life are to pation of the Union of Italy. respected and favoured. It has an unusual m appearance, rich in ornamental plants and ex From the centre of Quinzano, there is a road spontaneous flora: in the space of a single fro which, winding through the atmospheric hectare there are more than a thousand ZenaValley, reaches the archaeological site species which, freely associated in “harmo- In of Monte Bibele (page 125). nious disorder”, create an enchanting atmo- st sphere. The guided visits lead to the disco- na The village of Scascoli is one of the most very of this enormous "green book" through by enchanting, due to its position. The Church of various "vegetable situations": mixed mea- Ra Saints Stefano and Martino was rebuilt after dow, vegetable garden, rockery, wet zone, w the Second World War: for the façade, the san- wood-garden, herb-garden, flowering bor- th dstone blocks from the destroyed Church of ders, perennial grass borders, orchard, up San Ansano di Brento were used, while the high mixed hedges, with an approach that is not altar was made by melting down the brass car- merely visual, but involves all the other sen- C tridge cases of the American artillery. ses. A particular element of the visit is in T Near Scascoli, we find the interesting rural fact the olfactory one, in which different A building called the Torre, a typical example of and unusual smells are offered from flo- m 15th-century building by the Maestri comacini wers, leaves, bark and even roots. The R (an ancient Guild of Master-builders and Gardens of Casoncello can only be visited t Stonemasons) (page 71). by booking with guided visits. f Continuing along the road which descends C towards the Savena, we reach the majestic t Gorges of Scascoli, above the course of the river. Events m Festa della Batdura (Threshing Festival), A farming show, exhibition of machines and f tools for threshing grain: July t Tartufesta (Truffle Festival): October l and November i Market of Santa Lucia: December d w Scascoli o Chestnuts Festival: October P f MARKET DAY: Sunday h e Gardens of Casoncello - Private archive M s h (

Th st so st of m tu

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Monghidoro

- 6, - l t An ancient pontifical Customs House on the Museums e border with Tuscany, Monghidoro also used MUSEUM OF APENNINE FARMING e to be called Scaricalasino (“Unload-the- CULTURE l mule”), since it was necessary to check the Via Provinciale, 13 - Piamaggio 40063 d exhausted animals’ loads after the climb Monghidoro (BO) - Tel. 051.6555132 - Fax e from Roncastaldo. 051-6552268 - [email protected] d The museum reconstructs the working and - In the town centre, the cloisters of La Ci- day-to-day aspects of past rural life of the - sterna are all that remain of the ancient Mo- Apennines. Alternated with spaces dedica- - nastery of San Michele ad Alpes, built in 1528 ted to ancient jobs (carpentry, the elabora- h by converting the Palazzo di Armaciotto dei tion of wool and straw, wine production), - Ramazzotti, donated to the Olivetani order, there are some domestic spaces: the kit- e, who ran it until 1797. Today the cloisters are chen, the bedroom, a school room, sta- - the splendid setting for events which liven bles, and finally, an aristocratic corner. , up the town in summer. There is also a unique 1:3-scale reconstruc- t tion of a perfectly-working water mill. - Culture and Famous Names Opening times: in winter, Sunday 3-6pm; in n The Ramazzotto summer, Saturday 4-7pm, Sunday 10-12am t Armaciotto dei Ramazzotti, called the Ra- and 4-7pm. - mazzotto, is a typical figure of the Italian Free entrance (donations welcome). e Renaissance. Born in Scaricalasino in 1444, d the Ramazzotto took up arms and built his MONGHIDORO PARISH MUSEUM future battle by battle. Becoming a Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta Captain, he first served Cesare Borgia, Via Garibaldi, 37 - 40063 Monghidoro (BO) then various Popes among whom Cle- Tel. 051.6555539 mente VII dei Medici, his great protector. This 19th-century parish church houses a , As compensation, he received ever-larger small collection of sacred art: devotional d feudal territories in the Apennines and and liturgical objects and vestments. There the title of Count. Ramazzotto became is also a notable painting by Burrini from lord of his own personal state, which 1685, showing Saints Petronio and Dionigi. included an impregnable fort, the Rocca Opening times: Sunday and public holi- di Tossignano, in the Santerno Valley, days; by request on weekdays. which he fortified even further. The re- Free entrance. organisation of the lands of Romagna by Paolo III Farnese threw the survival of his feud into crisis, and after various mishaps, he finally surrendered in 1537. He died in exile in Tuscany, but in the Church of San Michele in Bosco in Bologna, there is the splendid marble arch commissioned by him to the sculptor Alfonso Lombardi (1531-1533).

The Sentiero dei Pilastrini is a trail which starts from the county town and takes in some typical villages, following ten small stone pillars, some rebuilt, direct evidence of the sacred element so pervasive in the La Cisterna mountain peasant culture up to the 19th cen- Photo by Comune di Monghidoro tury.

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The whole area is also of great natural the macaroni with ragù washed down with worth, in particular the Park, “La Martina”, too much wine, the great seducer wrote that and the Alpe of Monghidoro. he was unable to “partake” of the young woman, a certain Corticelli, who was ac- Nature companying him. “La Martina” Provincial Park In the upper-Idice Valley, the Park offers The singer Gianni Morandi maintains very the ideal environment for walks in the close links with his birthplace, Monghidoro. woods and open-air picnics. Created by Th the Province of Bologna in 1972, in an area Beyond Monghidoro, there is the German w of about 155 hectares, it belongs to the Cemetery of the Futa, in Tuscan territory, la Monghidoro Town Council. This area was created by the architect Oesterlen and the tim once covered with meadows and cultiva- landscape artists Rossow and Bournot. Built Bi ted fields, with the occasional oak wood; in sandstone, it has more than 30,000 graves Et then in the Twenties, it was reforested of fallen soldiers from the Gothic Line (page in with conifers such as Black Pine, Wood- 160) in the Second World War. In summer, it un land Pine, Silver Fir and Lawson’s Cypress. lends its highly evocative setting to the sta- Fa An informative trail gives an insight into ging of classical Greek tragedies. co the natural aspects of the Apennines and lat the widespread network of well-signpo- sted paths makes the park a useful base M for longer excursions in the Apennines, in N particular the connection between the P Futa Pass and the Grande Escursione a Apennine (G.E.A.). Within the Park, there B is an equipped campsite, a bar and an a educational hall. i r The Alpe of Monghidoro is a very intere- d sting natural area extending above the Fu- Triton’s Park o ta state highway SS 65, just after the area of Photo by Comune di Monghidoro t Ca’ del Costa, about 2 kms from Monghi- T doro. Secondary roads and well-sign-po- Sport and Active Tourism M sted trails make the Alpe easily accessible. Tarzaning - Adventure Park V At an altitude of 800-1200 metres, it is In the heart of the Bolognese Apennines, t covered with oak and chestnut woods in Monghidoro is happy to host anyone m the lower band, beech woods in the higher wishing to emulate Tartan, thanks to O one, and is full of springs. Jays, buzzards, Triton’s Park (Newt Park), an acrobatic park b woodpeckers and owls can be seen, as well in the greenery of Monte Oggioli. At an alti- S as squirrels, dormice and hares. Less easy to tude of about 1,000 metres, the park has 3 spot, but not impossible, particularly at various structures such as ropes, trapezes, d dawn and dusk, there are fallow and roe net tunnels, fixed and swinging walkways. a deer, wild boar, and foxes. From the highest There are six routes, three for adults and b point of the Alpe, Monte Oggioli (1290 three for children, of varying levels of diffi- t mts), on a clear day you can admire a view culty at a maximum height of 7 metres that stretches from the foothills of the above the ground. Triton’s Park also offers a Alps in Veneto to the Adriatic. picnic area equipped with barbecues and a Info: Tuttoservizi s.p.a. - Tel 051.6555132 spectacular little lake with various species [email protected] of fish and some newts. Open all year. Info: Tuttoservizi s.p.a. - Tel 051.6555132 [email protected] Like other places in the valley, Monghidoro has also been recalled in the travel diaries of more and less well-known characters who Events have passed through. There is the strange Festival of Saints Pietro e Paolo: June story of Giacomo Casanova, who, having Festival of San Michele: September left Florence at eight in the evening, arrived Tartufesta (Truffle Festival): tra October in Scaricalasino in the middle of the night and November and even though he made them prepare “a bed which astounded the host, since making MARKET DAY: Thursday it meant using four others”, maybe due to 124 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 5

th at Monterenzio ng c- ry o. The territory of Monterenzio stretches bet- an ween the green valleys of the Idice and Sil- ry, laro, an area that has been inhabited since he time immemorial: on the massif of Monte lt Bibele (towards Loiano), the remains of an es Etruscan-Celtic village have been found, built ge in the 4th century BC. The copious evidence it uncovered, which can be seen at the “Luigi a- Fantini” Archaeological Museum, indicates the contemporaneous presence of the two popu- lations. Museums Named after the pioneer of Bolognese Prehistoric research, the museum was created after the discovery in 1978 of the Monte Bibele Etruscan-Celtic village. It offers visitors a clear picture of the ancient inhabitation and its complex of sepulchres, through numerous relics, with illustrative panels, photographs, drawings, maps, plans, reconstructions of the original appearance and how to use some of the tools: the vertical frame, hoes and sickles. THE “LUIGI FANTINI” ARCHAEOLOGICAL Rebuilding of a Celtic mut with original objects MUSEUM Photo by Provincia di Bologna - Vanes Cavazza Via del Museo, 2 - 40050 Monterenzio (BO) , tel. 051.929766 - Fax 051.929766 History and Culture e [email protected] The Celts o Opening times: in summer (April-Septem- Migrating from the north in the 4th century k ber), Tuesday-Friday 9am-1pm; Saturday, BC, the Celts settled in Gallia Cisalpina, a - Sunday and public holidays 9am-1pm and region between the Alps and Apennines. s 3-6pm; in winter (October-March), Satur- Among the numerous tribes to come down , day, Sunday and public holidays 9am-1pm into Italy, the Gauls Boi settled in the . and 3-6pm, weekdays subject to prior Bolognese area, from which it is said the d booking. Tickets: € 3.00; free entrance on name Bologna derives. After more than - the first Sunday of the month. 2000 years, traces of their presence can still s be found, not only in museums and archa- a eological sites, but also in many aspects of a the local culture, starting with the language. s Contemporary Bolognese dialect, even though largely derived from Latin, still has a consistent Celtic element. Of similarly Celtic origins are practices such as pig-farming and the elaboration of pork, so important to the cooking of the territory. The peaceful co-existence and the ethnic and cultural mixing between Etruscans and Celts, confirmed by the finding of the villa- r ge on Monte Bibele, created a new civilisa- tion in the area, defined as “Etruscan-Celtic”.

Bronze mirror Photo by Provincia di Bologna - Vanes Cavazza 125 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 6

Then it was the turn of the Romans, who Still in the territory of Monterenzio, in the Sillaro created the copper mines of Bisano, active Valley, 15 kms from the Via Emilia, there is an up to modern times. Bisano is today a typical important spa-centre deep in the countryside. village of medieval origins, near which there is Casa Cella, a noble house which in the 15th Spas & wellness century belonged to Giacomo di Gottifredo, Health Spa and Aqua Park and which still conserves the original archi- Immersed in the calm of a large natural tectural characteristics. amphitheatre, the “Villaggio della Salute più” is an oasis of relaxation, sport, cultu- The strategic importance of the situation, re and wellness. With its thermal systems astride the two valleys, led it to be chosen for and numerous services for treatment and a castle in the Middle Ages, belonging to physical therapy, the centre, denominated Queen Matilde of Canossa, later devastated “Terme dell’Agriturismo”, is open all year. by Barbarossa’s troops. Even today there is still It looks over the valley and has spa pools a lot of evidence of the period. The most which can be both covered and open-air. notable can be found in the village of The adjoining summer complex of the Scaruglio, between Monterenzio vecchia and Aqua Park has 14 pools, each with diffe- Monterenzio nuova - an imposing 13th-century rent health and wellness properties. building called the “Torre”: it is worth noting Enriching the offer is Bimbolandia, the the original openings, a façade with three off- first spa park created specifically for chil- set portals, a slit and viewing-flap. dren, and the Oasis of Zello, where natu- Heading down towards the Idice, we come to rists can find the ideal environment for the village of Villa di Cassano, where there complete heliotherapy. Il V are two tower-houses connected by architra- Villaggio della Salute Più ves and portals decorated with an eight-poin- Via Sillaro, 6 - 40050 Monterenzio (BO) - Tel. H ted star. 051.929791 www.villaggiodellasalutepiu.it L I Sport and Active Tourism h The Traversata delle Cinque Valli Bolo- f gnesi (Crossing of the Five Bolognese m Valleys) winds along the Pliocene Foothills s (page 60) reaching the most interesting vil- h lages of the Bolognese mid-Apennines, a from Rocca di Badolo with its climbing face, v to Monte Adone with beautiful sandstone o towers, from Livergnano with its War m Museum, to Monte delle Formiche (page p 120). We close the crossing in Monterenzio, r Celt and Etruscan land. You can do this trek- t king on foot or cycling in two days. n Info: Sistema Turistico Valli Bolognesi g www.vallibolognesi.it a B Crossing of the Five Bolognese Valleys - Monte Adone Aqua Park of the Villaggio della Salute Più S Photo by Comunità Montana Cinque Valli Bolognesi Private archive A m i t d t

E F p C c C p

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l e - s d d . s . e - . e - - r Il Villaggio della Salute Più - Private archive

. History and Culture nist. In Monghidoro, in perfect working order La Via dei Mulini (Water Mill Route) and open to visits, there is the Mulino del In the Savena and Idice Valleys, water mills Mazzone from 1785, with its ample portico, have for centuries been the reference point and, on request, the Mulino di Ca’ di for the rural econo- Guglielmo from 1776. my. Some mills are In the territory of San still working, others Benedetto Val di have been restored Sambro, there is the and turned into pri- Molino di Federico, vate homes, while in perfect working of others there re- order and open to mains no more than visits, and two lovely place names. The mills near the Lake of river water drove Castel dell’Alpi. the heavy millsto- These are only a few nes, grinding the examples: many other grain, chestnuts and even walnuts, extracting mills are dotted along the rivers which flow an oil used both for food and lighting. through these valleys. Various initiatives have Between Monzuno and Monghidoro, in the grown up around them, including gastrono- Più Savena Valley, a spectacular path leads to the mical ones, which lead visitors on a journey ve Allocco Mill, perhaps the best known and of rediscovery. most representative of the whole area, built in the 19th century on a pre-existing 16th-cen- Info: Tuttoservizi s.p.a. tury structure. Also interesting is the Mulino Via Matteotti, 1 - 40063 Monghidoro (BO) della Valle, where Melchiade Benni alterna- Tel. 051.6555132 - Fax 051.6552268 ted his work as a miller with the art of violi- [email protected]

Events Bisano Flower Fair, general market and sale of Bisano Festival, market, gastronomic stalls, plants and flowers: April musical shows: end of July Celtic Festival, Festival of Celtic culture and customs with dancing and food: September MARKET DAY: Sunday Chestnut Fair, Sale of chestnuts and polenta: October

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Th Monzuno un an (p an ha se di Monzuno is a small centre in the Apennines, Along this trail, not far from Monzuno, there is to whose name refers to Juno (Mons Junonis) and Monte Venere, a 996-metre summit softened by th to the sacred aspect of the site since ancient woods and pastureland, on which it is said there of times. At the end of the 15th century, the terri- used to be a temple dedicated to the Goddess se tory of Monzuno came into the possession of of love. The Hospice, about a kilometre from an Giovanni II Bentivoglio, Lord of Bologna. Monzuno, however, was built around the year ce The present inhabitation is modern, but the 1000 to offer hospitality to pilgrims bound for gi Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, resto- Rome. In the period around the Second World of red in 1891, has a surprising Baroque interior. War, Nino Bertocchi, an important Bolognese tu painter and art critic, stayed here. Since then, tu The greatest value of Monzuno is that it overlo- Monzuno has become the destination of nume- (p oks a stunning valley, rich in natural and histori- rous other artists, such as Giacomelli and Manzù. Ca cal beauty, enhanced by Trekking Bologna- tu Florence and by the re-discovery of the Via Sport and Active Tourism m degli Dei (Route of the Gods) (page 131), the medieval pilgrims’ route, also called the “Via dello Stale” which linked Bologna to Florence. History and Culture The County of Bentivoglio “100 bushels of wheat, 10 pairs of capons, 10 goats, 10 chickens and an ample collec- Trekking from Bologna to Florence G tion of cheeses: this was the annual rent Over the centuries, various roads have pas- M for the territory of Monzuno in 1471. At sed over the mountain range, among which a that time the village, togheter with the Flaminia Minore, the Via Cassìola, the Via V Scascoli and Ripoli, sold or donated its Francesca della Sambuca, the Via dello Stale T farm produce to the Lord of Bologna, or Via degli Dei and the Via Montanara. In i Giovanni Bentivoglio, in return for the any case, at the centre of these routes were w right to permanent settlement on the the two great world-famous cities of i land. This agreement exempted the villa- Bologna and Florence. Based on historic rou- I ges from other taxes to the city of tes, there is the trekking itinerary from t Bologna. Justice was administered by Bologna to Florence, well sign-posted and a emissaries appointed by Bentivoglio.” divided into 7 sections which can be follo- f Renzo Renzi wed by bicycle, on foot or on horseback. F From the ancient roads to new trails betwe- w en the two ancient cities on opposite sides b of the Apennines, this is a new proposal for t tourism which respects the environment, s allowing genuine contact with nature and an m understanding of the cultural and gastrono- n mic aspects of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. i The “Bologna-Florence” trail is illustrated by g the guide “Voyage in Italy - Trekking in the o footsteps of De Montaigne and Goethe S across the Alps (via Spluga) and Apennines T (Bologna-Florence)” and is accompanied by b tourist packages. t Info and bookings: Tuttoservizi s.p.a. q Via Matteotti, 1 - 40063 Monghidoro (BO) t Tel. 051.6555132 - Fax 051.6552268 [email protected] Giovanni II Bentivoglio www.vallibolognesi.it Photo by Provincia di Bologna 128 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 9

The most interesting site in the area is In Brento, there is the Grotta delle Fate (Cave of undoubtedly Montorio, the seat of an the Fairies), a tectonic cave which owes its name ancient, vast ecclesiastical district. The Pieve to legends which tell of treasures and myste- (parish) of Montorio, dedicated to San Pietro rious apparitions of ethereal feminine figures and containing notable sacred ornaments, suspended in the void over the Savena valley- had a good 42 parish churches and was bottom below the mountain summit. An expla- second only to that of Monteveglio. A short nation may lie in the strong currents of air inside distance from the town, there is an imposing the cave, which in certain atmospheric condi- is tower, the Torre di Montorio, dominating tions led to the expulsion of clouds of vapour. by the Setta and Sambro Valleys from the peak re of a rocky crag. The original building, altered Sport and Active Tourism ss several times, dates back to the 12th century The “Molino del Pero” Golf Club m and is next to a second building from the 16th Via Molino del Pero, 323 - 40036 Monzuno (BO) ar century. The tower still has traces of the ori- Tel. 051.770506 - [email protected] or ginal Guelph battlements with the addition www.molinodelpero.it ld of Ghibelline battlements from the 19th cen- Created in 1991, it proposes a highly techni- se tury. In the Tower, in the early of the 14th cen- cal course, extremely enjoyable even for n, tury, the Count Mostarda da Panico lived the most expert. The ascent to the first e- (page 63). Also near Montorio, there is the holes, rising steeply from the Savena Valley, zù. Castello d’Elle, dating back to the 14th cen- has often been mentioned in international tury, and the 18th-century Oratory of San Ma- magazines as “The stairway to heaven”. molo. Technical Data: 18 holes, 300 mts a.s.l.

Gastronomy and Wine - MONTAGNAMICA h and THE ROUTE OF THE BREAD a Via Casaglia, 4 - 40036 Monzuno (BO) e Tel. 051.6773328 - Fax 051.6770144 n [email protected] Mountain Bread - Photo by Diateca Agricoltura e www.montagnamica.it della Regione Emilia-Romagna - Fabrizio Dell’Aquila f [email protected] - In the Bolognese Apennines, you can find Remarkable is also borgo Polverara, that m the products of the “MontagnAmica bre- shows two 16th century fortified buldings. Part d adbasket”: meat, salami, cheese, forest of the Monzuno territory, it is included in the - fruit, honey, wine and baking produce. Regional Historical Park of Monte Sole . Fragrant from the oven and smelling of (page 64). - wood smoke, the tasty local mountain s bread, with its high quality and its tradi- Events r tional and cultural value, has become Village Festival: April , symbolic of the typical flavours of these MontagnaAperta (Open Mountains): n mountain lands. This bread is the protago- country festival based on bread and typical - nist of a tourist-cultural-gastronomical products from the Bolognese Apennines. y. itinerary - The Bread Route of the Bolo- Various events and entertainment, open- y gnese Mountains - covering the territory air sport, folk music and traditional dan- e of the Bolognese Valleys of the Idice, cing, June e Savena and Setta. Festival of San Luigi: August s The basic idea is to recover and valorise Festival of Monte Venere: August y biological cereal-farming, so common in Chestnut Festival: October the Bolognese Apennine area, through the Tartufesta (Truffle Festival): October and qualification of the entire process, from November the field to the table. MARKET DAY: Wednesday in Vado

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Ha San Benedetto Val di Sambro Sa po ch ch at pe sin Taking its name from an ancient Benedictine In Ripoli, it is worth having a look at the di abbey, San Benedetto Val di Sambro comes Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine di Serra from the fusion of two important communi- (1616), in a panoramic position at the con- A ties held by the noble families of the de’ fluence of the Brasimone and Setta Valleys. ac Bianchi, the Counts of Piano, and Rossi di ni San Secondo, feudal lords of Poggio. Not far from there is the railway station of Fo San Benedetto Val di Sambro, whose name is ve Nature is the main attraction of the area, from impressed in the Italian memory for the two Sa the woods of Val Serena and Pian di Balestra tragic terrorist attacks which took place N to the notable Lake of Castel dell’Alpi, 7 kms there in 1974 on the Italicus train and ten of from the town. The lake is an ideal spot for a years later on the Rapido 904 train: in total 27 M trip: originating in 1951 from a landslide which dead and about 150 wounded. In the station, fa blocked the course of the Savena, its banks there is the monument to the Italicus by the w are today used for fishing, sunbathing and sculptor Walter Veronesi, and a commemo- is having picnics. It is also possible to visit two rative plaque in memory of the victims. on ancient mills, each with a grindstone and pr large barrels to collect the river water coming History and Culture re down from Monte Oggioli. The “Direttissima” and the “Great Tunnel th of the Apennines” Science and Technique The “Direttissima” can be defined as the first Fr The Monte Galletto Wind-Power Park high-speed rail link between Bologna and 16 In 1998, in the territory of San Benedetto Florence. Planned at the turn of the 20th cen- sla Val di Sembro, the first wind-power park in tury, it was at the time a highly advanced an Northern Italy was set up. The turbines of piece of engineering work. In fact, creating Bo the Monte Galletto Wind-Power Park the new line meant excavating the longest produce clean energy and contribute signi- tunnel in Italy, the “Great Tunnel of the ficantly to the regional energy require- Apennines”: 18.5 kilometres in a straight line. ments. To discover the secrets of this new Work started in 1920 and on the 22nd April clean energy production system and for 1934, the first trains ran along the stretch. guided visits to the Park, contact the IAT Bologna and Florence had never been so (Tourist Office) of Monghidoro. close. The cost in human lives for the construction of the “Direttissima” was heavy: 97 workers, of which 65 just for the creation of But the territory’s history is also of great arti- the Great Tunnel. stic value.

We can start in the centre of Pian del Voglio, with its pretty, ancient village centre and Palazzo Comitale with a 15th-century tower, which belonged to the Counts of de’ Bianchi, and where there are still beautiful panelled ceilings and a late-16th-century fireplace. In the chapel adjoining the tower, it is worth noting the tombstone of the de’ Bianchi, dated 1526. The building hosted the Medici during their exile from Florence and was the residence of Cardinal Lambertini, later to become Pope Benedict XIV. In Mon- teacuto Vallese, the Palazzo di Poggio Su- Monte Galletto wind-power Park vizzano is a majestic 16th-century building Photo by Comune di San Benedetto Val di Sambro with the coat-of-arms of the Counts of de’ Bianchi on an architrave, dated 1525.

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Halfway down the left-hand side of the Sport and Active Tourism Sambro Valley, S. Andrea stands directly op- The Via degli Dei, (Route of the Gods), a posite San Benedetto, which can also be rea- trail which goes from Bàdolo and Bologna ched on foot along a steep path. In the to Fiesole and Florence in four sections, church, there is a painting, the Visitazione, crosses the central valleys of the Bolognese attributed to Guido Reni. The climb to the Apennines as far as the Futa Pass. The route peak of Monte Armato is worth the effort, passes Monte Adone, Monzuno, Monte since there is a wide view over the surroun- Venere and Madonna dei Fornelli (San he ding valleys. Benedetto Val di Sambro). From the names ra of these mounts, the origins of the name of n- A crossroads for naturalistic outings and the route becomes clear, evoking sacred s. access to the Bologna-Florence trans-Apen- sites dating back to time immemorial. nine passes, the area of Madonna dei Evidence of this is an earthenware fragment of Fornelli owes its name to the “fornelli” (sto- found in the Setta Valley with an inscription is ves) of the charcoal-burners and to the dedicated to “Iuppiter Appenninus”, the wo Sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna della Apennine Jupiter of the Celts of Liguria. The ce Neve. Built in 1638 as an ex voto for the end Via degli Dei partially follows the ancient en of the Plague, also described by Alessandro Via dello Stale, in use since the Middle ages, 27 Manzoni in Promessi Sposi, the apse and whose name comes from a linguistic tran- n, façade of the Sanctuary were restored bet- sformation of “Ospedale”, referring to the he ween the 19th and 20th centuries. Inside there Benedictine Hospice of San Salvatore which o- is a notable portrait of the Madonna in oil was built here to offer shelter to travellers. on copper. Every year, the icon is carried in a Along the path it is possible to tread the procession to Castel dell’Alpi, where it ancient street remains of the Flaminia mili- remains for eight days before returning to tare, built by Romans in the 2nd century BC. l the Sanctuary on the day of the Ascension. The best conserved ones are near the summit of Monte Bastione (1190 mts a.s.l), adjoi- t From Madonna dei Fornelli, we reach the ning the quarry where the stone was won to d 16th-century village of Qualto, near which pave this arduous piece of route, unpaved in - slabs of local sandstone, the remains of an the remaining part. The trekking is marked d ancient road on Monte Bastione between out by the VD trail sign and also by the g Bologna and Fiesole came to light. famous “dau bal zali” (two yellow balls), t which represent the first trail marker of this e exciting crossing. . l . Remarkable is also the village named Cà o Musolesi, where there are 15th- and 16th -cen- - tury architectonic elements and a building, 7 in the past tower-house. f Events Tartufesta (Truffle Festival): October and November San Benedetto VS. Fair: end of August

MARKET DAY: Saturday

Qualto Photo by Comune di San Benedetto Val di Sambro

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H S Castiglione dei Pepoli T i t t l w We are now in the territory of Castiglione dei Culture and Famous Names s Pepoli, rich in chestnut and fir tree woods. Leo Nucci B The area, on the limits of the Regional Park of A world-famous baritone, Leo Nucci was S the Lakes, has the typical mountain beauty, born in Castiglione dei Pepoli in 1942 into a d situated among different summits, all slightly typical Emilian family of the time, in which b over 1,000 metres above sea level. everyone sang a little. His father in particu- h lar sang in a choir and played in the town p The ancient name being “Castiglione dei band, which Leo joined at nine years of age. P Gatti”, from the Lombard “gaita” meaning Also typical of Emilia is the technique he b mount, the town was part of the vast posses- jokingly said had created and maintained his c sions of Queen Matilde of Canossa. It was extraordinary breathing: his passion for t the dominion of the Counts of the Alberti cycling! In 1977, he made his debut at the p family and then the feud of the Pepoli fami- Scala in Milan as Figaro in The Barber of c ly, who held it for over four centuries. In the Seville, which together with Rigoletto, a f 18th century, it even had the right to make role he interpreted about 400 times, beca- coins. me his tour-de-force. Since then he has performed regularly in the most important Ca Particularly fascinating, and in some ways theatres around the world and has recorded Br unique in the Apennines, is the architectural over thirty complete operas with conduc- its complex of the main square, in particular the tors such as Herbert von Karajan, Riccardo th imposing form of the 15th-century Palazzo Muti and Claudio Abbado. He has also de Comunale (Town Hall). Designed by the made two films of opera, including a architect Marchesino di Cento, a guest in 1473 Macbeth presented at the Cannes Festival of the Pepoli family, the building was the seat in 1987. Nominated a UNICEF “Goodwill of the local government and so included a Ambassador” for Italy in July 2000 and an jail, commissioner’s residence and the Pepoli international opera star, Leo Nucci has family quarters. Enlarged in the 17th century maintained strong links with his birthplace, with the building of the so-called “Palazzina”, sometimes performing in the events which it still today has the frescoes which have enliven this tourist location. embellished the interiors over the centuries.

Art-lovers should not miss the 17th-century Near Castiglione dei Pepoli, it is worth visi- Church of the Madonna della Consolazio- ting the ancient 17th-century villages of ne, with important works by the Bolognese Canova with its Oratory dedicated to San School, and the Church of San Lorenzo, built Giusto, Linari with its Oratory built in 1641, in about 1576 as the Oratory of the Com- and Rasora with its Oratory of 18th-century pagnia della Misericordia. origins, enlarged in the 19th century with the construction of a bell tower and a small sacristy. S T In Monte Baducco, a small village on the r peak of a mount overlooking Castiglione dei B Pepoli, there are splendid views of the val- T leys below. c t A few kilometres from Baragazza, there is S one of the most beautiful places of worship A in the Bolognese Apennines: the Sanctuary p of Boccadirio, the destination of incessant i pilgrimages from all over Italy. This 16th-cen- a tury building is in an enchanting position k Chestnut wood amidst green forests, at the confluence of i Photo by Comune di Castiglione dei Pepoli two rivers at the foot of Mount Tavianella. 132 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 33

History and Culture Nature Sanctuary of the Madonna of Boccadirio The Lake of Santa Maria The Sanctuary of the Madonna of Boccadirio From the centre of Castiglione, turning to- is on the site where the Madonna appeared wards the cemetery (where the Old Church to two young shepherds from Baragazza on is worth a visit), the road descends to the val- the16th July 1480. The original small temple, ley-bottom and reaches the electrical power later enlarged at the end of the 16th century, station of Santa Maria. Built in 1911 and de- was substituted in the 18th century by the pre- stroyed in the Second World War, the sta- sent building, the work of the famous tion was then rebuilt using local stone, giving Bolognese architect Angelo Venturoli. The it a certain environmental value. The nearby s Sanctuary does not have a bell tower, as tra- Lake of Santa Maria is very interesting, crea- a dition recounts that it has never been possi- ted by the construction of a dam in 1917. The h ble to make the bells since, every time they basin feeds the power station of Le Piane, - have been cast, they have immediately disap- near Lagora, and takes its name from the n peared. Legend apart, the façade is by ancient Church of Santa Maria di Spina- e. Puccetti, while the portico of the sacristy has lacqua, no longer existent. e been attributed to Dotti, creator of the porti- s co of San Luca in Bologna. The interior, with r three naves and three altars at their ends, has e paintings and bas-reliefs. An object of parti- f cular worship is the Madonna delle Grazie, in a fine glazed terracotta by Andrea Della Robbia. - - t Castiglione is also a land of water: the Setta, d Brasimone and Gabellato Rivers run through - its territory, while the Lake of Santa Maria, in o the Regional Park of the Lakes (page 73), is o definitely worth an excursion. a l l n s e, Lake of Santa Maria h Photo by Comune di Castiglione dei Pepoli

Near Castiglione is the South African Ce- metery, which contains 502 tombs of Com- si- monwealth soldiers, for the most part South of Africans: the 6th South African Armoured an Division entered Castiglione at the end of 41, September 1944 and it remained on the out- ry Old Church skirts until the next April and final break- he Photo by Comune di Castiglione dei Pepoli through of the Gothic Line (page 160). The a- cemetery is always open and has an access for Sport and Active Tourism disabled persons by a side entrance. The Via dei Santuari (Route of the Sanctua- he ries) is an excursion journey which leads from Events ei Bologna to Prato in 4/7 legs through the The Portaccia Market : July al- Tuscan-Emilian Apennine woods. Its name Mountain Festival: August comes from the 4 sanctuaries we meet along Baragazza Fair: August the way: from the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Tartufesta (Truffle Festival): October and is San Luca, on the Guardia hill in Bologna, to the November ip Abbey of Montepiano in the Tuscan territory, ry passing through the Sanctuary of Montovolo, Creda nt in the homonymous Provincial Park (page 69), Farmers’ Fair: May n- and the Sanctuary of Boccadirio. The full trek- Fair of San Giacomo: July on king follows about 150 kms of CAI paths and it of is distinguished by the VS trail marker. MARKET DAY: Wednesday . 133 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 3

Hi The Bolognese Valleys of the Idice, O Savena and Setta cr th na the hills and plains Re Malalbergo Ab th th ca pl we be re Baricella laz an Minerbio M Molinella w th lo at Th at ar Granarolo Bu dell’Emilia Budrio su ha na Ita Castenaso m se de ex San Lazzaro an di Savena kn ly Ozzano wo dell’Emilia M

Bu Tourist itinerary Th Our itinerary continues through Bo the plains of the Idice river, on ex a pleasant journey from the last w foothills along the Via Emilia to Al Not to be missed: the Regional Park of the Po sp The Regional Park of Bolognese Gypsums Delta. fe and the Abbadessa Gullies fo The Prehistoric Museum of San Lazzaro di Savena The Lands of the Idice an The Ocarinas of Budrio - San Lazzaro di Savena of The museums and historical centre of Budrio - Ozzano dell’Emilia th Bagnarola: the Bolognese Versailles - Castenaso pl The ancient borough of Minerbio and the Rocca Isolani complex ba The cycling route along the San Lazzaro di Savena chalk veins The Plainlands ill The cycle-path alongside the Navile Canal at Malalbergo - Budrio Bo The Castenaso Golf Club - Molinella te The valleys and nature reserves of Baricella, Malalbergo - Malalbergo O and Molinella - Baricella ric The Green Asparagus IGP of Altedo - Minerbio no The “Fuori Porta” Market - Granarolo dell’Emilia ste pi 134 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 35

History and Environment A product of the area’s ample blossom is the Our journey to discover the plains of the Idice Medical Herb Honey, which preserves the typi- crosses a highly varied landscape: starting in cal perfume of aromatic herbs. the hills to the south of the Via Emilia, domi- nated by gullies in the protection of the How to get here Regional Park of Bolognese Gypsums and the - The A14 Motorway: exit San Lazzaro Abbadessa Gullies, then moving on as far as di Savena. the valleys of the lower plains. On the nor- The A13 Motorway: exit Bologna-Interporto thern plains, the term “valley” is used to indi- and Altedo. cate what is left of the large wooded swam- - By road: pland which used to cover large areas of the SS 9 "Via Emilia" in the direction of Imola, western Bolognese plains. Today these have SS 253 “San Vitale” in the direction become environmentally-important nature of Ravenna, reserves: the most important are the “Val- SP 6 “Zenzalino”, SP 5 “San Donato”. lazza” in Molinella, “La Comune” in Malalbergo - By rail: Rimini-Ancona-Bologna-Portomag- and the “Cassa del Quadrone” in Buda di giore: stations in Ozzano dell’Emilia, Caste- Medicina, in the territory of Imola. The waters, naso, Budrio, Mezzolara, Guarda, Molinella. which we have followed from their springs in - By bus ATC www.atc.bo.it. the greenery of the Apennines, seem to get lost in these so-called “valleys”, despite Man’s Events attempts to control them. Organi antichi offers a not-to-be-missed The charm of these lands lies in this mellow chance to hear a heritage which is unique atmosphere, which often surrounds genuine in the world: 330 antique organs preserved artistic jewels, such as the historical centre of in churches throughout the Province of Budrio. However, the whole territory holds Bologna. 110 of these original instruments surprises, thanks to its ancient history: we just are kept in the territory of the plains. have to think that one of its towns takes its Important international artists have "tou- name from one of first civilisations on the ched" these precious instruments, placing Italian mainland - the Villanovian culture. In the events among the most appreciated in more recent times, these plains have witnes- Italy. www.organiantichi.org sed the extraordinary spread of country residences for the Bolognese nobility, superb examples of which can be found in Minerbio Orizzonti di Pianura (Plain Horizons) and in the complex of Bagnarola di Budrio, Orizzonti di Pianura was set up in 2006 by known as the “Bolognese Versailles”. And final- the Province of Bologna to promote tou- ly in the 20th century, the important battles for rism in the Bolognese plains. The Local workers’ rights found expression in the case of Councils of Baricella, Budrio, Bentivoglio, Molinella’s agricultural workers. Minerbio, Malalbergo, San Giorgio di Piano, San Pietro in Casale and Molinella are invol- Buon appetito ved in a project to promote the plains’ par- This area’s cuisine is similar to classic ticular artistic, historical and natural values h Bolognese cooking, making use of some through itineraries which can be follo- n excellent local produce, first among wed either individually or in guided t which is the Green Asparagus of tours. www.orizzontidipianura.it. o Altedo (IGP - a protected species o specific to the zone), central to a festival and to the constant search Gastronomy and Wine for new dishes combining innovation The “Fuori Porta” Market and tradition. Then there are the DOP Potatoes This market was set up to give just value to of Bologna, whose special qualities come from the agro-alimentary production of the the rich soil of the reclaimed lands of the Idice “Plain Lands”: a journey which unites the plains. Budrio is the local capital and as far Local Councils of the Association, opening back as the 18th century, a gastronomic tract up farms and offering their produce illustrated the unusual use of potatoes in through direct sale to the public, and the Bolognese cooking of the time: in bread, frit- chance to stay and even study on farms, as ters, and even in cream-puffs and tagliatelle. well as presenting historical, cultural and Other typical elements of the territory are the natural elements of the territory. The circuit rice of Molinella and, in common with all the can be easily recognised by its rainbow northern lowlands, a passion for frogs, fried or logo. Information can be obtained from the stewed, and dishes based on local fish such as local Tourist Offices. pike, catfish and sturgeon. 135 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 36

Tourist Information Baricella - URP Friday and Saturday 8.30-12.30am Via Roma, 76 - 40052 Baricella (BO) Thursday 8.30am-5.45pm Tel. 051.6622423/4 - [email protected] Opening times: Minerbio - URP Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am-1pm Via Garibaldi, 44 - 40061 Minerbio (BO) Tuesday and Thursday 8am-1pm/3-6pm Tel. 051.6611780 - [email protected] Saturday 8-12.30am Opening times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Sa Budrio - URP and Friday 8.30am-1pm 12 P.zza Filopanti, 11 - 40054 Budrio (BO) Thursday 8am-1pm / 2-6pm fo Tel. 051.6928210 - [email protected] Saturday 8.30-12am La Opening times: Bo Monday and Wednesday 8am-6.30pm Molinella - URP w Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8am-1pm P.zza A. Martoni, 1 - 40062 Molinella (BO) ca Saturday 8-12am Tel. 051.69068333/8002157 [email protected] In Castenaso - URP Opening times: it P.zza Bassi, 1 - 40055 Castenaso (BO) Monday and Thursday 8am-1pm / 3-6pm Ce Tel. 051.6059239 - [email protected] Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday pr Opening times: and Saturday 8am-1pm tu Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am-1pm th Tuesday and Thursday 8am-1pm/2-6pm Ozzano dell’Emilia - URP se Saturday 8-12am Via della Repubblica, 10 cu 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) Je Granarolo dell’Emilia - URP Tel. 051.791376/051.791377 Via San Donato, 199 [email protected] It 40057 Granarolo dell’Emilia (BO) Opening times: 19 Tel. 051.6004200/6004111 Monday (in winter) 8am-6.30pm to [email protected] Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8am-1pm Eu Opening times: Saturday 8-12am an Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8am-1.30pm Monday (in summer and at christmas) 8am-1pm w Thursday 8am-1pm/3-6pm sh Saturday 8.30-12am San Lazzaro di Savena - URP P.zza Bracci, 1 - 40068 San Lazzaro di Savena (BO) Th Malalbergo - URP Tel. 051.6228174 - [email protected] Pi P.zza dell’Unità d’Italia, 2 - 40051 Malalbergo (BO) Opening times: tio Tel. 051.6620210 - [email protected] Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, in Opening times: Friday and Saturday 8am-1pm Re Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 8am-6pm th ca “F Sp sp Eu w th ye gi Bu ca

Prehistoric Museum of San Lazzaro di Savena: Villanovian tomb - Photo by Provincia di Bologna - Vanes Cavazza 136 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 37

San Lazzaro di Savena

San Lazzaro di Savena first developed in the Nature 12th and 13th centuries around a leper hospital The Regional Park of Bolognese Gypsums founded by the Order of the Knights of San and the Abbadessa Gullies is a spectacu- Lazzaro, along the Via Emilia to the east of lar karst complex: visiting it is like walking Bologna. It was actually believed that the on the moon. Even today, in fact, the gyp- wind, blowing in that direction, would also sums create a unique countryside, full of carry diseases away. dolinas, closed valleys, vertical caves, and candle-erosion. A real labyrinth, conside- In the hills to the south of the county town, ring that this hilly area is thought to hide it is worth visiting the Abbey of Santa entrances to over a hundred caves, inclu- Cecilia della Croara. Of medieval origins, its ding the famous caves of the “Farneto” and present structure dates back to the 19th cen- “Spipola”. A mysterious place, redolent of tury, while the frescoed cloisters still have adventure and mystery, in which the fauna the 16th-century structure intact. It also hou- has also evolved to adapt to life in the dar- ses some very interesting painting, in parti- kness. Even the water has adapted to life cular a beautiful altar piece with the infant with the gypsums, carving complex under- Jesus attributed to Annibale Carracci. ground water-complexes. The most significant example is near the Croara: the It was here, in the summer of 1915, that the Acquafredda river disappears into an abyss 19-year-old Filippo De Pisis stayed, destined and comes back to light nearly three kilo- to become one of the major 20th-century metres further on, in a sort of second spring European painters, as well as being a poet along the River Savena. However, this is also and writer. During his short stay, De Pisis a park of great contrasts. Gentle, cultivated wrote most of the prose-poems later publi- slopes frame more rugged landscape, shed under the title Canti de la Croara. where nature is wild. Such a case can be seen at the chalk outcrops between Zena ) The hills between San Lazzaro, Ozzano and and Idice, with the enormous dolines called t Pianoro are of karst formation and of excep- “dell’Inferno” and “della Goibola”, and the tional environmental value, so much so that closed Ronzano Valley with its selenitic in the heart of these hills, there is the cliffs. The Park also preserves a zone of Regional Park of Bolognese Gypsums and spectacular, wild gullies known as the the Abbadessa Gullies. The Park is full of “Calanchi dell’Abbadessa”, formed of strati- caves, the most famous of which are the fied clay, the oldest rocks in the Bolognese “Farneto” and “Spipola”. The “Grotta della Apennines. Here you can also find notable Spipola”, discovered by the great Bolognese historical evidence, linked in particular to speleologist Luigi Fantini, is the largest the medieval period and the 16th and 17th European cave to have been dug in chalk, centuries. while the “Grotta del Farneto” is famous for the discovery of relics from six thousand Park Headquarters, Via Jussi n. 171 years ago, today preserved in the Archaeolo- 40068 S. Lazzaro di Savena (BO) gical Museums of San Lazzaro, Bologna and Tel. 051.6254811 Budrio. For information about visiting the caves, contact the Park. The Villa Torre Visitors’ Centre Via Tolara di Sopra, 99 - Settefonti Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) Tel. 051.6254821 [email protected] www.parcogessibolognesi.it

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In the territory of San Lazzaro, there are some beautiful Renaissance country villas, in particular, on the Via Emilia, Villa Cicogna. Built to a project by the Vignola in the second half of the 16th century by the Boncompagni family, it today hosts meetings and cultural events. Villa Bellaria is also 16th-century, situated on the road of the same name, property of the Furla society.

On a chalk outcrop, on the right of the River Idice, there is the ancient village of Castel de’ Villa Cicogna Britti: of the original castle belonging to Photo by Bologna Turismo Matilde of Canossa, there remains only the entrance arch in the square in front of the Sport and Active Tourism church, while nearby you cannot fail to noti- The Cycling Route on the Chalk Veins ce the neo-medieval form of Villa Malvezzi. In of San Lazzaro di Savena the same area, at No. 30 Via Idice, Villa Carefully planned routes allow cycling tou- L’Abbadia, previously the Abbey of San rists to discover the heart of this extraordi- Michele, is a centuries-old construction nary “green way” which comes down from which belonged to the Camaldolesi monks the source of the Idice and continues to the until 1090 and then to the Gaudenti friars in Po Delta. They are sinuous paths which the period of Dante, 1262-1586. Today it is a snake through the river zones and hills, pas- private residence. sing through highly varied landscapes which the more you know of them, the more you want to find out about their history and nature, and taste the cuisine. The guide to M the Cycling Route is on sale in the Tourist U Offices of the territory, where you can also P find out about bicycle hire. a www.montesolebikegroup.it t E g o H t t p A t T M V 4 t m O M n p m s T u

In The Park of Bolognese Gypsums and the Abbadessa Gullies fa Photo by Comune di Ozzano dell’Emilia tio fa

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- - m e h Prehistoric Museum - above, scene of hunting h right, hominid u Photo by Provincia di Bologna - Vanes Cavazza d o Museums t Using innovative exhibition methods, the o Prehistoric Museum illustrates the most ancient history of the eastern Bolognese territory. The reconstruction of Homo Erectus in the Ancestors’ Room and of the great animals of the last Ice Age (the Bison of the Steppes, the Megacero and the Cave- Hyena) present an extraordinary portrait of the life and environment of prehistoric times. This highly original journey into the past is completed with relics from the Iron Age, in memory of Giovanni Gozzadini and the discovery of the Villanovian culture. THE “LUIGI DONINI” PREHISTORIC MUSEUM Via Fratelli Canova, 49 40068 San Lazzaro di Savena (BO) tel. 051.465132 - Fax 051.465132 [email protected] Opening Times: in winter (1/10 to 31/5), Monday, Tuesday, Friday 9am-1pm; Wed- nesday, Thursday 9am-5pm; Saturday and Events public holidays 9am-1pm and 3-6pm; in sum- Verde San Lazzaro, a fair of nature and mer (1/6 to 30/9), Tuesday-Friday 5-7pm; biological agriculture: 1st Sunday of April saturday and public holidays 9am-1pm. Festival of San Lazzaro: August Tickets: full price € 4, reductions € 2, free to Festival of the Madonna della Cintura, at under-14-year-olds. the Farneto Parish Church: early September Flavours of the Apennines: 1st Sunday of November In San Lazzaro in early August, there is the es famous festival, the Fiera di San Lazzaro, men- MARKET DAY: Saturday lia tioned in a traditional Bolognese song, made famous in a version by Francesco Guccini.

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H Ozzano dell’Emilia T K A f G M s Continuing along the Via Emilia, we come to In the foothills above the area of Maggio, in t Ozzano: in ancient times this was the site of the borough of San Pietro, there is the t the Roman town of Claterna, whose name is lovely Torre (tower) which was once part of C still recalled by the nearby River Quaderna. the walls of a castle built in medieval times h to defend the Via Emilia. 200 metres from j Museums the nearby Church of San Pietro, it is worth e Claterna, the lost city noting the two 15th-century fountains, called t The territory of Ozzano hides some of the “Delle Armi” from the name of the Bo- h region’s most interesting archaeological lognese family who once had a palace here. n sites. Around the Via Emilia, halfway betwe- a en the two great centres of Bononia and In the area of San Cristoforo stands Palazzo t Forum Cornelii (Imola), in the Republican Galvani, the site of numerous electrical ex- b and Imperial periods, the Roman city of periments in the 18th century by the Bolo- P Claterna flourished. We are now in the area gnese scientist Luigi Galvani, carried out on e between the modern village of Maggio and the frogs he bred here. d the River Quaderna. Nothing of the Roman m settlement is left on the surface, but many Also of great interest is the small local church w relics of notable interest have been found dedicated to Sant’Andrea, containing the here, such as the beautiful pavement remains of the Blessed Lucia of Settefonti. mosaics. It is possible to visit the Roman This is the name of the historical character, In Town Museum of Claterna on request. Badessa (Mother Superior) Lucia, venerated of Same opening times of the public library. by the Order of the Camaldolesi as the de Free entrance. Tel: 051.790130 founder of the Order’s female branch, and [email protected] also recalled in the name of the Park of Al Bolognese Gypsums and the Abbadessa ni Fountain of San Pietro Gullies. co Photo by Comune di Ozzano dell’Emilia de gn to pr

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History and Culture him never to come back. Rolando left on a The legend of the love between the crusade to the Holy Lands, while Lucia, by Knight Rolando and the Abbadessa Lucia now extremely ill, died. In Palestine, the Around 1100, with Bologna involved in the knight was taken prisoner and locked up in a fierce struggle between the Guelphs and cell. One night, Lucia appeared to him in a Ghibellines, stories about the beauty of Lucia, dream and told him of her death. When he Mother Superior of the Camaldolese mona- woke up, Rolando found himself magically stery of Stifonti (Settefonti), soon reached free at his beloved’s tomb and so copious in the garrisons stationed in the territory. In par- were his tears that the seven fountains, dry he ticular, a soldier of fortune, the Bolognese since Lucia’s death, began gushing once more. of Count Diatagora Fava, known as Rolando, had At once, Lucia was venerated as a saint, es himself transferred to San Pietro di Ozzano although the Church only officially recogni- m just to know her. According to the legend, sed the miracle in 1508. After Lucia’s death, th every morning Rolando rode along the path the convent was moved first to S. Andrea di ed through the gullies leading to the convent of Ozzano, then in the mid-13th century, into S. o- his beloved. The church stood on the ridge Cristina della Fondazza in Bologna. Today the e. not far the Parish Church of Pastino (built fountains are dry and the original site of the around 1000 on the ruins of a temple dedica- Monastery of Stifonti is indicated by a small zo ted to the God Pan). Lucia soon found herself pillaster. Since 1573, Lucia’s body has been x- battling the turmoil his visits provoked. kept in the Church of S. Andrea, where there o- Prayers, vigils and penitence only served to are also the shackles from Rolando’s impri- on endanger her health. When finally Lucia deci- sonment. Since the Middle Ages, the narrow ded to meet Rolando, they confessed their gully which the young knight followed every mutual love for each other, but she did not day to see his beloved has been known as the ch want to betray her vows and pleaded with Passo della Badessa. he ti. er, In Ciagnano, there is a truly spectacular view ed of the “calanchi” (gullies) of the Passo della Ba- he dessa. nd of Along the “Stradelli Guelfi”, quiet roads run- sa ning parallel to the Via Emilia which used to connect castles, churches and noble residences from Bologna all the way to Roma- gna, stands the neo-classical Villa Angelica, today the seat of the homonymous herbal produce Institute.

Not far away, there is the airstrip of the Aerdelta society, which explains the occasional circling over the plains of gliders and small planes. In this area, there is also the National Institute of Wild Fauna.

It is also worth noting the Church of Santa Tower of San Pietro Maria della Quaderna, a 16th-century buil- Photo by Comune di Ozzano dell’Emilia ding, containing a valuable nativity scene, Sant’Andrea the Natività del Somacchini. Photo by Provincia di Bologna

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In Ozzano, there is the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Bologna. An Museums Ca The National Institute of Wild Fauna The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine al The Institute holds a collection of about A collection of veterinary surgical instru- Vi 10,000 samples of birds and mammals: in ments from prior to the 19th century, of nota- Ce particular, series of birds of prey, aquatic ble historical interest, particularly fascinating birds and the Apennine Wolf, remains of for the care and precision with which they He birds now extinct in Italy and some particu- were created. There is also an interesting col- th larly rare species. Under construction, there lection of horseshoes, evidence of the extra- m is a informative section which reconstructs ordinary ability of the local blacksmiths. m some of the natural habitats of these plains. COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE SURGICAL pi THE MUSEUM OF THE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ta INSTITUTE OF WILD FAUNA Via Tolara di Sopra, 50 st Via Ca’ Fornacetta, 9 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) w 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) Tel. 051.2097988 - Fax 051.796892 Ca Tel. 051.6512219 - Fax 051.796628 [email protected] [email protected] Opening Times: by appointment. Free entrance. Ev Opening Times: by appointment from of Monday to Friday. Free entrance. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine lis The Museum displays over 3,000 specimens w The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of animal pathology. Founded by Giovan Bat- Th Created in 1882, an important collection of ana- tista Ercolani in 1863 with veterinary speci- ex tomical samples holds over 2,000 examples of mens from the Chamber of Comparative to domestic species, conserved using a “dry Anatomy. Genuine works of art are the mo- to method”. There are particularly interesting skele- dels in wax, clay and plaster, full-scale repro- te tons of horses posed in different gaits, mycolo- ductions of the damaged interior organs of tre gical and vascular specimens, numerous prepa- domestic animals and of animal monstrosi- ba rations of the nervous system, together with ties. im plaster and papier-maché anatomical models. THE ERCOLANI MUSEUM OF PATHOLOGI- Ad THE MUSEUM OF DOMESTIC CAL ANATOMY AND VETERINARY TERA- qu ANIMAL ANATOMY TOLOGY Via Tolara di Sopra, 50 Via Tolara di Sopra, 50 In 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) 40067 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) Ch Tel. 051.2097996 - Fax 051.792956 Tel. 051.2097000-2097966 - Fax 051.2097967 da [email protected] [email protected] de Opening Times: by appointment. Opening Times: guided visits with prior tele- Ce Free entrance. phone booking. Free entrance. fin 19

Events Agriozzano: itinerant agricultural-based S Festival of the Badessa, street market events: every Friday in June T with music and various shows: May Tortellone Festival: July V Festival of the Centonara, antique fair T with evening shows, a hobby market and Mercatale g a demonstration of Parmesan-making: July Schioppi (rifles) Festival: September T San Giovanni - Festival of the Patron Saint: p 25th June MARKET DAY: Tuesday c l m r T e

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Castenaso

Church of Pilar Photo by Comune di Castenaso

An important centre on the Bolognese plains, Among the villas of the territory, it is worth Castenaso stands on the banks of the Idice, mentioning Villa Marana, once the property along the ancient Via Salaria (today Via San of Maestro Francesco Molinari-Pradelli. The - Vitale), connecting Bologna to the salt flats of villa has a 17th-century façade and houses the - Cervia. precious Molinari-Pradelli private art collec- g tion. y Here in the 2nd century BC, the Idice divided - the encampments of the two opposing ar- Culture and Famous Names - mies of the Gauls and the Romans. In com- Francesco Molinari-Pradelli mand of the latter was Consul Publio Sci- Born in Bologna in 1911, where he studied L pione, called Nasica, from whom Castenaso piano and composition, Molinari-Pradelli takes its name: originally it was called Ca- completed his studies in conducting in strum Nasicae, the encampment of Nasica, Rome in 1938. The following year, he made which then became Castelnaso and finally his debut in Bologna with “Elisir d’amore”, Castenaso. to great success, beginning an international career which led to performances in all the . Even more remote are the origins of the town most important theatres in the world and of Villanova, famous for its Iron Age necropo- recordings of various works, mostly from lis, the first discovery of the civilization which the repertoires of Verdi and Puccini, always s would consequently be named Villanovian. with exceptional musicians. A member of - The promoter of the first archaeological the Academy of Santa Cecilia, the Maestro - excavations was Count Giovanni Gozzadini, was also well-known as a keen art-collec- e to whom we owe the discovery of a good 179 tor. He died in Bologna in 1996. - tombs, rich in objects now conserved in the - territory’s archaeological museums. The cen- f tre of the digs was in Villa Gozzadini, dating Near the town stands the Church of the - back to the 16th century. Villanova is today an Madonna del Pilar, built on grounds belon- important commercial centre where the ging to the Collegio di Spagna. In the sanctua- - Adriatica Cooperative also has its legal head- ry’s magnificent baroque interior, there is the - quarters. miraculous image of the Virgin by G. B. Bolognini (1699). In this church, Gioacchino In Marano di Castenaso, there is the Parish Rossini celebrated his second marriage to the Church of San Giminiano, whose origins soprano Isabella Colbran in 1822. The couple 7 date back to the 12th century. Completely lived for about ten years in a villa next to the destroyed in the 16th century by the troops of church, and it was here that the Maestro - Cesare Borgia, called the Valentino, it was composed works such as “Semiramide” and finally rebuilt in neo-Romanesque style in “William Tell”. Of Villa Rossigni today there 1929, preserving the 16th-century bell-tower. remains only a particular well. Colbran is buried in the monumental cemetery of the Sport and Active Tourism Certosa in Bologna, in the company of other The Casalunga Golf Club great musicians, from Farinelli to Ottorino Via Cà Belfiore, 8 - 40055 Castenaso (BO) Respighi. Tel. 051.6050164 - Fax 051.6052186 [email protected] Events The Casalunga Golf Club is a simple, 9-hole Grape Festival, antique market and sale of plainland course, surrounded by lovely wine-making products: September countryside: the course winds around a Maranofest, beer festival: September lake, a paradise for numerous species of migratory birds. Inaugurated in 1993, it MARKET DAY: Wednesday requires precise, prudent technique. Technical data: 9 holes, 3010 m, par 36 + 3 executive holes - par 3., 30 mts a.s.l.

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M Budrio P V T T F m

Our itinerary continues through the “Plain- The “Consorziale” Theatre T lands” and starts in Budrio, home of the oca- The property since 1802 of the “Consorzio T rina and rich in monuments bearing witness dei Partecipanti” (a form of labourers’ coo- t to its ancient splendour. perative) of Budrio, from which its current (V name derives, the “Consorziale” was foun- P While there is still visible evidence of the ded in the 17th century as a private theatre c original Roman and Medieval plans, the in a bourgeois house, Casa Sgargi. Throu- C historical centre has a lovely 16-18th-century ghout the 19th century, it quite regularly (G appearance with its traditional porticoes. In presented shows, particularly in the pe- fact, it was in the years between the Renais- riods of carnival and the festival of San T sance and the Enlightenment that Budrio Lorenzo. During the First World War, it was A attained its greatest splendour, also econo- used as a military barracks and deposit for M mically, thanks to a new technique in hemp lime-flowers. From 1920 onwards, it was T production (page 101), which became exclusi- also used as a cinema and hosted rallies o ve exportation in many European countries. and assemblies: regular speakers here inclu- t ded Quirico Filopanti, Andrea Costa and s It was in these years of prosperity that many Aurelio Saffi. Built between 1924 and 1928, p of the most important buildings of the city the new theatre is bell-shaped, with two t were built, starting with Palazzo Boriani galleries supported by slender cast-iron 1 Dalla Noce, now the site of the Public Li- pillars, and a third central terrace. The so- V brary, which, together with the Theatre, the ber polychromatic and golden decorations, C Archaeological Museum and the “D. Inzaghi” in neo-Classical style, are the work of the f Art Gallery, is part of a unique cultural heri- painter Armando Aldrovandi. It was inaugu- a tage. rated on the 6th October 1928 with a per- O formance of “La Gioconda” by Ponchielli. a With the dissolution of the “Partecipanza” m in 1932, the theatre passed into the hands T of the local council. Still today it offers rich t seasons of prose works, ballets, opera and t concerts; in 2005, it hosted the Mozart r Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado. u f f

M M T m H R f ( e t t m t i Consorziale Theatre - Photo by Provincia di Bologna i t Gate and Avenue of a country villa Photo by Provincia di Bologna 144 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: 0 ag a 5

Museums There are many other sights to see, starting Palazzo della Partecipanza with the Church of San Lorenzo, restored in Via Mentana, 32 40054 Budrio (BO) the 18th century, with a 15th-century fresco and Tel. 051.801220 (Biblioteca) a 16-17th-century altar-piece. Opposite the Tel. 051.6928263 (Ufficio Cultura) church stands the 15th-century Torre Fax 051.6928289 dell’Orologio (Clock Tower). [email protected] Precious paintings can also be found in the THE “DOMENICO INZAGHI” ART GALLERY Church of San Domenico, founded in 1605 by o The Pinacoteca (Art Gallery) contains pain- the Brotherhood of SS. Rosario. - tings mostly from Emilia from 1300 to 1700 t (Vitale da Bologna, Dossi, Lavinia Fontana, The statue in the middle of the town square - Passerotti, Calvaert and others), a notable shows Budrio’s most famous son, Quirico e collection of prints (etchings by Dürer and Filopanti: patriot, politician, university lectu- - Carracci) and drawings by important artists rer, inventor and astronomer. y (Guercino, Bigari and Creti). - Culture and Famous Names n THE MUNICIPAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL Quirico Filopanti s AND PALAEO-ENVIRONMENTAL Giuseppe Barilli was born in Budrio in 1812. r MUSEUM His love of the Classics led him to change s The Museum contains the archaeological his name in 1837 to Quirico Filopanti. A mul- s objects discovered within the network of tifaceted character, often a genius, Filopanti - the Roman “centuriazione” (land-division is remembered for inventing time zones, d system), dating back to the Palaeolithic which he called “longitudinal days”, first 8, period (from three villages with a prevalen- presented in 1858 in London, where he was o tly agricultural-pastoral economy from the living in exile because of his support for the n 13th century BC), the Iron Age (from the Roman Republic of 1849. A lecturer of - Villanovian necropolis and settlement of Applied Mechanics at the University of s, Castenaso), and finally, the Roman period: Bologna, he was never appointed Professor e fragments of tableware and kitchen pottery, due to his refusal to swear allegiance to the - and large containers for cereal, oil and wine. crown. A Parliamentary Deputy for the - Opening Times: Sunday 3.30-6.30 pm and by Republican Party until 1892, Filopanti is also . appointment; the first Sunday of each recalled for his inspired, visionary genius, ” month 10-12.30am. which led him to invent instruments to s Tickets: full price € 3, combined ticket for relieve the load of workers (a steam- h the Archaeological and Palaeo-environmen- plough, aqueducts for land reclamation on d tal Museum and the Inzaghi Art Gallery, the plains, etc.), none of which were ever t reductions € 1.50 for 14-18-year-olds and built, however. He died in poverty in university students with student card, free Bologna in 1894. for under-14s and over-60s, combined ticket for the Museums of Budrio € 5,50.

Museums MUSEUM OF THE IDICE VALLEY Tel. 051.692 8306/8322 - fax 051.6928289 [email protected] Housed in an ex-school built in Neo- Renaissance style in 1922, the Museum focuses on the places and protagonists (both individually and collectively) of the epochal transformations in the territory of the Idice Valley. The Museum also holds temporary exhibitions dedicated to the main innovations of the 20th Century and to the relevant social and economic dynamics in the territory: from mass-communication, in particular the radio, to transport, from the moped to the scooter. Pinacoteca entrance Photo by Provincia di Bologna - Vanes Cavazza

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A visit to Budrio would not be complete M without buying an example of the musical tre instrument invented right here: the ocarina. Pr ch Museums ar The ocarina is a popular musical wind- re instrument in terracotta, made in various de dimensions, capable of playing concertos in Ocarina se various tonalities. It was invented by a nati- Photo by Provincia di Bologna - Vanes Cavazza (5t ve of Budrio, Giuseppe Donati, in 1853 and ch was very successful throughout the 19th Museums ac century, also internationally, so much so The Zanella-Pasqualini, Liliana Perani and Th that it was even produced in Paris and Cervellati-Menarini collections bring toge- a London. Concerts by early groups of ocari- ther over 1,200 objects collected in over ca na-players from Budrio were performed for twenty years of passionate research into th the Tsar and at the Moulin Rouge. Today the Italian and Asiatic animated theatre: proof Al ocarina is celebrated in a biennial festival of the important regional tradition, a rich G which brings together artists and fans from collection of marionettes, some of which no all over the world. are genuine works of art, Sicilian puppets The Ocarina Museum, the only one in the from the early 20th Century and an antique, In world, illustrates the evolution of this parti- highly rare Neapolitan puppet. Vi cular musical instrument, the construction PUPPET MUSEUM lu techniques and the traditional musical Via Garibaldi, 29 - 40054 Budrio (BO) In repertories, through numerous examples Tel. 051.8028263 (Biblioteca) is and a rich documentary, bibliographical and Tel. 051.6928263 (Ufficio Cultura) ric audio collection. Fax 051-6928289 flo THE MUSEUM OF THE OCARINA AND [email protected] bi TERRACOTTA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Opening Times: Sunday 3.30-6.30pm; the Via Garibaldi, 35 - 40054 Budrio (BO) first Sunday of each month also 10-12.30am. Fi Tel. 051.801220 (Biblioteca) From October to June, it can also be visited de Tel. 051.6928263 (Ufficio Cultura) by appointment. ot Fax 051.6928289 Tickets: full price € 2, reductions € 1.50 for se [email protected] 14-18-year-olds and university students with Opening Times: Sunday 3.30-6.30pm; the student card, free for under-14s and over- first Sunday of each month 10-12.30am. 60s, combined ticket for the Museums of Tickets: full price € 3, reductions € 1.50 Budrio € 5,50. for 14-18-year-olds and university students with student card, free for under-14s and over-60s, combined ticket for the Muse- ums of Budrio € 5,50.

Puppet Museum Photo by Provincia di Bologna

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Moving out of the town, 1 km from the cen- gnese aristocratic families between the 16th tre, we find the Church of SS. Gervasio and and 18th centuries as the site to build their Protasio, one of the most ancient parish superb country residences. “The true high- churches in the Bolognese area. The current light of all the society of the Bolognese vil- architectural style of the exterior is the las”, Bagnarola’s most sensational feature is result of 18th-century rebuilding, while evi- the Malvezzi-Campeggi complex, called the dence of its high-medieval origins can be “Bolognese Versailles”. Composed of the na seen in the Roman and Lombard epigraphs Aurelio and Floriano villas, it is in the form zza (5th-8th centuries) and above all in the “sunken of a horse-shoe with long, wide porticoes church”, of which only the apse is now where a great fair was held. Next to this, accessible. there is Palazzo Odorici, called Palazzo di d There is also a notable Carolingian cross and Sopra (Upper Palace), with a corresponding - a baptism font carved from a late-Roman villa to the north, the Palazzo di Sotto r capital, as well as works by the Gandolfi and (Lower Palace), a 16th-century villa which o the School of Guido Reni. Count Ferdinando Ranuzzi-Cospi rebuilt in f Also worth seeing are the frescoes by the the 18th century, giving it its present appea- h Guardassoni in the church in Vedrana, 5 kms rance, with a splendid three-arched loggia. h north-east of the county town. Aligned along its sides, there are two porti- s coed farm buildings. Two elegant, identical e, In the village of Mezzolara, the 18th-century church façades complete the scene: the first Villa Rusconi stands isolated in an ancient, is a real chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the luxurious park, rich in rare botanical species. Assumption, while the second hides a large Interesting from a naturalistic point of view underground larder. Villa Ranuzzi-Cospi is is also Valle Benni, once a reservoir for the today the seat of the re-born “Notturni” rice paddies, today a protected wetland for Literary Academy. The Bagnarola villas can flora and for the repopulation of migrant only be visited when there are special e- birds. vents. e . Finally, a gem which alone is worth a visit. “A Events d delightful place, more charming than any Carnival, in Budrio, Vedrana and Mezzolara. other”, the small area of Bagnarola was cho- Primaveranda, exhibitions, shows, markets r sen by some of the most prestigious Bolo- and sports games: April and May h AGRIBU, agricultural and food fair with a - health Market of natural and biological f produce: September and October Sport Festival: October International Ocarina Festival: biennial event (in the spring of odd-numbered years)

Mezzolara Onion Festival: end of September

MARKET DAY: Tuesday Bagnarola Villa - Photo by Regione Emilia-Romagna

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C Molinella G S c i t r o p D w t c s c t t I s L s E b o i M B

H T T t Tower of Santo Stefano s Molinella is a town that has always been con- Photo by Provincia di Bologna i tested by the land and water. Water here has S not only conditioned the geography, but also a the economy and culture. In fact, its name o comes from the many water-mills which o sprung up along the ancient River Idice, which v it seems were able to function both when the s water flowed down towards the Po at Primaro z and when it flowed upstream due to flooding. c a The agriculture of these lands is also based r around a cereal linked to water: rice. k Considered too stimulating and a carrier of w malaria, it was banned for centuries by the Cartography of the Renana reclamation w State of the Church and intensive cultivation Photo by Provincia di Bologna t only began after the introduction of hydrau- o lic systems in the 18-19th centuries. From a historical point of view, Molinella still 1 has some interesting traces of the warlike M These changes took on great importance in past of the plains. In the centre of the town, C Molinella with the arrival of the workers’ and the lovely Tower, the Torre di S. Stefano is all S socialist movements. It is the birthplace of that remains of the ancient castle built by the s Giuseppe Massarenti, who passed from the Bolognese to defend the border with Ferrara. S struggle for the trade unions to the creation Its present appearance is the result of rebuil- d of the first prime consumer, production and ding in 1404, after Alberto V d’Este, an ally of m workers’ cooperatives in the region. Gian Galeazzo Visconti, had destroyed it,

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Culture and Famous Names tics, Massarenti always preferred local action Giuseppe Massarenti in favour of the farm labourers and rice-wor- Sent to study at university in Bologna by his kers of Molinella. In 1896, he created the con- chemist uncle, Giuseppe Massarenti came sumer cooperative of Molinella, one of the into contact with some of first in Emilia Romagna, which the leading exponents of the in the following years, provi- radical socialist movement ded fundamental economic of Emilia and Romagna, in support for the striking agri- particular Andrea Costa. cultural workers. Discharged Defending the rights of the as Mayor and forced into exile weakest rural classes hit by in Switzerland and San the agricultural crisis and the Marino, he never gave up the capitalist change in the workers’ struggle, for which social relationships in the he became known as the countryside led him, in 1892, “apostle of cooperation”. to form the Molinella sec- After the First World War, tion of the newly-created once more elected Mayor of Italian Workers’ Party. In the Molinella, he became the same year, he founded the subject of attacks by the League of Resistance in the Fascists, forcing him to leave struggle of farm-labourers in these plains. his hometown again and move to Rome. Elected to the town council in 1895, he later There, he was arrested in 1926 and banished became a provincial deputy and the Mayor for over seven years. In 1937, he was arrested of Molinella, and contributedto the election once more and shut in a Roman psychiatric in Parliament of Bissolati, Podrecca and asylum. At the end of the Second World War, Modigliani, all from the constituency of he was finally able to return to Molinella, Budrio-Molinella. Rather than national poli- where he died in May 1950.

History and Culture along with the rest of the castle, in 1390. The “Mondine” Changed into a bell-tower in the mid-16th cen- The word “mondina” (rice-worker) brings tury, its original merlons have been replaced to mind a world full of work, passion and by a bizarre crowning surmounted by a small no songs, four-arched tower which acted as the belfry. na immortalized by the film by Giuseppe De A date to be remembered is that of the Battle Santis Riso Amaro, with Silvana Mangano of the Riccardina - the 25th July 1467, the first and Vittorio Gassman. The famous songs occasion of a massive employment of fire- of the mondine, called “cantoni”, were not arms. only cheerful songs, but also a form of vocal protest. In Molinella in 1883, the first Leaving the town, there are several areas strike of rice-workers in Italy was organi- worth visiting, such as Selva Malvezzi, a zed. From then on, this area was the epi- genuine 14th-century feudal complex belon- centre of large-scale, repeated industrial ging to the powerful noble Malvezzi family. action, which involved up to a thousand Although it was restructured in the 17th centu- rice-workers. These bitter, long-term stri- ry, the complex still has its original appearan- kes to reduce working hours ended in 1912 ce. The central 17th-century country house is with the introduction of an eight-hour particularly notable, with its large double-fli- working day. Another significant event in ghted staircase to allow separate access for the struggle happened during the period people and animals, and the Governor’s buil- of Fascism: from the 12th to the 20th June ding with its splendid façade enriched by a ill 1944 the rice-workers of Molinella, clock and bell. ke Medicina, Galliera, Bentivoglio, S.Pietro in n, Casale, Malabergo, Baricella, Minerbio and San Martino in Argine, mentioned in docu- all San Giovanni in Persiceto joined in the ments about river traffic dating back to befo- he strike called by the clandestine unions. re 1000, was sacked in 1390 by the troops of ra. Sixty years after the first strike, their Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Villa Ghisleri is worth il- demands were still a kilo of rice, a hot noting, a 15th-century villa whose present of meal at midday and a new bicycle tyre... appearance came from restructuring by it, Giuseppe Grabinski, an officer of Napoleon.

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In San Pietro Capofiume, there is one of the Now, some gastronomic curiosities. Here, in most important Centres of Meteorological the 18th century, the delicious cake “torta di Studies in North Italy. It was here that the tagliatelle” was created, while the local rice record temperature of 1985, the lowest ever is the main ingredient of the most classic in these plains, was recorded: -29°c. Not far Bolognese sweet: rice cake. Another typical away, in Alberino, in 1865 Severino Ferrari product of the zone is White Balsamico was born. A refined poet and literary acade- Vinegar, a variant of the more famous mic, he was a close friend of Pascoli and the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, obtained by favourite student of Carducci, who also combining wine vinegar and must from An wrote about him in his poetry. white Trebbiano grapes. M cie The wet zones, which still survive today as a Events de memory of the once-great “Padusa” (the Children’s Carnival: February and March th wild lands of the Po Valley), offer animal- Molinella Festival: June and July th lovers and birdwatchers a genuine paradise, Colli and Valli, cycling rally organised by th populated by thousands of aquatic birds. the Molinella Mountain Bike Club: October Ge

Nature San Pietro Capodifiume A The Vallazza is an 85-hectare area belon- Festival of San Pietro: June w ging to the “G. Massarenti” Cooperative, As on the road from Molinella to Selva Mal- San Martino in Argine ha vezzi. Inside a perimeter of poplars, a Festival of San Luigi: July st thick tangle of marsh reeds surround a ca vast body of water, full of floating water Marmorta lilies. It is an ideal habitat for frogs, turtles, Festival of San Vittore: early August G grass snakes and other reptiles. Coots, T grebes and various species of ducks often MARKET DAY: Thursday l nest here and it is not rare to come across t majestic herons. The old “maceri” (retting- c pits) for hemp are also a biological system History and Culture a of surprising richness, characterized by oaks, The Plantations of the Po Valley w willows, reed-thickets and wild flowers. Still visible in aerial photographs taken by a the Royal Air Force in 1944, the plantations p The Valle di Marmorta leads us into the of the Po Valley were a significant feature of I Regional Park of the Po Delta. Following the Bolognese countryside for centuries. d indications for Argenta, we reach the na- Using a system of mixed cultivation, long g tural reserve of the Argenta vallies, in the narrow camps of crops alternated with rows A territory of Ferrara. These wet zones of vines supported by trees used as stakes. v stretch over 1,600 hectares and include In ancient times, the stakes were arbustum s the flood-plains of Bassarone, Campotto gallicum, spread throughout the plains by C and Valle Santa, the remains of the enor- the Romans, who had learnt this plantation l mous areas created for the flooding of method from the Gauls, although it was g the Idice, Quaderna, Sillaro and Reno ri- already practiced by the Etruscans. In n vers. modern times, this system proved particu- B larly adaptable to the requirements of sha- G recropping agriculture, since apart from the S specialized industrial cultivation, (hemp and a silk), the land had to supply each farm with enough produce to sustain the large families farming there. The stakes at the time were elms and maples, as well as willows and mulberries - the typical trees of the plains.

For lovers of skydiving, Molinella has the largest parachuting centre in Italy, which also Rare example of “vite maritata” has courses and a hire-service of ultralight Photo by Comune di Minerbo - Elisa Busato planes and gliders.

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in di Malalbergo ce ic al co us by m An ancient river port on the Navile Canal, The Green Asparagus of Altedo is protected Malalbergo no longer has many of the an- by a European trademark, but the tortellino cient buildings, most of them having been is the venerated lord of Bolognese cooking destroyed during the last world war. Among and Malalbergo becomes its ambassador on the exceptions are Palazzo Marescalchi, now occasion of the Tortellino Festival in June. the Public Library, and the Casermone, once the seat of the customs house and then of the Gastronomy and Wine r Gendarmerie, now substantially restructured. The Tortellino of Bologna The most classic and imitated of the pasta A 14-kilometre cycle-track links Malalbergo dishes in the Bolognese gastronomical tra- with Altedo, the world capital of the Green dition is without doubt the tortellino. Asparagus. In May, this area becomes the Invented by the chef of Antipope Ales- haunt of cuisine-artists and a workshop for ta- sandro V, the “navel of Venus” is made with ste engineers, the stars of the festival dedi- delicate sheets of egg pasta rolled out by cated to the asparagus. hand, then closed around a filling of pork loin, ham, genuine mortadella of Bologna, Gastronomy and Wine egg and nutmeg, according to the recipe The Green Asparagus of Altedo has a registered at the Chamber of Commerce long, consolidated tradition dating back to on the 7th December 1974 by the Bologne- the 1920s. After the Second World War, the se delegation of the Italian Academy of cultivation of asparagus began to spread Cooking, together with the Export Bro- and important cooperatives in the territory therhood of the Tortellino. Another sign of were created to concentrate on production how seriously eating is taken in these parts. y and commercialization of this particular Tradition then dictates that the tortellini s product, leading to the award in 2003 of the are rigorously cooked and served in meat f IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) tra- stock. Should one wish to contravene this demark. The Green Asparagus of Altedo is tradition, one should at least respect it for g grown in the areas of Anzola dell’Emilia, the cooking in stock. However, this is not a s Argelato, Bologna, Budrio, Baricella, Benti- risk when eating in the “trattorie” (traditio- . voglio, Calderara di Reno, Crevalcore, Ca- nal restaurants) of the province. m stello d’Argile, Castenaso, Castel Maggiore, y Castel San Pietro, Castel Guelfo, Dozza, Gal- n liera, Granarolo dell’Emilia, Imola, Malalber- s go, Medicina, Minerbio, Molinella, Morda- n no, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Pieve di Cento, Sala - Bolognese, San Giovanni in Persiceto, San - Giorgio di Piano, San Pietro in Casale, e Sant’Agata Bolognese, San Lazzaro di Savena d and in parts of the Province of Ferrara. h s e d

r- Tortellini of Bologna so Photo by Diateca Agricoltura della Regione Emilia-Romagna ht - Fabrizio Dell’Aquila

IGP Green Asparagus of Altedo Photo by Diateca Agricoltura della Regione Emilia-Romagna - Luigi Riccioni 151 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: ag a 5

Riolo Canal Photo by Comune di Malalbergo - Tiziana Bertacci Nature La Comune and La Valle Nature Reserves Nature-lovers should take note of the wet The countryside here is very similar to that zones of two estates, La Comune and La of the woods of the ancient plains of the Valle, nesting grounds for various species of Po Valley. Small swamps, of various depths, aquatic birds such as herons, stilt-plovers full of reed-beds, alternate with strips of and black storks. Here, in a profusion of hy- dry land with poplars, willows, elms and drophilous woods, you can once more admi- English oaks. Moreover, in the pond behind re plants and animals whose disappearance the guard’s house on the estate of La coincided with that of the old valleys, linked Comune, there are lotus flowers, a rare to the cultivation of rice and a marsh herb example in the Bolognese territory. Herons locally called “erba sala”, from which a mate- nest among these reeds and trees. There rial is obtained, commonly used in local are numerous “inhabitants” in these lands: craftwork to bottom chairs or cover flasks. among the many species of birds, you can find wild ducks, garganeys, kingfishers, egrets, stilt-plovers, storks, owls and marsh harriers. In recent years there has also been a very welcome return: spoonbills, similar to storks but with particular bills, which had Th been missing for over thirty years. For seve- da ral days a year, La Comune also hosts a Its black stork which stops here to rest and in feed during its migration. The Malalbergo th Town Council organizes a series of guided a visits, allowing nature-lovers to observe, te understand and appreciate these wet zones. It Via Tombe S. Photo by Comune di Malalbergo - Tiziana Bertacci ba Events va Tortellino Festival: first two weekends of be June ca Birra sotto le stelle (Beer Festival): late ca June - early July Evenings on the Navile Canal: first two At weekends of September to di Altedo tio Festival of the green Asparagus of w Altedo: May (3rd and 4th weeks) (w 19 MARKET DAY: Saturday in Malalbergo and tio La Valle Altedo Photo by Comune di Malalbergo - Tiziana Bertacci

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Baricella

s t e , f d d a e s e : n , h n r Gandazzolo Sluice d The earliest documents referring to Baricella Photo by Comune di Baricella - Mario Fizzoni - date back to the first half of the 15th century. a Its name comes from the “bargelli”, officials In the area of Boschi, there is the Church of d in charge of policing and fiscal controls on S. Maria Laurentana, containing a beautiful o the ancient course of the River Savena, once wooden Madonna clothed in fabrics from d a crossroads for trade with the neighbouring the time of the original construction, the 17th , territory of Ferrara. century, substituted in the 19th century by t the present building. It is worth visiting the 18th-century Church of S. Maria di Baricella, whose origins date Near the village of San Gabriele, it is also back to the 16th century. Inside there is a worth noting the Church of S. Maria del valuable early 17th-century wooden crucifix, Corniolo, consecrated in 1530, as can be f believed by the faithful to be miraculous - in seen on the plaque in the apse. The altar cases of calamity, it used to be exhibited or piece representing the Assumption, remo- e carried in procession. delled several times, dates back to the early 16th century. Of the decorations from then, o At the eastern limit of the town, the Ora- there survive two frescoes on the counter- tory of San Marco is a beautiful brick buil- façade, as well as a highly interesting frag- ding with neo-medieval terracotta decora- ment with a floral and anthropomorphic tions and the interior completely painted motif, believed to be the work of Amico f with frescoes celebrating Cavaliere Zucchini Aspertini (page 155), who was working in the (whose ashes have been kept here since same period on the decoration of the Rocca 1905), an important figure in the moderniza- Isolani in Minerbio. d tion of agriculture in these lands.

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It is also worth visiting the Ecological Read- Nature justment Area of Baricella, created by the The Baricella Oasis Town Council in the grounds of the Reale Walking through the countryside of Ba- Collegio di Spagna, where environmental ricella, you will notice a sudden change in education activities are organised. As well as Via Bocche, interrupting the flat monoto- numerous species of birds, there is also the ny of the plains. This is the Ecological chance to see the rare marsh tortoise. Readjustment Area of Baricella: large meadows interspersed with clumps of trees, rows of saplings, and hedges. On the board at the entrance, there is useful information for visitors and a description of the origins of the area. Once inside, following the trails indicated, visitors can appreciate the two bodies of water, wet zones created from a flooded meadow and a deeper pond. From within the two observation towers, you can watch the arrival of aquatic birds, the acrobatic flight of dragonflies, or the Re courting of emerald toads. Occasionally, M there are guided visits. ne Info and booking: Baricella Town Council. in to th th Baricella Oasis (p Photo by Comune di Baricella - Mario Fizzoni fo de dr th m

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Oratory of San Marco Photo by Comune di Baricella - Mario Fizzoni Po Ph Events Fire di Sdazz: 3rd Sunday and Monday of MARKET DAY: Friday in Baricella and Th October Monday in San Gabriele w by 154 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: ag a 55

Minerbio - n - l - , e l n

, f d n n e e Referred to in antique documents as “Selva Bologna, decided to build a dwelling with an y, Minervese”, it is assumed that the name Mi- essentially defensive design. Destroyed in nerbio dates back to the Roman period and 1527 by the Lanzichenecchi as they were . in particular to the religious cult dedicated marching towards Rome, the Rocca was to the god Minerva. The Roman presence in rebuilt in the mid-16th century as a noble resi- the area is confirmed by numerous traces of dence, abandoning all the military characte- the “centuriazione” (land-division system) ristics of the original construction. An exam- (page 104), still visible today. The official ple of the greatest decorative art of the 16th foundation took place in 1231, when the Po- century, the Rocca boasts an interior with an destà of Bologna gave Minerbio to a hun- extraordinary cycle of frescoes, the work of dred and fifty families from Mantua, with the most original painter of his time: Amico the obligation of residing there and reclai- Aspertini. ming the land from the abundant swamps. Culture and Famous Names Still today the town winds around the old Amico Aspertini was born in Bologna bet- medieval borough and the complex of ween 1474 and 1475. An original and highly- Rocca Isolani, a masterpiece of 16th-century cultured painter, in a period for Bologna of Bolognese architecture, which can only be particularly flat aesthetics along the lines visited on occasions of special events. of Perugino and Raffaello, Aspertini maintained an autonomous artistic personality, “in the manner of one who would never be subjected”. Having worked in Rome for Pope Alexander VI, in 1506, with the Francia and the Costa, he created the frescoes of Santa Cecilia in Bologna, followed by those of San Frediano in Lucca. The masterpiece of his mature years was the decoration of three rooms in the Rocca Isolani in Minerbio. His preparatory cartoons for the work are today kept in the British Museum in London. The frescoes in the Astronomy Room in particular, with their illusionistic vision, represent the most significant orga- nic introduction of a taste for painted architecture which would prove so successful in Bologna from the second half of the 16th century onwards. Important works by Portico of the historical centre Amico Aspertini are also kept in the Photo by Comune di Minerbio - Elisa Busato Pinacoteca (Art Gallery) Nazionale in Bologna and in the Churches of San d The building of the Rocca began in 1403 Petronio and San Martino, where he was when the Isolani, given the feud of Minerbio buried on the 19th November 1552. by the Visconti for their help in conquering 155 _ dce_gb 0 008 3: ag a 56

However, its rectangular plan, spacious internal courtyard, four defensive towers at the corners and moat underline its twin fun- ctions of defence and abode. Now private property, it has a long porticoed walkway leading from the castle into the park, built in 1684 to host an important annual fair, which still today attracts visitors over the first weekend of October. G cu w Palazzo Nuovo Th Photo by Comune di Minerbio - Elisa Busato ria ar Next to the Rocca stands “Palazzo Nuovo”, a ag mid-16th-century work by the architect te Bartolomeo Triachini, with a façade featu- tio ring the motif of a loggia, which would po become a recurrent feature in the Bolognese villas of the time. The large courtyard fra- Tr ming the complex has a very elegant dove- m cote, the tower Colombaia, attributed to or Jacopo Barozzi, called the Vignola. Dating Bo back to 1536, with an octagonal interior plan, fo it has a helicoidal wooden staircase and a be complicated system of small cells created to to host over 3,000 nests. En

It is also worth visiting the Church of San In Giovanni Battista, in the town’s main street. of One of the most beautiful in the county, it po was built in the 18th century on a project by G the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti. Inside co there are some important works, including th an Our Lady of the Sorrows from the School M of Guido Reni, the object of particular co popular devotion, tradition wanting that she G has on various occasions turned her gaze Ba onto the faithful. There is a noteworthy Castle and Portico of San Martino in Soverzano w group of sculptures of the Glory by Giu- Photo by Comune di Minerbio - Elisa Busato seppe Mazza, a typical example of high Bo- In lognese Baroque style. Events ce Nocturnal Carnival: 3rd Saturday of June no On the road to Budrio, there is a particular- Sweet Fair: 3rd Sunday of June ex ly interesting parish church, the Pieve di San Tagliatella and Musical Band Festival: 1st Giovanni in Triario, probably from the 11th weekend of July century, still containing an ancient baptismal September Festival: 3rd weekend of Sep- font, as well as paintings attributed to tember Daniele da Volterra. It houses the Museum Thanksgiving Festival: 2nd Sunday of No- of Popular Religion. The parish church is vember also the setting for a novel by the Bolognese thriller-writer Danila Comastri Montanari, La San Giovanni in Triario Campana dell’Arciprete (The Archbishop’s Country Fair: Easter Monday Bell), a country saga with a murder, set in 1824 at the time of the Pontifical Restoration San Martino in Soverzano after the defeat of the Napoleonic dream. Festival of San Martino: 1st weekend of In San Martino in Soverzano stands the October Castle, built in 1411 by the Bolognese Knight Bartolomeo Manzoli. The original building MARKET DAY: Wednesday Su was highly restructured in the 19th century. Ph

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n- at Granarolo dell’Emilia n- te ay in ch st Granarolo dell’Emilia started out as an agri- rooms decorated in tempera from the 17th cultural borough at the gates of Bologna and century and noted for its “conserva” (pantry), was for centuries the real granary of the city. and Villa Mareschi, in Lovoleto, with its The long-lasting traces of the Roman “centu- highly particular double row of centuries- riazione” (land-division system) (page 104) old oaks, about 1 kilometre long, lining the are still today the most evident proof of the main avenue to the villa. agricultural vocation of the territory, inhabited since time immemorial due to its posi- The present buildings of the five parish chur- tion between the territory of Ferrara and the ches, one for each of the Town Council’s port of Spina. hamlets, date back to the 18th-19th centuries. Perhaps the most notable for its style and Tradition recounts that one of the area’s frescoes is the Church of San Mamante in most important historical families had its Lovoleto. Quite apart from the churches, origins here: the Bentivoglio family, Lords of this territory is characterized by its traditio- Bolo-gna in the 15th and 16th centuries. The nal country oratories. The most important founder of the noble family is said to have are in Granarolo, Lovoleto and Cadriano. been born in Viadagola on the 4th May 1252, to a beautiful local peasant-girl and King Enzo of Svevia, a prisoner of the Bolognese.

In Granarolo, it is worth visiting the Church of San Vitale, rebuilt in 1682, containing a portrait of San Girolamo attributed to the Guercino. Near the church, there is the countryside residence (recently rebuild) of the explorer from Ravenna Pellegrino Matteucci, the first man to cross the African continent from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Guinea. Also in Granarolo, there is Villa Bassi, also called Villa del Marchesino, Oratory of Santa Croce which now hosts events. Photo by Comune di Granarolo dell’Emilia

In the surrounding countryside, over the 18th Events century numerous villas sprung up, some of Verdevolo, market with biological produ- notable architectural interest. Particular ce and agricultural stalls: end of May examples are Villa Amelia in Fibbia, with Quarto di Luna, procession of floats and t fair: 1st weekend of June Granarolo Festival: 2nd Sunday of October - Viadagola - Viadagola Festival: 2nd week of June

Lovoleto Lovoleto Festival: in August and in Sep- tember

Cadriano f Cadriano Festival: 3rd Sunday of September.

MARKET DAY: Saturday Sunset on Granarolo country Photo by Comune di Granarolo dell’Emilia

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