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Emilia-Romagna Travel Guide: Emilia-Romagna - Northern Italy I Love Touring Italy - The Emilia Subregion I Love Touring Italy - The Romagna Subregion Touring Bologna With A Rental Car Modena Hotels  / Bologna Hotels Rimini Hotels  / Parma Hotels

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I Love Touring Italy - The Emilia Subregion   by Levi Reiss If you are trying to find a European tourist destination, you should consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. This may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. The present article describes the Emilia subregion, a bit of its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine. A companion article presents Romagna, the eastern "half" of the region that borders the tiny country of San Marino and the Adriatic Sea.

Our tour of Emilia is quite straightforward; it follows the highway basically from east to west, going slightly southward along the way. We'll start at Piacenza, a city founded on the Po River by the Etruscans. It later became the first Roman military colony. The Piazza dei Cavalli (Square of the Horses) in the city center contains baroque statues of two historic leaders. Nearby you will find a Thirteenth Century Palace, Palazzo del Comune, formerly the site of the city government. The Duomo's (Cathedral) bell tower contains a cage in which troublemakers were imprisoned stark naked and taunted by the crowd below. You may prefer looking at the beautiful art and sculptures inside the building. The Museo Civico (City Museum) contains a famous Boticelli painting and Etruscan artifacts. Art lovers will want to visit the Galleria d'Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi for its collection of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Italian art.

Opera lovers shouldn't miss the town Busseto, famous for Guiseppe Verdi, who was actually born in the nearby village of Roncole now renamed Roncole Verdi. Busseto contains the Fifteenth Century Villa Pallavicino where he lived and worked and the Nineteenth Century Teatro Verdi that performs many of his magnificent works.

Parma is a historic city that has changed hands frequently over the centuries. It still maintains a French influence. Whenever I hear the word Parma two culinary delights immediately come to mind; Parmesan cheese (officially called Parmigiano Reggiano cheese) and Parma ham (prosciutto crudo). The term crudo means uncooked. It doesn't stand for crude; this delicious ham is anything but crude. Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square) forms the center of Parma. Among the sights to see are the Sixteenth Century church Santa Maria della Steccata and its frescos, the Twelfth Century Duomo (Cathedral) and nearby Battistero (Baptisry), and several churches and museums. Parma is also known for its opera at the Teatro Regio. Modena and its surroundings is the home to four very different international stars: Ferrari and Maserati sports cars, the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, and balsamic vinegar. Which do you prefer?

Be sure to see Modena's old city, the Twelfth Century Duomo (Cathedral) with its fascinating medieval sculptures, marble bell tower, and crypt containing the tomb of its patron saint, San Geminiano. The Palazzo dei Musei (Palace of the Museum) contains many illuminated books and a very historic Bible and map showing Columbus's landing in America, not many years after the fact. The Consorzio Produttori Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (Traditional Modena Balsamic Vinegar Producers Association) will give you a taste of the city's most famous food product. You may want to visit Salumeria Gusti, founded over four hundred years ago and said to be the world's oldest delicatessen. Perhaps because there are only four tables don't expect to pay regular delicatessen prices.

Bologna. Don't judge this city by the bottom of the line prepared meat that somehow shares its name.
 

Among Bologna's notable achievements, it is home to the oldest university in Europe. Just think, by the Thirteenth Century its student body numbered over ten thousand served by 150 taverns. Laura Bassi was its first female professor, in fact the first woman to teach officially at a European University, appointed professor of anatomy in 1732 at the ripe old age of 21. Bassi spent most of her academic career teaching physics, but managed to have eight children along the way. A super woman in a super town. The Basilica di San Petronio Cathedral was started in the Fourteenth Century and is still unfinished, perhaps because of the university expansion next door over four hundred years ago. Don't wait until its finished to take a look.

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The Piazza di Porta Ravegnana is the site of two towers worthy of a reference in Dante's Inferno. The Torre degli Asinelli is available for climbing. This tower leans less than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but a lot more than it should.

Other sights include the Palazzo Comunale (Communal Palace) the seat of Bologna's government for the last seven hundred years or so. The Palazzo contains two museums and a library, a few palaces, the Pinacoteca Nazionale art gallery and the Museo del Patrimonio Industriale (Museum of Industry). With so many university students Bologna is the place to go for a very active night life.

We will finish our tour of Emilia with a look at the UNESCO world heritage site of Ferrara, this article's only city off the main road. You may remember Ferrara from the famous movie The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Talking about movies, Ferrara was the birthplace of the famous filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni.

Start your tour at the Castello Estense (Estense Castle) the seat of power of the Este dynasty who for hundreds of years ruled the area with an iron fist. Among its numerous features are a hanging garden, and moat, and a drawbridge. While its artwork is magnificent, the castle was a site of unbridled cruelty. Its dungeons were filled with prisoners for centuries, up until the middle of World War II. Don't miss the nearby Gothic Duomo (Cathedral). Ferrara had an important Jewish population from 1492 until the Second World War. You can visit the ghetto and the Museo Ebraico (Jewish Museum), which was once a synagogue.

The Palazzo dei Diamanti (Palace of the Diamonds) owes its name to the thousands of pink and white little decorations that cover the building. Go inside to see the Pinacoteca Nazionale art gallery. The mile long Via delle Volte running parallel to the Po River is one of the most ancient streets in Europe. There are many other palaces to see. You may want to finish your tour with a nightcap in Osteria Al Brindisi, Europe's oldest wine bar that dates from 1435. The famous scientist Copernicus once lived and drank here.

What about food? Emilia-Romagna, in particular Emilia is a world famous gourmet destination. As good as Parma ham is, many prefer the rare, expensive Culatello di Zibello ham aged for at least eleven months. Certified foods include balsamic vinegars, cured meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and even bread, Copia Ferrarese from Ferrara.

Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Prosciutto con melone (Parma Ham with Melon). Then try Vitello Bolognese (Veal with Ham and Parmesan Cheese). For dessert indulge yourself with Zuppa Inglese (Italian Trifle). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We conclude with a quick look at Emilian wine. Emilia-Romagna ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 4th for total annual wine production. The region produces about 57% red and 43% white wine. The Emilia-Romagna region produces about twenty DOC wines about half of which come from Emilia. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Try some Lambrusco DOC red wines, which are often fizzy or frothy. Frankly in Emilia-Romagna the wine isn't as good as the food.

About the Author - Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but between you and me, he prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His major wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com which links to his other web sites.

I Love Touring Italy - The Romagna Subregion   by Levi Reiss

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. This article describes the Romagna subregion, a bit of its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine. A companion article presents Emilia, the inland western "half" of the region that borders the Lombardy, Liguria, and Tuscany regions of Italy.
 

Our Romagna tour is very straightforward; it follows the highway basically from east to west, going slightly southward along the way. Start by visiting Rocca Sforzesca (Sforza Castle) in the village of Dozza whose wine shop, Enoteco Regionale, has a great collection of local wines. If you like Formula One auto racing you'll want to visit the town of Imola in mid-April. Otherwise, you'll pretty well have to be satisfied with shopping for fancy ceramics and eating at San Domenico's, a world class restaurant with a three thousand item wine list. Pottery fanciers will enjoy the city of Faenza, a center for faience pottery since the Twelfth Century. Guess what's on display at the Museo delle Ceramiche. I don't think you'll need a translation. If you like spas be sure to visit the neighboring city of Bagno di Romagna with its hot springs. Ravenna, north of the highway, was once the capital of the Roman Empire. But before long it was captured by the Ostrogoths and then the Byzantines who left their mark, for example in the Basilica di San Vitale (Church of Saint Vitale) with its famous mosaics. Be sure to visit the next door Mauselo di Galla Placida (Galla Placida Mausoleum). In spite of its name, Galla Placida, the sister of the Roman Emperor who moved the capital to Ravenna is not buried here.

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The Battistero Neoniano (Neonian Baptistery), probably once a Roman bath, is also known for its mosaics. Depending on the season, reservations are required or recommended for these sights. Ravenna is home to the Tomba di Dante (Tomb of Dante) with a small museum. The Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra (Home of the Stone Carpets) is an underground site containing the remains of a Sixth Century Byzantine palace with among other things, lots of mosaics. Would you believe that this site was discovered by accident? I am tempted to dig in my own backyard.

Our Romagna tour ends at Rimini on the Adriatic coast. It's a major European holiday destination, crowded during the high season. You might visit the Grand Hotel featured in Fellini's 1973 movie Amaracord. Rimini is also home to the oldest surviving Roman arch, the Arco d'Augusto erected in 27 BC.
 

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What about food? Romagna shares many foods with its neighbor Emilia. You won't have to go very far to find Parmesan cheese, Parma ham, and balsamic vinegar. Perhaps it is no accident that the founder of Italian cuisine Pellegrino Artusi was born here. In the interest of historical accuracy he did move to Tuscany before publishing his cookbook in 1891 that is still one of Italy's most popular books. Let's suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Tagliatelle alla Duchesa (Chicken Livers and Tagliatelle Noodles). Then try Brodetto (Adriatic Seafood Stew). For dessert indulge yourself with Crostata (Raspberry Tart). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal. We'll conclude with a quick look at Romagna wine. Emilia-Romagna ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions for acreage devoted to wine grapes and 4th for total annual wine production. The region produces about 57% and 43% white wine. Emilia-Romagna produces about twenty DOC wines about half of which come from Romagna. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine.

 It is the home of Albana di Romagna DOCG, Italy's first white DOCG wine. The G stands for Garantita. Many feel that this particular wine deserved no such honor. I have never tasted this particular wine, but from my readings I have no great desire to do so, except to set the matter straight. Romagna's major white grape is the fairly pedestrian Trebbiano, perhaps surprisingly the source of its famous balsamic vinegar. The red Sangiovese grape that can be so excellent in Tuscany wines is usually not so great here. Look for the red Barbarossa variety often found near the town of Bertino east of Bologna. Between you and me Emilia-Romagna's the wine can't match its food.

About the Author - Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but between you and me, he prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His major wine website is http://www.theworldwidewine.com which links to his other web sites.

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