City of Wine and Hospitality
The medieval town of Bertinoro is known as the Balcony of Romagna because of the magnificent views of the sea, as well as the Romagna lowlands and its hills, enjoyed from every point in the town.
Bertinoro is, most of all, the city of wine and hospitality.
Bertinoro lies among the most suitable hilly territories for viticulture in the area.
Surrounding the town runs about a thousand hectares planted with vines, mainly with the Sangiovese and Albana grape varieties, Refosco and Bombino bianco, both of which have become indigenous as the Cagnina and Pagadebit wines.
The calcareous soils give vines peculiarities different from those usually found in Romagna, in particular characteristics of great structure and longevity. High-quality wines can be tasted and purchased in the many wineries, including the Sangiovese Riserva ‘Bertinoro’.
On the main square is the famous Hospitality Column, which dates back to 1218 and is still a celebrated event in September during the important Hospitality Festival.
During this festival, local people’s homes open up to guests, offering visitors a traditional Romagna lunch.
Down the square stands the Sapere di Vino information trail, the Riserva Storica dei Sangiovesi di Romagna and the Ca’ de Bè wine shop, where the Albana Bell, created to celebrate the D.O.C. (controlled denomination of origin) recognition to Albana di Romagna wine (1987).
Overlooking the hill is the Rocca: beautifully restored, it is now home to the University Centre and the Interfaith Museum.
Dante Alighieri benefited from Bertinoro’s hospitality too: on the hills surrounding the town stands Polenta, where the Lord of Ravenna Guido da Polenta hosted the exiled poet.
The exiled poet certainly stayed in the ancient parish church of Lombard origin still splendidly preserved today.
Notice
The spa and park are currently closed due to the flood events of May 2023.
Fratta Terme, just a few kilometres from Bertinoro, in the heart of Romagna, developed around its historic thermal baths—recently restored—and the park fed by ancient Roman springs.
The surrounding area is rich in wineries that are part of the Enogastronomic Route of Forlì and Cesena, many of which are open to visitors for tours and tastings of excellent local wines.
According to legend, Antenor and other followers of Aeneas, returning from the Trojan War, reached the Adriatic Sea instead of the Tyrrhenian coast and founded the first settlement in the areas of Casticciano and Fratta. From that era remains the ancient Via Tro (Troia).
The settlement later became a Roman city, known as Forum Truentinorum—identified by some as the Troy of Antenor—and eventually evolved into present-day Fratta Terme.
The thermal waters of Fratta originate from natural springs and artesian wells located along the Salso River, about 3 km from the hill of Bertinoro. These waters are saline, iodic, magnesian, arsenic-rich, ferruginous and sulphurous. Their use dates back to Roman times, as confirmed by archaeological finds discovered in the area over the centuries.
The spa complex is set within thirteen hectares of parkland and includes seven mineral-rich springs that can be explored along paths immersed in greenery, as well as fitness trails, mud therapies and thermal baths. The modern spa facility is managed according to rigorous scientific standards while offering a holistic approach to wellbeing, focused on relaxation and treatments that promote overall health.
The spa area also hosts “Around Adventures”, Italy’s largest outdoor adventure park, featuring aerial courses, acrobatic routes and attractions suitable for both children and adults.
Polenta, a small village very close to Bertinoro, is renowned for the Pieve di San Donato in Polenta, a Romanesque parish church dating back to before the 10th century and celebrated in the poetry of Giosuè Carducci.
Carducci’s belief that Dante was hosted here by the Polenta family, lords of Ravenna, is now widely accepted. Each year the village hosts the Raduno Carducciano and cycles of Dante readings. Few traces remain of the ancient Polentani castle that once stood on the nearby hill, but the night-time view from the Pieve overlooking the valley is particularly striking.
The origin of the name Polenta is uncertain. Sources report the existence of a castle called Antoniano before the year 1000. In addition to the Polenta family—lords of Ravenna during Dante’s exile—the hill is famous for the Church of San Donato, documented since the 9th century.
Frequently visited by Carducci, who celebrated it in his verses, the church is also traditionally believed to have been visited by Dante during his stay with the Polentani in Ravenna. Today, the parish church has a basilica layout with exposed wooden beams and a central nave at the same level as the lateral aisles.
The large round columns, built in alternating layers of brick and local stone, are topped by cubic capitals decorated with simple chamfers and bas-reliefs depicting geometric arabesques, grotesque animals and human figures, reflecting influences ranging from Lombard to Byzantine art.
A legendary cypress tree, named after Francesca da Polenta, beloved of Paolo Malatesta, has further contributed to the hill’s fame. The church and the cypress remain associated with illustrious names and are destinations for pilgrimages and cultural visits. Weddings are often celebrated here in memory of Francesca’s tragic love.
Every September, the Raduno Carducciano brings together scholars and the general public at the poet’s hermitage, inaugurated in 1932. Two annual editions—spring and autumn—of the Lecturae Dantis are also held in the parish church.
Santa Maria Nuova Spallicci is the most populous village of Bertinoro and is known as the birthplace of the poet Aldo Spallicci.
Aldo Spallicci—physician, poet, follower of Mazzini and Garibaldi, statesman and member of the Constituent Assembly of the Italian Republic—was born here. Today, the village hosts the modern Caseificio Mambelli, which produces, among other products, the typical local cheese Squacquerone.
Altitude: 30 m a.s.l.
Population: 1,700 inhabitants
How to get there
Located at the foot of the hill, Santa Maria Nuova Spallicci lies 8 km from Bertinoro. It can be reached from Via Emilia by turning into Via Santa Croce at the Panighina traffic lights.
Pieve Salutare is a small village located 4 km from Castrocaro Terme, along the main road leading to Dovadola. Its parish church dates back to 955, although it was completely rebuilt at the end of the 19th century.
Formerly known as the Pieve of San Pietro in Cerreto, the church existed from 955 but suffered repeated damage from earthquakes over the centuries. It was finally destroyed by an unexpected seismic event in the autumn of 1870. In more recent times, a small residential village has developed around the church, offering sports, recreational and cultural facilities.
Since 1973, the parish church has housed the image of the Madonna della Tosse, preserved in a small chapel carved out of the original baptistery. The interior contains several noteworthy paintings:
Saint Augustine and Saint Sigismund in the Presence of the Holy Trinity, oil on canvas by the Forlì painter Tommaso Marchetti (1721–1801), dated around 1797;
The Nativity, oil on canvas from the 18th-century Romagna school;
Madonna Enthroned with Child between Saints Peter and John, oil on canvas dated 1632, attributed to the Romagna school.
In August, the village hosts the Beer Festival, a three-day event featuring live entertainment, shows and food stalls. On the second weekend of September, the Grape Festival (Sagra dell’Uva) takes place, a traditional celebration with tastings of prized grape varieties and stands serving typical Romagna dishes.
This itinerary aims to point tourists to the culinary offerings of our land, with a culinary tradition famous throughout Italy.
Romagna, is in fact endowed with very fertile soils from which excellent natural products are obtained that can be enjoyed as soon as they are picked or prepared within sophisticated recipes to be served on the table.
It starts with the best-known and most popular events held in all the towns in the area. In Romagna, in fact, in every season of the year, it is possible to take part in countless festivals.
Monuments, churches, villas, palaces and relevant places
Natural parks and gardens, landscapes and breathtaking sights
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