Emilia-Romagna—location and territory

Situated in the north-central part of Italy and south of the Po River, Emilia-Romagna has an Adriatic coastline with Rimini, a popular seaside resort for northern European tourists. Many discotheques and organised summer events also attract the Italian youth. Inland it borders with Veneto, Lombardia, and Piemonte on the north, Liguria on the west, Toscana, Marche, and the independent republic of San Marino on the south.

Most of Emilia-Romagna is situated on the ‘pianura padana’ (flat plains). This flat, lush terrain, irrigated by the waters of the Po River, makes the region one of the more productive food growing areas in Italy.

The region is made up of a union of two historic regions: Emilia, comprising the provinces of Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Ferrara and most of Bologna (excluding Imola); and Romagna, containing the eastern part of Bologna (Imola), and the cities of Ravenna, Rimini, Forlì-Cesena.

Bologna – city of culture, history and food

Bologna is the capital of Emilia-Romagna, also known as ‘la grassa’ (the fat) due to the richness of the cuisine, consisting of dishes such as ‘tortellini in brodo’, ‘tagliatelle’, ‘ragù bolognese’ and the famous ‘mortadella’ (simply known as ‘bologna’).

But, there is more to Bologna than just food...

The pedestrian-friendly ‘centro storico’—is easily accessible taking any one of the ‘porte della città—leading the traveller to the city centre.
The old city of Bologna was once enclosed, and protected by city walls, most of them are now gone, but its ‘porte’ remain. These are:

· Porta Maggiore (or Mazzini) – has its origins from the XIII century

Santuario della Madoona di San Luca

A trip worth taking on foot is to the ‘Santuario della Madonna di San Luca’, nestled on a hill overlooking Bologna and a focal point for many kilometres outside the city. The whole journey of 666 portici (built from 1674 to 1793), starts from Porta Saragozza.

The annual pilgrimage during the month of May takes the statue of the Madonna di San Luca down to the city for the blessing in the ‘Basilica di S Petronio’ (Bologna’s patron saint). The celebration closes (after one week) with the solemn return procession of the statue to the
Sanctuary at San Luca.

Dozza and Rocca Sforzesca

One of my first visits outside Bologna was to Dozza.

The tranquil medieval town of Dozza (barely 200 inhabitants) with its imposing Rocca Sforzesca is located mid-way between Bologna and Imola. The tranquillity can be interrupted by tourist and other groups who visit the Rocca Sforzesca. But, during our visit, I saw very few of the locals. They must take these interruptions in their stride.

Events

Dozza is on the map for another event when, every two years in September up to 200 artists come to Dozza (a tradition started in 1960) to take part in the ‘Biennale d’Arte del Muro Dipinto’’ and leave their artistic mark on the town walls.

The council purchased the Rocca from the Campeggi-Malvezzi family in 1960 and has opened it up to the public.The imposing structure is itself amazing, but within is a treasure-trove of interesting medieval artefacts, furniture, and a gaol, no less! And the most wonderful, huge,
rudimentary kitchen (I’ve got my eye on this one!)

On our visit to the Rocca we were able to enjoy an exhibition of toys through the ages…totally captivating!

Dozza now boasts an outdoor museum in harmony with its inhabitants. After 18 editions, 50 years and 90 works spread along the walls, the town now has two beats. The first historical with its medieval buildings and the second artistic—the locals now accept the mural art as part of the
townscape—as if it had always been there.

If you find yourself in Bologna, Dozza is well worth a visit!