Romagna Part 2: Focus on the coastal area to the valleys and the mountains of the region

After visiting the “Riviera”, it is time to explore the rest of Romagna. We will now move from the coastal area to the valleys and the mountains of the region, following the ancient Roman road ‘via Emilia’ from Cesena to Imola.

Cesena

Let’s start with Cesena, which is known for being the birthplace of two Christian Popes of the XVIII Century. They are Pope Pio V Braschi (1717-1799) and Pope Pio VII Chiaramonti (1742-1823).

Among the most important monuments of Cesena there is the Church of Santa Cristina, designed by the famous architect Giuseppe Valadier. The construction of this place of worship was completed in 1825, two years after the death of Pope VII Chiaramonti. Characterized by a central plan, this simple and elegant church strikes the visitors for its majestic white barrel-vaulted coffered ceiling.

Another noteworthy church is San Zenone, which boasts the tallest bell tower of the city. The church was built during the 11th Century, and preserves important frescoes by Giuseppe Milani and stucco works from the 18th Century by the artist Francesco Calligari.

Palazzo Ghini, former venue of Cesena’s Jesuits, is easily recognizable thanks to its facade, which is much higher and more impressive than all the other buildings in the surroundings. Inside it is possible to visit a big decorated hall with paintings by Giacomo Bolognini. The palace includes a beautiful raised loggia decorated with white stucco. From the gallery there is an amazing view of the Malatesta library, which is the only humanist monastery library left with its original building, furniture and book archive.

One of the main events organized in Cesena is the San Giovanni Fair, held in June coinciding with the summer solstice. On this occasion, the central Piazza del Popolo is filled with stalls and street artists. The symbols of the Fair are garlic, traditionally used against evil eye and witches, and the scented lavender.

On the tables of Cesena’s families it is common to see the “cappelletti in brodo”. Similar to “tortellini”, cappelletti are a type of pasta filled with meat, eggs and vegetables, and they are eaten with a meat broth. Typical wines from Cesena are the Sangiovese, and the white wines Albana and Trebbiano.

Forlì

Founded by the Romans in the 2nd Century BC, the city is located in the Eastern part of “Pianura Padana”, at the feet of the green hills of the Tuscan-Romagna Appennine. Its original plan can be still easily identifiable with the two main road axes which converge in the central Saffi square.

There it is possible to visit the most important buildings of Forlì starting from San Mercuriale, the symbol of the city. It is a Romanesque basilica characterized by a majestic tower bell from the 12th Century. The tower, which is 273 stairsteps high, dominates all the surroundings and can be seen from almost the whole town.

Also the city hall, with its hallmark Clock tower, overlooks the Saffi square. It was built during the 14th Century, and was restored many times. Next to it there are Palazzo del Podestà and Palazzo Albertini, both from the 15th Century, now venues of interesting art exhibitions.

The last side of the square is occupied by the monumental Palazzo delle Poste, the main post office of the city. Built between 1931 and 1932, the building is an example of architecture from the Italian Fascist age.

From 1471 is Rocca di Ravaldino, a fortress built by the lord of the city Pino III Ordelaffi. In the following decades the structure was restored, and new layers of protection were added by the new lords. At that time, Forlì’s inhabitants considered the fortress as totally inviolable. But the Italian Renaissance writer and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, who had the opportunity to visit the Rocca in 1499, said that it was too vulnerable due to the complexity of the defensive system. He was right, as only a few months after Forlì fell from the attack by Cesare Borgia’s troops.

Worth a visit is the park Franco Agosto, located at a short distance from Piazza Saffi. In the park, which includes a small lake with geese and ducks, there are many courts dedicated to different sports: basketball, soccer, beachvolley, bowls, and also a horse riding school.

The main star of Forlì’s gastronomy are passatelli, a traditional shape of pasta made with eggs, parmigiano cheese and breadcrumbs. They are normally cooked with a meat broth.

Forlimpopoli

In the valleys near Forlì there is Forlimpopoli, a small town founded by Romans in the 2nd Century BC. The main monument is the Rocca Albornoziana, a medieval fortress erected between 1361 and 1363. It is characterized by a square plan, massive walls and four high towers.

Throbbing heart of the city, in the fortress are now organized events, expositions, concerts and fairs. It is the venue of the Town hall, of the Archeological Museum “T. Aldini” and of the theater “Giuseppe Verdi”.

Worth a visit is the “Chiesa dei Servi”, a church near the central Piazza Pompilio. Built around the mid-15th Century, its construction is characterized by a huge central tower even higher than the bell tower. In the interior of the church, six niches stand out thanks to the altars adorned with precious paintings, among which an altarpiece by Marco Palmezzano portraying the Annunciation.

An example of architecture from the 6th Century is the Basilica of S. Ruffillo. In this place of worship are preserved the relics of the Saint. The building was rebuilt during the 15th Century, and was widely restored in 1821.

Forlimpopoli is also known for being the birthplace of the famous writer and gastronomy expert Pellegrino Artusi (Forlimpopoli 1820-Firenze 1911), author of “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well”.

Thanks to him, the town remains a hotspot for culinary tradition. In 2007 it was inaugurated Casa Artusi, the first center for gastronomy culture dedicated to italian cuisine. Located in the same monumental complex of “Chiesa dei Servi”, Casa Artusi is at the same time a restaurant, a library, and a cooking school. Courses are held in collaboration with the Mariette Association, a group of volunteers which take its name from Marietta Sabatini, Artusi’s cook and housekeeper.

A big event to celebrate Artusi’s heritage is held every year in June. For a whole week, on occasion of the “Festa Artusiana” the historic center of Forlimpopoli gets packed with shows, conferences, and guided tastings.

Faenza

Faenza, a small town located in the Romagna valley, is known all over the world for the production of ceramics. Dating back to the 12th Century, this artesanal tradition peaked during Italian Renaissance.

In 1908 in Faenza was funded the International Museum of Ceramics, which during the next decades collected many different pieces from Italy and other countries. Its growth suffered a slowdown in 1944, when it was almost entirely destroyed by a bombing ride. Thanks to the help of citizens and international contacts, the museum manager Gaetano Ballardini managed to restore it, and maintain its original purpose of preserving and promoting traditional ceramic production. It is now considered the widest collection of ceramic art in the world.

Nowadays, all over the city there are more than sixty workshops where Faenza’s artists still make many different shapes of ceramic pieces.

The main square is “Piazza del Popolo”, which is bounded by two wings of a beautiful colonnade. Noteworthy is the Town hall, a majestic palace which was the former residence of the lords of the city, the Manfredi family.

In the near Piazza Libertà it is impossible to miss the Dome. Entitled to Saint Peter, it is the main place of worship of the town, and it was designed by the architect Giuliano da Maiano. Its construction started in 1474, and lasted more than 40 years, even if the facade remained uncompleted. The church preserves many pieces of art from the Italian Renaissance, like a fresco depicting Mary while breaking some arrows symbols of dangers, and a wooden crucifix from 1480 attributed to Giovanni Teutonico.

Every last Sunday of June the city hosts the “Palio del Niballo”, one of the oldest medieval jousts in Italy. The tradition started in 1164, as an event to honour the visit of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The 5 districts of the town compete with each other in horse races and other contests. The game is preceded by a parade in medieval costumes, with more than 400 hundreds participants. The day is also a great opportunity to enjoy fun shows and gastronomic tastings.

Typical from the area or Faenza are different kinds of fruits: from peaches to apricots and grapes, here it is possible to eat some amazing biological products, as long as the great wines of the region.

Imola

To conclude our excursus in Romagna, let’s talk about Imola. It is a 70.000 inhabitants city, traditionally considered as part of Romagna even if it is politically included in the province of Bologna. It is well known worldwide thanks to its racing circuit. Dedicated to Enzo and Dino Ferrari, the track was inaugurated in 1953 and hosted its first Formula One race ten years later.

From 1981 to 2006 it was the venue of the San Marino Grand Prix, famous for the high adrenaline curve “Tamburello”. Between the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2020 Imola returned to host a Formula One race, after the decision to cancel Chinese Grand Prix due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The appointment has been confirmed also for 2021.

But the circuit is not the only main attraction of Imola. The Rocca Sforzesca is surely the monument which stands out the most in the city. Built during the 14th Century on the remains of a pre-existing defensive tower, the fortress gained its current structure thanks to the renovation works decided by the Duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza. The castle was used as a prison until 1958. Now it has been converted into a museum, and it hosts a great collection of medieval ceramics and weapons from the 14th to the 20th Century. From its walls there is an amazing view towards the whole territory surrounding Imola.

The historic center of the city is full of well conserved nobiliar palaces, like Palazzo Tozzoni. The building is a testimony of the life of the rich family Tizzoni, which lived there since the 18th Century. It boasts a huge library, and more than 170 paintings from bolognese and Romagna’s artists.

Worth a visit is also the San Domenico Museum, situated in the cloister of a former convent. It now hosts the Civic Art Gallery and the Archeological Museum.

The star of Imola’s gastronomy is handmade fresh pasta, in the shape of ‘garganelli’, similar to penne, and lasagna. As a dessert, a typical invention from this region is the Zuppa Inglese (Italian for “English soup”). It is a layered dessert, made with custard and sponge cake soaked in liquor. Its origins are unclear, but the recipe appears already at the end of the 19th Century in Pellegrino Artusi’s books.