the best of...amarcord, won the oscar for best foreign language film in 1973. based on his own...
TRANSCRIPT
PLUS Get SPeciaL traveL
offerS and GUided
excUrSionS
The best of
In thIs Issue:Put ChrIstmas baCk Into ChrIstmasromagna shows tourIsm green CardexPlore anCIent rIver valley routes to exPerIenCe festIvals, sublIme food and wIne, stunnIng sCenery and warm welComesour best of PlaCes to stay and eat magnIfICentlyfollow the food PIlgrIm’s stePsmeet the Cast of quIrky CharaCtersPIne forests and sea – a walk on the sand
aUtUmn & chriStmaS feStivaL edition 2015RECIPES • STORIES ART WILDLIFE • HISTORY TRAVEL LIFESTYLE
CULTURE
undIsCovered treasure between florenCe and venICe, the aPennInes
and the adrIatIC sea
To take this opportunity of jumping out of the tourism box and experiencing a real welcome
in Romagna…
Just email us at [email protected] with your contact details (telephone number, skype, etc) and we’ll get back to you to begin
a real conversation.
www.BestofRomagna.com
The best of
@TotemTourism 2015www.TotemTourism.com
Eagle HouseNorthend
Bath BA17EH United Kingdom& Longiano FC Romagna Italy
diScover romaGna, the heart of itaLy
2 3
06Fellini’s great masterpiece will entice you to Romagna
08 Meet the cast
12 Put the Christmas back into Christmas – follow the Christmas star
16 Romagna shows tourism the green card
20 The Rolling Hills of the Conca Valley, unknown paradise in the heart of Italy
22 Glorious hills and valleys battled over by warring medieval barons now waiting to be discovered by you
26 Let the train take the strain and enjoy spectacular scenery amazing food and wine all the way to Florence
30 Follow the ancient millions and travel down the via Emilia – a road full of fascinating stories, hospitality, great food and wine
34 Great hospitality in Romagna – our choice of places to stay where you will receive a wonderful authentic Romagnolo welcome – guaranteed.
36 Follow the steps of Pellegrino along La Via Artusiana to a wealth of culinary discovery
40 Forests and the sea, a walkable, natural, dappled playground of yellow, green and blue
42 Two very different seaside cities, separated by 50 kilometers and at least 1000 years
44 SPECIAL OFFERS – Experience the Best of Romagna for yourself – in a World Beyond Tourism
In thIs Issue
0844
contrIbutors
danieLa caSteLLUcci
Daniela Castellucci has a bachelor of art degree in history and preservation of cultural heritage and is the main contributor to this issue…
She truly loves Art, Listening to music, and “Dancing like crazy to it” she says, vintage clothes and design, food and travelling and discovering fascinating things everywhere.
Daniela believes that everybody should smile more often, even if sometimes it is just not so easy!
She met Best of Romagna by chance, while she was working as tour guide in Cesena and felt that an adventure was calling her once more.
She loves challenges, and clearly this is a big one - to help people discover how artistically, culturally and heart melting is her country Romagna. She hopes you will discover it too and very soon!
chiara Sacchetti
“Ciao, I am Chiara and I am 100% Romagnola since generations. I’ve always been keen on languages and foreign cultures and this is why I like to know as much as I can about the story and traditions of my own land, but also travelling and discovering different way of living. I think that Best of Romana is a cultural bridge and, because I teach italian for foreigners who chose Romagna as a second home, I turned my passion into a job: everytime I step in my multicultural class I have a new journey. Why don’t you come and have yours?
roberta menGhi
“Hello, I was born in Cesenatico and have a degree in history and preservation of cultural heritages.
Since I was a child, I realized that the food to me was not only something for eating, but also joy and culture. I live in Romagna, a land with a huge gastronomic heritage that is intertwined with the same great cultural and artistic wealth.
Growing up, I learned how to exploit the great little gems within Romagna, desiring to present and promote them abroad. From here and from my passion for travel - the collaboration with Best of Romagna.
Enjoy!
Contact [email protected]
Santarcangelo:
the Sangiovesa
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Welcome
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Take a STep beyond tourism and get a real welcome at a fantastic festival in Romagna
In Romagna, in autumn and winter, for time immemorial,
the hill and mountain villages, the towns of the plains and valleys, the colourful ports and the glorious cities of art – all become alive with festivities.
Music, dancing and lights, joy and relaxation and fun – but above all the harvest of great food and wine are all celebrated with enthusiasm. And the backgrounds to the celebrations could be no more atmospheric and conducive to gaiety.
Local communities flock to the piazzas in medieval, castellated hilltop villages, travel en masse to the old streets of market towns and gather in their best attire to celebrate in beautiful elegant cities.
And there are no people that can celebrate any better than the Romagnoli. Deeply proud of their food and wine, their traditions and
their history and with their great enthusiasm for life – this is when they let their hair down and have massive parties to remember.
In this edition we have pointed to the major autumn festivals which take place in this lovely region including the International White Truffle Festival in delightful Sant’ Agata Feltria; the wondrous event when the Fossa Cheese is taken from its pits in Talamella; the Sweet Chestnut Festival in Montefiore Conca; the Truffle Festival in Mondaino; the Honey Festival in Montebello; the Fair of St Cross in Verucchio; the meeting of Ancient Fruits in Pennabilli; and wine harvest festivals almost everywhere. What an array of festivals – and this is just a selection!
But there are three Festas that we truly urge you to discover:
For nearly the last millennium, for one weekend in September, the magnificent Feast of Saint Michael has taken over two beautiful and important Romagnolo cities,
5ambaSSadorS
Fed up with in-authentic un-meaningful experiences? Want to help change the way we all travel, experience and enjoy the world?
It’s not just a topic for discussion – it’s something we can all change with our actions.
Why Romagna?Romagna is un-touristy.From an economically sustainable point of view there are very, very few chain hotels or restaurants
From a culturally sustainable point of view – there is a massive treasure chest of art, architecture and history plus a deep tradition of hospitality
From a socially sustainable point of view – there is a great wealth of local people with a great understanding and commitment to their local area, who usually speak some English and are incredibly welcoming
From an environmental sustainability point of view there is 0km food and locals really treasure their local environments
But – as in all of Italy, there is a dearth of reasonable jobs for young people
The right sort of guests with the right sort of aspirations can change things for the better – dramatically
Become an ambassador for the Best of Romagna could bring you the best of both worlds!
A great experience for you and your friends and a chance to open the door to a world beyond tourismHow it works:Promote the Best of Romagna via Facebook, Linkedin etc share our messages and offer free downloads of Best of Romagna
Get a small group of friends together to visit (we’ll provide a tailor-made experience for you) and get a free place for every 10 in your group.
vaLere tjoLLe
which then heave with great local food and wine, music and dance, friendly celebrating crowds, delicious festival specialities and festival events.
And, in October, the ancient Feast of St Martin (known locally as the Festival of Cuckolds) takes over all of Santarcangelo’s historic centre – it is simply enormous. Food and wine and other delicacies from all over Italy compete with wondrous local produce. Events and performances, cooking competitions, wine and food tastings are enjoyed by everyone. This is a festival that needs to be seen to be believed.
And the biggest of them all – from the beginning of December to Epiphany – traditional Christmas is celebrated all over Romagna as it always has been – and not just Christmas lights and Christmas shop displays!
Communities everywhere spend months planning, creating and displaying their Nativity Scenes in local specialities – in salt,
in sand, in ice, animated, mechanical and many other forms – all simply astonishing. Great Christmas markets – even Christmas Villages are set up, Christmas music, Christmas lights and Christmas services abound. In Romagna, traditional Christmas is celebrated with style and verve. A visit to Christmas in Romagna is really an experience to remember.
We’ve created opportunities to experience what we conclude are the Best of Romagna festivals – Saint Michael, Saint Martin and Christmas feasts - we are absolutely sure that you will enjoy them.
Particularly in Romagna, because, if you are fed up with unfulfilling ‘Tourist experiences’, here you will taste something powerfully, gloriously, refreshingly natural.
You’ll not find chain hotels or eateries, the food you eat and the wine or beer you drink will usually be local and seasonal – and delicious. The people you meet will be naturally hospitable and informed – they’ll be proud to advise you where and what to eat
and drink and where and what to see.And more importantly, in Romagna, you
will not be just another tourist. You will be a welcome guest and the right sort of guests with the right sort of aspirations can change things for the better for all these the local economies – dramatically.
A visit to Romagna would not only be a great experience for you, your family and your friends but also an opportunity to open the door to a healthy and natural holiday – in a world beyond tourism.
You may think that this kind of experience would be expensive. Happily it is not - just compare prices and you will see that Romagna represents not only real experience, but real value too.Valere Tjolle
And naturally we would love to help you arrange group visits of every sort to Romagna – weddings, birthdays, meetings, incentive tours – your guests, your friends, your family will be entranced!
Watch the VideocLicK here
Contact [email protected]
Forlimpopoli: Casa artusi
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FellInI’s great
masterpIece WIll entIce
you to romagna.
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poSSibly Fellini’S gReaTeST masterpiece, amarcord, won the oscar for best foreign language film in 1973. based on his own
experiences growing up in Romagna, and those of his collaborator, writer Tonino guerra, the film portrays life in and around Rimini in the 1930’s.
As a way of preparing for a visit to Romagna, understanding Romagnolo people, and enjoying a great story, Amarcord has no equal!
You’ll walk into the lives of Volpina the seductress, Gradisca the village beauty, the well-endowed sex-starved tobacconist, Titta the rosy-cheeked adolescent, Lallo the camp lodger, Zeus the red-headed crusty schoolmaster, the local fascist brute, the delinquent schoolkids and many more.
You’ll adore the surreal luxury in the
Grand Hotel, revel in the spring bonfire festa, enjoy the picnic on the beach and the roar of the sportscars passing through on the Mille Miglia – and much, much more.
And the wonder is that you can still do it all today.
Because, here in Romagna, you’ll still find a deep love for the changing of the seasons and a love of great seasonal food and wine. You’ll still find the traditions intact and celebrated with passion. You’ll still find a joyful people daily celebrating the sensuality of life.
More importantly, you’ll still find the same colourful characters in Romagna today – the fashionistas, the vamps, the politicos, the beautiful people (and the ugly ones!), the romantics and the heroes.
And they’ll still enthusiastically welcome you into their world, full of quirky fun and warm Romagnolo hospitality, great food and wine.
7SEE THE TRAILER IN ENGLISHcLicK here
Contact [email protected]
Rimini: Club nautico
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FRom Time immemoRial to the present day, Romagna, this land of fairytales, has been the playground of larger than life characters who have
left their colourful impressions for us all to enjoy.
And, in Romagna they are very much larger than life. From the feisty much-married empress to the hunchback baron murderer through young and old married in love, the ‘Devil Wolf of Rimini’, the Fascist King and the film fun pair – they all have left their mark for all to see and have really colourful Romagnolo stories to tell…
Feisty empress with an astonishing 1500-year-old legacyThe powerful Galla Placidia, based in Ravenna, was empress of the Western Roman Empire in all but name from 423 until her death in 450. Her life was a story of defeats and victories, exiles and glorious homecomings, disasters and triumphs. Although betrothed early and twice married, her true love story was with the man she eventually married – Emperor Constantius III who tragically only reigned for 7 months before his death.
The architectural legacy that she created in Ravenna includes San Giovanni
Evangelista, Ravenna which she built in thanks for the sparing of her life and those of her children in a storm while crossing the Adriatic Sea, her Mausoleum in Ravenna, a sublime work of art, described by UNESCO experts as “the earliest and best preserved of all mosaic monuments, and at the same time one of the most artistically perfect”. It is an astonishing work, simple outside and a real glistening jewel-box inside – the colours so bright it is as though the mosaics were created yesterday.
One more legacy of this feisty, passionate, liberated woman: On a visit to the hills she was given a glass of wine in a vineyard. “This wine is so good it should be drunk in gold” she is said to have commented. The wine Albana DOCG, the place Bertinoro (drunk in gold in Romagnolo).
Hunchback baron murders wife and brother in historic power-play jealousyThe Malatestas were the Borgias of Romagna. Powerful, wealthy, ruthless. soldier barons who ruled most of the territory for around 200 years from 1295. At the height of their power, in 1285, the eldest son Gianciotto (Giovanni the Lame) was betrothed to the glorious Francesca da Polenta. Because Gianciotto was so ugly, his brother Paolo (the Fair) took his place in all
the arrangements preliminary to the marriage – naturally Francesca fell in love with him. Even though Paolo was married too, the affair carried on for 10 years – until Giancotto discovered the pair in flagrante, and killed them both.
The bloodthirsty story of the conspiracy and the jealous murder was covered by Dante (who know Francesca) in the ‘Inferno’ book of his ‘Divine Comedy’ classic. According to Dante whereas Francesca and Paolo are in the second circle of hell (for their adultery) Gianciotto is further in, being boiled in his own blood for eternity. Clearly, Dante is on the side of Francesca, partly due to the fact that the couple were reading the love story of Lancelot and Guinevere when they first kissed.
Anyway – the whole story spawned a great deal of wonderful art and literature, and you can still visit the splendid castle where the love and murder scene took place – Gradara. Gianciotto, the wife-and-brother-killer eventually met his own unsavory death in the dungeons of Torriana Castle.
And finally – the Dante battle still rages. The father of the Italian language and writer of the ‘Divine Comedy’ was thrown out of his native Florence and tramped from city to city in exile. He died in Ravenna in 1321. The Franciscan monks of Ravenna have guarded
Meet the cast...
8Contact [email protected]
his bones ever since even, though Florence has requested that he be re-interred there. The cloisters in Ravenna now host a Dante museum and close by there is the Dante tomb. Even 750 years after his birth the battle still rages and Ravenna is having a special celebration this year.
malatesta enemy arranges great art background to appear in renaissance masters’ pictures“Two souls in one body” imortalised in art.Federico da Montefeltro was not what you would call a nice guy. Constantly fighting, winning and losing against the Malatestas, this robber baron from Urbino and San Leo sold his mercenary services to all the big Italian power-players from the Florentines, to the Sforza family of Milan. He didn’t escape all these battles unscarred – losing one eye, he had the bridge of his nose removed so that he had a wider field of vision.
Anyway, eventually older, much, much richer and a bit more powerful and a little less aggressive, he was affianced to Battista Sforza – and promptly fell in love with her!
Lucky Federico – Battista was quite a catch. At the age of 13, she was24 years younger than Federico and reportedly fluent in Latin and Greek from the age of 4, Battista received a humanist education. She was described by the poet Giovanni Santi as “a maiden with every grace and virtue rare endowed”. During their happy marriage, she provided Federico with six daughters and a son.
They must have been the ‘It’ couple of their time – said a contemporary: “They are two souls in one body” and Federico himself called Battista “The delight of my public and private hours” He trusted her so much that he even left her in charge on his frequent absences.
Naturally they were depicted a great deal, but the classic portrait was created by the time’s top artist – Piero della Francesca – on Montefeltro land close to San Leo – a setting that was used many times again by both Piero and by other painters (reputedly including Leonardo da Vinci for the Mona Lisa).
immigrant stonemasons create a glorious city, a soaring republic and get to be saintsAround 250ad Roman Rimini (then known as Ariminum) was booming. There were building sites everywhere. Good, hardworking, experienced stonecutters were much in demand. Hence Marinus and Leo – stonemasons of Dalmatia (now Croatia) -
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By the time Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (known as the Wolf of Rimini) became Lord of Rimini in 1432, his family had been in power for well over a century – and had gotten a pretty gory reputation, which didn’t stop Sigismondo
making it worse.He was widely considered by his
contemporaries to be one of the most daring and ruthless military leaders in Italy. By his enemies – who included Pope Pius, Federico di Montefeltro, the Duke of Milan and the King of Naples - he was considered an out and out devil.
Married at least 3 times and with numerous lovers and illegitimate progeny, Sigi was accused of incest, rape sodomy, infanticide, adultery, murder and treason amongst many other sins. His image was burnt publicly in Rome and in an unique ceremony, the pope canonized him to hell
with the curse, “No mortal heretofore has descended into Hell with the ceremony of canonization. Sigi shall be the first deemed worthy of such honor.”
On the other hand, he was an enormous patron of the arts in Romagna, wrote a number of sonnets to his lover (later to be wife) Isotta degli Atti, who bore him four children. Moreover the great work of Renaissance art in Romagna – the Malatestina Temple, was created by Sigi to honour Isotta.
mussolini – it could have turned out so wellA classic Romagnolo man, Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born in 1883 in Predappio, a village just outside of Forli, his parents -Alessandro, a blacksmith and socialist and Rosa, a devout catholic schoolteacher. By the time he was 30 he was in the highest echelons of the Italian Socialist Party, then expelled within a year because of his support of the war against Austria. Returning, wounded from the war, he got his start in politics with a fabulous weekly wage of £100 (€10,000 today) from
the British MI5.Mussolini went on to form the Fascist
party, which strutted around Italy and engaged local violence and in the war alongside Hitler and Franco. ‘Il Duce’ ended up arrested by the Italians, rescued by the Germans ultimately being shot with his mistress and finally hanging upside down from meat hooks in a Milan petrol station.
One of his legacies is an architectural style. In Forli, a ceremonial way and various public buildings were created in a Totalitarian style in deference to Mussolini, also, the Romagna coast is dotted with ‘Colonia’ vast neo-classical buildings for healthy holidays and exercise for young Fascists.
Film fame fun for Romagnolo pairOne of the world’s greatest film directors came from Rimini and his collaborator the great screenwriter Tonino Guerra, came from Santarcangelo just 10km away.
The flowering of these two massive talents in the enormous global popularity of postwar cinema was world-changing.
La Dolce Vita, Satyricon, 8½, Fellini’s Casanova, and a dozen more great films attest to the artistry of this great filmic genius.
And Tonino Guerra, wrote screenplays for such classics as Blow Up, Lucky Luciano, Catch as Catch Can, and many more.
But their great collaboration was on Oscar-winning Amarcord, which derives its story from their Romagnolo youth in Rimini.
And, like other Romagnolo characters, they refuse to be defined by their medium.
Guerra, Italian concentration camp survivor, poet, writer and screenwriter, sculptor, mosaicist, creator of fantastic public works: Fellini, film director, scriptwriter, artist, caricaturist, joke-writer, journalist.
Both were truly Romagnolo - argumentative, passionate, hospitable, big-hearted bon viveurs.
either voluntarily, or on a special Roman prisoner transfer scheme, or fleeing persecution arrived in Romagna to work.
After a few years labouring on Mount Titanus (the site of San Marino), and supporting local christians, Leo went off to become a cleric and found a community and a settlement on another mountain – this was to become San Leo.
It is said that Marinus’ deserted wife from Dalmatia found him. Whether true or not, he became a hermit on Titanus and eventually founded his community there..
Miraculous stories about Marinus abound, including one about him being attacked,
then taming a wild bear with his goodness. It is also said that he met the Roman lady who owned the mountain, helped her son and got the mountain as a gift. But the most important fact is that Marinus quoted the saying ‘Nemi Teneri’ – not dependent on anyone – and that is exactly the way that San Marino has grown and thrived on its impressive mountain.
Two stunning mountaintop communities founded by two very different Dalmatian immigrant saints.
The devil-wolf of Rimini woos wife with art
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“No Mortal heretofore has desceNded iNto hell
with the cereMoNy of caNoNizatioN. sigi shall be
the first deeMed worthy of such hoNor.”
Contact [email protected]
montecodruzzo: osteria di
montecodruzzo
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Special offer SEE pAGE 44 put the chrIstmas back Into chrIstmas
FolloW the chrIstmas
star…
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Romagnolo people juST love any celebration and Christmas is the big one, so in Romagna, all the fun and the magic of Christmas is taken
very seriously! Villages, towns, cities and seaside resorts enthusiastically compete with each other with the quality of their Christmas markets, Christmas lights, decorations, and Christmas music – but above all they take great pride in their nativity Scenes.
Artistic nativity scenes that involve whole towns, nativity scenes on the water or on boats, live representations with hundreds of figures, delicately made in sand or salt, small mechanical moving masterpieces, multiethnic nativities and scenes in
grottoes. Everywhere in Romagna local people treasure their own evocation of the traditional Christmas story.
Naturally, many scenes are inspired by the sea. In Cervia, there’s the Salt Nativity and the Salt-workers Nativity. In Cesenatico, the historic nativity scene is set up on the ancient boats of the Maritime Museum in Leonardo da Vinci’s port. In Marina di Ravenna artists from countries all over the world create a monumental nativity scene, with statues more than 4 meters high.
Rimini hosts two spectacular and evocative nativities. Both in the heart of Marina Centro, near the canal port and on the beach of Torre Pedrera, artistic nativity scenes made of sand offer visitors life-size sculpted figures in masterly creations.
Nativity is represented in the heart of glossy Milano Marittima with a stunning work of art using modern animation techniques. Created using glass fibre, the one hundred elements in this setting, made up of pastors and sheep, glow at any time of day or night, and accompany visitors to the center of the Nativity, an evocative multi-sensorial animation, decorated with many colors, lights and music.
Whole medieval Romagnolo towns provide new settings creating a fascinating atmosphere, such as the one in Portico di Romagna, just inland from Forlí where the medieval town transforms into an original town of nativity scenes, with nativities popping up everywhere, in the most evocative corners, in the streets and in the square.
Contact [email protected]
longiano: Ristorante dei
Cantoni
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kiddies – of all ages – make Christmas delicacies and wrap presents; naturally there are stunningly -beautiful nativity scenes, naturally there are traditional carol concerts in the atmospheric churches, naturally there is a vast array of duty-free and branded outlet shopping in the pretty boutiques; naturally there are Christmas shops with a vast array of Christmas goods from decorations to cuckoo clocks to electronic Santas – everything… and naturally there is a fabulous Christmas Market full of glorious local produce..
Everyone can Christmas shop to their heart’s content (and often to their wallet’s benefit!). From a vast range of world famous designer brands to great Christmas decorations – and authentic cuckoo clocks! There is even a superb local Farmer’s Market selling local panettone (naturally), local honey, local preserved fruits, local salamis and prosciuttos, local nougats and sweets and much, much more.
Plus Christmas music, plus Christmas lights, plus stalls selling hot Christmas drinks, sweet Christmas confections and delicious stuffed Piadina flatbread, plus the aromas and sounds of Christmastime everywhere.
Not to be missed are the magical mechanical nativity scenes, most famous being the traditional nativity scene in the Convent of the SS. Crocefisso, in Longiano, full of complex and fascinating mechanical movements, lights and sounds. From here , you can follow a town nativity walk which takes the visitor to different nativities throughout the entire historic centre, the museums and many other surprising and beautiful settings.
Historic Santargangelo delivers a mechanical nativity scene inside its labyrinthine grottoes, this features a 200 metre underground nativity walk. Animations, lighting and special effects dance over one hundred statues, created by hand by the sculptor Davide Santandrea.
Another original representation along a spectacular underground pathway winds through the Solfatara grottoes, the old sulphur mine in Predappio Alta, near Forlì,
And in the mountains, in soaring Montefiore Conca, the entire centre of this medieval village will become a natural stage for the nativity scene. More than 150 figures and thirty episodes are represented along a path winding through the streets of the town and ends with the Nativity set up in the magnificent Arena at the foot of the imposing Malatesta Fortress.
In the Marecchia Hills, dramatic castellated hilltop Sant’ Agata Feltria becomes a complete Christmas village and delightful Pennabilli’s starry scene winds
around its picturesque hilltop from its ancient cathedral.
In the cities of art such as Ravenna, Cesena, Imola, Faenza, and Forli, many beautiful nativity scenes can be admired in the churches and picturesque places around the historic centres.
Christmas is not just nativity scenes, of course. Christmas markets selling decorations, gifts and Christmas treats like nougat to celebrate Santa Lucia, superb Panettone (traditionally not baked until 7th December) and all manner of sweets abound. In Forli every year a great Christmas market gets set up in the main square, and every Sunday there are extra Christmas markets. In Cesena a massive Christmas market sets up in the historic centre while the
‘Christmas Train’ ferries visitors around and to and from the ice-skating rink.
In Ravenna, there are Christmas markets and Christmas decorations everywhere – in the Piazza del Popolo, under the arcades, and, naturally, a special ‘Green Christmas Market’ with organic and local products.
Sant Agata Feltria transforms into a Christmas Winterland with Santa Claus, Musical performances and lots and lots of stalls – even rheindeers and elves! Riccione creates a winter wonderland ice fair with stalls, ferris wheel and ice skating rink.
But the biggest of all is at the top of towering Mount Titano, where the whole historic centre of the Republic of San Marino becomes Christmas personified.
Duty-free mountaintop shopping,
wonderful Christmas entertainment and nativity scenes everywhere make a heartwarming festive feast to see, to hear, to taste, to savour and to save!
High on the top of Mount Titano, soaring above the Adriatic coast, are the ramparts of a unique World Heritage Site – the tiny, atmospheric Republic of San Marino.
The quirky state that refused to join Italy, that kept itself aloof from the European Union (and that scored the fastest-ever goal in the World Cup!) – fiercely preserves its independence and its traditions above everything else to this day.
Here the city-state’s castles and walkways reveal sensational views, its cobbled streets and alleys hide little shops selling simply everything - tax paid only to San Marino!
And at Christmastime thousands of visitors arrive to enjoy San Marino’s wonderful sights and warm hospitality – and SHOP duty free.
Because San Marino creates possibly the most magical Christmastime event in the world – rightly called “The Christmas of Marvels”
Naturally there is an ice-skating rink; naturally Santa Claus sets up his village (with lots of Elf helpers) to help lots of
Contact [email protected]
Ravenna: osteria
l’acchiuga
oUr beSt 20 reStaUrantS
Romagna shows
touRism the gReen
caRd
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Romagna’S SoaRing mounTainS, stylish beaches and fertile plains are now providing truly green options for visitors.
a strong group of local tourism providers attended the launch of green Tourism italy in Cervia last year – and now Romagna has its very own green tourism initiative.
The pilot scheme presented in co-operation with local hotel association aSCom has already attracted an initial group of accommodation providers and other tourism businesses, who are enthusiastically waving the green card in italy for the benefit of their guests and the world at large.
green Tourism is the largest and most credible green certification programme in the world with over 2500 members including Manchester United Football Club.
The Romagna initiative has enabled local tourism businesses to save money and have their offers audited and certified. This provides a credible globally-recognised branding so that the ever-increasing group of discriminating green clients can be sure that they are getting the real green thing.
As a destination always ready to improve quality and authenticity, Cervia in Romagna was chosen by Green Tourism as the most suitable place for the initial green roll-out in Italy.
Among benefits offered to hotels and other tourism businesses are: advice, assistance and a complete technical report defining saving areas, investment opportunities and low cost effective measures to increase efficiency and provide a greener and more authentic service to guests.
And now, just a few months later visitors can choose from a stunning variety of pioneer green hotels and other establishments.
In swish Milano Marittima, right on the beach, green-leaning guests can enjoy the
bellettini, With its own band, leisure centre, spa, the four star Bellettini has been offering state-of-the-art hospitality since 1956.
At the Hotel Derby guests can get fit in the impressive Technogym, enjoy the night-time entertainments and excellent cuisine in this four star beachside hotel.
Or for a rather different holiday experience, green travelers can chose one of the 12 individually-designed luxury suites at the Hotel eros with artwork created by world-famous local artist Tonino Guerra – on the bed in the form of blankets! Truly a hotel that lives up to its motto “Elegance and Wellness”
Or, if great food is top of the agenda, green tourism visitors can choose the Michelin-listed Hotel mazzani Naturally, by the beach, and within a few steps to the centre,
Contact [email protected]
Russi: Ristorante
la Cucoma
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Santarcangelo di Romagna. But you may not want to leave Pennabilli,
one of the best small towns in italy. Or the riverside. There is simply so much to do and see
Visit the ‘Garden of Forgotten Fruits’ the ‘Road of Sundials’ the ‘Sanctuary of Thoughts’ or many of the other fascinating attractions in this beautifully-quirky town. But actually, you’ll probably get caught up in one of its many idiosyncratic festivals – from the massive international street performance festival, through jazz to antiques – there is something happening pretty much all the time.
And for green-leaning visitors who fancy something a little more relaxing in the countryside…
At the four star boutique hotel Relais Villa Roncuzzi, set in the heart of the Romagna countryside, you will find quality art everywhere, in the entrance hall, in the public rooms, in the restaurant, in the bathrooms, in reception, in each and every guest room. You will find sculptures, pictures, photographs
and, of course mosaics (this is Ravenna after all!) absolutely everywhere.
Guests will find that Patrizia’s major aim is to find the very best of food and wine in the local area to offer to her guests – the delicious Sangiovese wine she offers comes from a vineyard just four kilometers away, the prize capons that her kitchen uses to make the broth for her capeletti are grown by her 84 year old friend on his local farm – almost everything is sourced locally and is the very best that can be found.
And when this local food, cooked to perfection, arrives on the plate and delights the guest – isn’t this true art?
The hotel organizes cookery classes at the museum, events to popularize the Ocarina (the local vessel- flute musical instrument), and great soirees around the pool at the Relais Villa Roncuzzi – they are all part of Patrizia’s strategy to create a wall to wall relationship for her guests with fine and practical art without losing the local connection.Relais Villa Roncuzzi
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this 4 star establishment offers a wonderful garden and a sensational restaurant.
And for something VERY different – why not choose somewhere very green and extraordinarily interesting too.
The Camping marecchia is stunningly set beside the Marecchia River outside the hilltop haven of Pennabilli in the Apennines in the heart of Montefeltro country.
The campsite is beautifully-designed and peaceful, with all the amenities you may expect including an excellent restaurant and barbeque, and frequent events. Art is high on the agenda, and the ubiquitous local poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra used to say that it was one of his favourite places in his chosen home of Pennabili.
And for visitors in search of interest and excitement – Pennabilli is simply a fabulous base.
Set in the heart of Montefeltro Country, Pennabilli is close to the historic hilltop fortress-city of San leo and the wonderfully-atmospheric Slow City of
Other Green tOurism establishments in the area nOw include:by the beach:
Granada hotel igea marina http://www.granadahotel.it/ san remo hotel igea marina http://www.hotelsanremobellaria.com/ hotel luxor igea marina http://www.hluxor.it/ hotel missouri igea marina http://www.hotelmissouri.net/ hotel Villa claudia bellaria http://www.hotelvillaclaudia.it/ Piadineria dalla luana https://www.facebook.com/dallaluana hotel anastasi cervia http://www.hotelanastasi.com/ Just suites cervia http://www.justcervia.it/en/ hotel Giuliana cervia http://www.hotelgiuliana.net/ hotel antares Pinarella http://www.antareshotel.it/ hotel caribia Pinarella http://www.hotelcaribia.it/ hotel bahamas lido di savoia http://www.hotelbahamas.it/ hotel solemare milano marittima http://www.hotel-solemare.it/it/ hotel baya club milano marittima http://www.hotelbaya.com/ hotel luxor milano marittima http://www.luxor-hotel.it/it/index.php hotel majestic milano marittima http://www.hotelmajestic.it/it/ hotel delfino milano marittima http://www.hotel-delfino.it/ hotel Krone lido di classe http://www.kronehotel.it/ hotel Villa Gaia san mauro http://www.hvillagaia.it/ Piomboni camping Village marina di ravenna http://www.campingpiomboni.it
and in the cOuntry:casa cortese b&b bagnacavallo http://www.casacortesi.it/ Villa Ginanni corradini http://www.green-tourism.com/visit/villa-ginanni-corradini/listing-2541/ http://www.green-tourism.com/home/visit/italy/
Contact [email protected]
San marino:
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the Rolling hills of the conca Valley, unknown paRadise in the heaRt of italy
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luSH gReen HillS dotted with towers and fortresses, covered by sun-soaked vineyards renowned for the quality of their wines, and
productive olive groves producing superb oils, some of the most beautiful villages in italy…
Ten warm communities spread over fifty kilometers packed with history, romance, stories and great food and wine…
Sounds like paradise?What a story this splendid, spooky and
fascinating gradara castle has to tell! It is here that Paolo kissed Francesca and where they were both murdered by his brother, her husband. Gradara is a whole walled village atop a sensational hill with enormous Adriatic panoramas – one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, all within the castle keep. Festivals are held throughout the year, and particularly during Christmas.
San giovanni in marignano is a stunning moated village awarded the “The most beautiful Villages in Italy” title. Picturesque cobbled streets, a delightful main square and a sensational little 19th century theatre. Summer solstice ‘Witches Night’ and great autumn wine harvest festival are held each year.
Originally an important Roman ‘Castrum’ and now a stately, delightfully walkable 19th century town on the banks of the Conca river, morciano in Romagna is famous for
its fairs – starting with the millennium-old St Gregory’s Fair which marks the arrival of spring. And continuing through a ‘Gluttons Fair’ a big antique market, a massive modern art event and more…
San Clemente is perched on the top of a hill, this serene Malatesta fortress-village is entered by its 14th century gates which reveal a delightful piazza and splendid views. This foodie and wine village concentrates on local products from the fertile valley including the superb Sangiovese di Romagna grown on its own slopes.
Malatesta fortifications, lush surroundings and splendid panoramic views over the plains and sea, the delightful village of montecolombo still has its own unique 18th century washing trough. Visitors can enjoy wandering around the medieval terraces. Traditional Italian musicals are staged on the village lake and a festival of Strozzapreti (‘Strangled Priest Pasta”), tripe and olive oil is celebrated in July.
High above the Conca valley, and in its greenest and most spectacular of natural surroundings, gemmano is a pastoral, rural delight. Its unique caves house over 6,000 bats (3 times more than the village’s inhabitants). As part of the linea gotica, the area was heavily fought-over during the Second World War. Now the fight is over who can eat the most! Food festivals include ‘Gemmano and Flavours’ and in mid-August, a Pappardelle and Wild Boar Sauce festival.
From a distance, this towering hilltop edifice of looks like a modern skyscraper but as you get closer you realize that it is simply a timeless work of medieval architecture. One of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages in Italy’ breathtaking montefiore Conca was an exclusive Malatesta family asset as a rural summer residence with all the comforts of a city palace. A walk around the walls will reveal sensational panoramas full of history and atmosphere. Festivals include the Good Friday Procession, ‘Fortress of the Moon’ three day celebration, an October sweet chestnut festival and a Christmas market and living nativity scene.
Dominating the surrounding gently rolling hills, from Roman times until the Malatesta era, Saludecio was a defensive and production stronghold with noble families palaces and churches. Entering through its 14th century gate now you encounter an atmospheric hilltop village known for its painted walls, its delightful theatre and its lovely town square restored in the 14th century by Sigismondo Malatesta. Famous for its hospitality, village festivals are held throughout the year including ‘800 Festival’, ‘Saluserbe’ natural health festival and ‘Pilgrim of the Stars’
Aptly named as the ‘Mountain of Roe Deer’ and related to Diana, goddess of hunting, the woods, the moon and witches. As you pass through its historic 15th century Marina Gate, the beauty of mondaino is revealed, a lovely semi-circular piazza, sensational views, a serene convent complex , lovely old houses, a soaring Malatesta castle– simply a delightful village full of atmosphere. Festivals include the Modiano Music Festival, the traditional Palio del Daino,in August and the Fossa Cheese, Truffles and Honey Festival in November.
Another one of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages in Italy’ montegridolfo has an ancient castle mentioned as early as the 11th century – still intact and entirely protected by tall walls. Often caught up in the battles between the Malatestas and the Montefeltros, after three hundred years of Malatesta domination the village passed to the Borgias in the 16th century. Close to the Linea Gotica, Montegridolfo has the Museum of the Gothic Line and celebrates its liberation each August with a massive festival.
If the valley and the surrounding hills dotted with towers and fortresses sound like paradise – you’re not far wrong, and a visit to experience warm local hospitality too may well prove you even more right than you thought!
Contact [email protected]
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glorIous unknoWn hIlls and valleys battled over by WarrIng medIeval barons noW WaItIng to be dIscovered by you
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THe maReCCHia RiVeR runs for just 60 kilometres from Tuscany to Rimini where it joins the adriatic Sea. an important valley for many
centuries, its overlooking strongholds are some of the most important in all of Romagna, and the luscious meadows they guard amongst the most fertile of this green and fertile land.
Ten hospitable communities in beautiful settings make a river valley full of dreams, pleasure, history, food and drink…
Here you will find rich wines from rich vineyards, truffles and mushrooms galore, wonderful cheeses, great fields of wheat, orchards of cherries, apples, nectarines, peaches and pomegranates, sweet chestnut trees and groves of olives.
And it is a land to enjoy, not just for its bounty of food and wine – with its 5,000 hectare Sasso Simone and Simoncello Nature Reserve, great oak woods and mesas described by the poet Tonino Guerra as the ‘Childhood of the World’ - it is a land that will touch your soul.
Slow City – “Where Living is Easy” – Santarcangelo di Romagna, is the spiritual heart of Romagna, the birthplace of more intellectuals and artists than any other town in the province. Set on a series of terraces, the graceful old town is dominated by the Malatesta fortress and the Campanone
Tower. Throughout the town, noble palaces, quirky piazzas and eclectic vernacular buildings abound. The selection of museums is no less idiosyncratic with a ‘Button Museum’, ‘Mangle Museum’, a museum dedicated to the customs of Romagna and fascinating installations all over the city designed by Tonino Guerra the locally-born poet. Vibrant festivals include the ‘International Street Theatre Festival’, “Balconies in Bloom’, ‘Goblets of Stars’ wine festival, the massive ‘Bird Fair’, ‘Santarcangelo in Jazz’ and the enormous, historic ‘Festival of Cuckolds’ in November.
As a contrast, poggio berni is a lovely, peaceful residential hillside town covering a delightful area. A holiday home for the rich and powerful for centuries, here there are many palaces and noble villas, which have now become very upmarket tourist hotels and agriturismos. Festivals invclude a Tagliatelle Festival, music festival and ethnic street market, ‘Fairytales in August’ a ‘T bone Steak Festival’ and plays, cabarets and “Films under the Stars” in the town’s hillside amphitheatre.
Torriana and montebello are a pair of soaring mountaintop invincible fortresses watching over the Marecchia River. Once known as ‘Scorticato’, the dungeons inside 15th century Malatestas’ Torriano are where Gianciotto Malatesta, who was notorious for murdering the lovers, his wife Francesca and
brother Paolo, met his death. Neighbouring Montebello (‘Beautiful Mountain” – and it truly is beautiful!) is where the legendary medieval albino child ‘Azzurina’ lived. See THe ViDeo: Festivals include Torriano’s ‘Hillside of Pleasure’ in July – a celebration of good food and wine, and Montebello’s Honey Festival in September.
The imposing hilltop fortress where it all started for the Malatesta clan is called Verruchio. Here, you can imagine Malatesta founder (‘Headache of Verruchio’) plotting his battles over the hills, mountains and plains. Its spectacular position allowed sensational views all over the surrounding countryside and sea helped the family to dominate the area and create their vastly wealthy and powerful local fiefdom. Now it is a superb spot with a wealth of history and architecture from the Villanovan 9th century BC to the 18th century to enjoy. In particular the massive Malatesta fortress, the diffused multimedia archaeological park and the 10th century San Martino parish church are fascinating experiences.
Festivals include the January ‘Pig Fair’, the Verruchio Music Festival, an August of Malatesta festivals and the September ancient food and produce event ‘Fair of St Cross’
Stunningly beautiful, statuesque San leo is the spiritual pinnacle of the whole valley and a former short-term capital of Italy.
23Contact [email protected]
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25as a seat of the Malatestas, the Montefeltros and the lords of Carpegna. Now an equally important person has placed his mark on the town – Tonino Guerra whose “Orchard of Forgotten Fruits’ and ‘Road of Sundials’ ‘Places of the Soul’ and ‘The Angel with Moustache’ are dotted all over the town. Here, quirky museums abound including the Mateurka Calculus Museum, the Naturalistic Museum and the ‘World of Tonino Guerra’. Festivals include the Epiphany in Scavolino, Procession of the Jews at Easter, St George’s Mushroom Festival, the massive International Festival of Street Art (buskers!) and the Green Market – all in May. The Pennabilli National Antiques Fair is in July – and the meeting of Ancient Fruits is in October.
Deep, colourful history, amazing sights, stunning panoramas, sensational food and wine, warm, welcoming traditional fairs, really natural hospitality, comfortable hostelries, atmospheric villages… All along a beautiful valley less than sixty kilometers long. Paradise? It’s well worth discovering for yourself!
Strange and beautiful happenings (even now) are the norm in this dramatic, soaring fortress-village. The community, pagan from pre-Roman times, was Christianized by the visit of the Dalmatian stonecutters, and later saints, Leo and Marino (who went on to found San Marino). Visitors included Dante, Saint Francis and the occult alchemist Count Cagliostro – who was imprisoned in the formidable castle. The 15th century Martini fortress, the 9th century cathedral and the bejeweled 4th century church of La Vergine Assunta are delights. Festivals include the May Cherry Festival, a ‘Minstrels of the World’ festival in June dedicated to St Francis, the ancient Pugliano Festival in September and AlchimiaAlchimie a festival which commemorates Cagliostro’s death in his dungeon on 26 August 1795.
The curious and fascinating fortress of maioletto is easy to spot from the valley – it replaced the castle destroyed in the 18th century by a terrible landslide said by local people to be divine retribution for them having performed “The Angel’s Dance”. Views from here are simply astonishing spanning from the Adriatic, San Marino and San Leo to Mount Fumaiolo in the “Alps of the Moon” bordering Tuscany. The area is particularly famous for its bread, using local flours, traditional methods and antique farmhouse ovens. A diffused bread museum boasts over 50 ovens dotted all over the area. There is, of course, a Bread Festival – it is at the end of June.
The scene of numerous battles, the ancient town of Talamello is set on the slopes of Mount Pincio, covered in age-old pine forests and sweet chestnut woods. The mountain offers superb walks and splendid views towards the peaks of the Apennines and the Adriatic Sea. Here ditches have been dug into the sandstone to age the local Fossa Cheese (called ‘Ambra di Talamello’) during its three-month burial. Festivals include the ‘Marecchia Valley Chestnut Festival’ in October and the key local festival– when the Fossa Cheese comes out of its alchemic hibernation in November – the ‘Fossa Cheese Festival’.
Steeped in myth and legend, the fairytale village of Sant’ agata Feltria is idyllically-set on a hilltop between the Savio and the Marecchia rivers. The town’s imposing Fregoso Fortress was originally created around the 11th century and updated to a noble residence in the 15th century by Federico da Montefeltro. Still intact, it boasts
works of art such as coffered ceilings, monumental Renaissance fireplaces and 16th century frescoes. The village hosts one of the oldest theatres in Italy – the ornate 17th century Mariani Theatre is entirely made of wood – and a number of historic buildings line the village’s atmospheric streets. Tonino Geurra’s poetic ode to slowness – the ‘Snail Fountain’ is part of his local itinerary ‘Places of the Soul’. Festivals include an ancient mid-lent fair ’Feast of Forgiveness’, the national White Truffle Fair in October and an astonishing ‘Christmas Village’
petrella guidi is tiny and enchanting village on a hill with amazing views and a formidable fortress. In particular, there is a delightful memorial to Federico Fellini, his wife and Tonino Guerra. The castle is now an upmarket B&B.
Romagna’s historic and impressive pennabilli could be called ‘Capital of Fun’. This ancient settlement, originally inhabited by the Umbrians and Estruscans, has an unbroken history as a settlement since then. Many palaces, churches and grand houses, even a cathedral, attest to its important past
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montiano: osteria
macelleria lucchi
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let the traiN take the straiN
aNd eNjoy spectaculaR
sceneRy amazing food and wine
all the way to floreNce
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Take a loVely train trip along the picturesque lamone Valley from serene bagnacavallo to Florence (of course you can drive, cycle or
walk if you prefer) but the train journey is a delight in itself.
a Truly great Train journeyWatermelons, sweet chestnuts, sweet
cheeses, saffron, rich red wines and beer, sausages, world-beating olive oil, a feast for all the senses on the way to the city of the medicis
The lamone River travels through some stunningly fertile plains until it reaches Faenza then through the gentle Romagna Hills to the apennines, through panoramic passes and then down through Tuscany to magnificent Florence.
Away from the routes of the new high-speed inter-city trains, there are still the old, smaller railways and trains, attractive not for their speed but for their ambiance and the scenery they run through. Relics of an older Italy, these railways criss-cross the country,
revealing fascinating lesser-known places.One such route is covered by the Faenza -
Florence line, following the Lamone River Valley through the spectacular hills of Romagna and the majestic Apennines to arrive in stunning Florence.
Established way back in 1839, the brainchild of Grand-duke Leopold of Tuscany, to link Italy’s east and west coasts in Romagna and Tuscany, the building of this railway symbolised Italian unity. A poster issued by the city-state of Faenza in 1893 said:
“Faenza and hospitable Romagna embraced friendly Florence and culturally-rich Tuscany; together they joyfully celebrated their long-awaited reconciliation, thus underlining the firm belief that a resurgence of cultural inspiration and well-being will spring from the depths of the Apennines with the power of the steam engine”.
In other words – “We love going to up-market Florence for shopping and we think that we’ll make a lot of money from the railway!”
The train begins its journey at the historic, and now comfortably middle-class city of Faenza. But, so that we can experience all the best of the Lamone valley, we’ll start our journey at Bagnacavallo, follow the river to Faenza and then let the train take the strain.
Simply because Bagnacavallo is Brilliant!Just imagine you’re having a nice stroll
around this elegant little town, taking in the delightfully bijou little 19th century Goldoni theatre, walking along the local version of Lovers Lane and visiting the exquisite ‘Simple Garden’ (actually a very complicated and fascinating garden with its fruit tree-full Pomarium, the vegetable-full Horteus Holoreum, and the medicinal plant-full Hortus Sanitatis).
Walking blissfully, you arrive at something really special, the 18th century Piazza Nuova. Possibly one of the most beautiful piazzas in Italy, transformed from a market, now a romantic and delightful entertainment centre!
Built as a state-of-the-art trading space in 1758 with a multitude of shops including a
27Contact [email protected]
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chestnut), recognised internationally as being of the highest quality. The local cuisine benefits from the myriad of exquisite recipes based on the chestnut, especially the Torta di Marroni di Marradi (Marradi Chestnut cake), emblem of the local gastronomic culture, the recipe for which is jealously guarded in the memories of the old folk.
It is possible to try this delicious dish during the historic Sagra delle Castagne (chestnut festival) held during the month of October.
Leaving the Apennines towards Florence, the train passes through a vast open area - fields of wheat, soya beans and sunflowers, descending towards Ronta, the first town in the Mugello valley, then Borgo San Lorenzo which is the doorway to Tuscan Mugello. The town is surrounded by fields, mountains, age-old vineyards and olive groves, thousand-year-old churches, ancient farmhouses and geometrically laid out vegetable gardens. You could say that Mughello is understated and unknown Chianti.
Finally, the train chugs into the bustling Florence Santa Maria Station.
After a feast for all of the senses, through the stunning Lamone valley, the grandeur that is the home of Dante, Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, the Medicis, the Borgia and the Renaissance now opens its doors…
butcher, an oil seller and a fishmonger – this forerunner of the modern shopping centre is now not only a delightfully oval square, but a fabulous little, very atmospheric and totally romantic, place to relax and enjoy.
And the products now coming in to the piazza still represent a true cornucopia of great food and drink arriving from the surrounding ultra-fertile coastal plain
Grown just a few kilometers away, there are wonderful wines including the majestic Sangiovese di Romagna DOC, the delightful Romagna Albana DOCG, great local beers, famous Bagnacavallo watermelons, the IGP Romagna peaches and nectarines, the Scalogne di Romagna shallots, and, of course truly great meats, sausages and salumi – made from the succulent Mora Romagnola and the IGP white Romagnolo cattle. The sea is just a few kilometers away, too, so fabulous fresh fish straight from the Adriatic also come to grace the Piazza’s restaurants plates.
What a feast Bagnacavallo offers…Nowadays the Piazza Nuova is also proving
the ideal setting for all kinds of events. Recently it has hosted summer film festivals, theatre festivals , exhibitions , and many, many musical performances . And as a relaxed, romantic dinner with entertainment it has no peers.
On one side of the piazza is the relaxed Cantina di Piazza Nuova. Not only is the cantina a delicatessen, wine bar and a superb informal restaurant totally focused on local food and wine – but it also masterminds the piazza entertainment - in particular ‘Tuesday Live’ weekly live performances in the piazza from rock to jazz to classics.
Summer nights here are truly summery – wafting music, delicious food and wine and lovely sights – a feast for all the senses.
Although Tripadvisor says there are 28 things to do in Faenza, in fact just a trip to the glorious city centre will blow your mind for the rest of a day and illuminate the fact that this city has been a centre of art, commerce and power for over 1,000 years.
To get the most out of Faenza you simply have to take a stroll and visit just one museum. The International Ceramic Museum celebrates fabulously colourful Majolica in all its forms from classical amphoras, through the golden age of Faenza ceramics to the present day – including Art Nouveau and even has offerings from Chagall and Picasso through Rouault and Matisse.
Naturally, in such a city where its wealth is
its art – there are big and small workshops and shops everywhere – stacked full of new and old Faenza work.
And when you have had your fill of Faenza’s rich offering of Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture in its colonnaded piazzas, and vias (Piazza Popolo is a must) then you may care for a stroll in the park – or the Botanical Gardens, which houses more than 170 species of plants indigenous to Romagna.
As Faenza has a rich offering of Gelateria and top quality restaurants – you may certainly need the walk! Even as far as the station to board the train.
Leaving Faenza, the little train travels along the broad plain stretching from Faenza to the Adriatic, we then start the climb into the gentle hills of Romagna. First stop the lovely little medieval town of Brisighella, perched on a tall gypsum outcrop which provides soil ideal for growing olives and wine.
The key to Brisighella’s success is its microclimate – and the key to Brisighella’s microclimate is its “Gesso”. Gesso (or gypsum) is the main constituent of alabaster and various forms of plaster of Paris, it is also a sought-after natural fertilizer, and it’s great for retaining heat.
Brisighella is built on a mountain of it – just imagine being a farmer on top of a massive pile of natural sweetly-scented fertiliser! No wonder this beautiful area is so incredibly fertile and productive.
So, Brisighella’s olive groves and vineyards not only got their own source of powerful, sustainable Okm natural fertilizer from the Gesso– they also have the best possible natural microclimate for growing sensational olives and superb wine.
Olive oil is what Brisighella is famous for. Brisighella’s natural olive oil industry is thousands of years old and the oil is so good that it was the very first DOP olive oil in Italy. It’s no wonder that the 800 farmers that are
part of the local co-operative are proud of the fact that they produce some of Italy’s most delicious and distinctive olive oil. The best of the production is regularly selected and gets the trademark of ‘Brisighello’, an intense extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed drop by drop.
Emerald green with golden reflections, Brisighella oil has a distinctive taste, it is spicy and slightly bitter and it’s especially good for flavouring vegetables and fish and as an ingredient for sauces.
Another exquisite Brisighella product is an oil extracted in a very limited quantity from the cold pressing of the “Ghiacciola” olives, a rare tree that can be found only in a few groves around Brisighella. There are only 3,500 half-litre bottles of Ghiacciola, which is sold under the name “Nobil Drupa,” produced each year.
It’s no wonder that a constant stream of connoisseurs come to Brisighella to taste this amazing oil..
Their needs are more than amply catered for by the superb restaurants in the town and on the surrounding slopes. After-lunch walks are de rigeur – to visit the Via degli Asini (“Donkeys’ Road” – a medieval 1st floor covered alleyway), the stunning Rocca (castle), the Manfrediana Fortress, a Venetian example of medieval military art, and the Clock Tower. And there are many superb hillside walks to build up an appetite for more wonderful local food – and great olive oil and wine!
Leaving Brisighella, the next stage of the picturesque journey takes us through the Apennines. As the train heads upwards, the landscape changes dramatically, leaving Romagna’s hills behind, the scenery becomes wilder and more remote. Deep gorges and desolate mountains cloaked in endless forests are the only sights visible from the train.
The last station before reaching the heart of the mountains is Marradi. Here the train reaches the full height of the pass, 578 metres above sea level.
Marradi lies few kilometres from the boundary between Romagna and Tuscany, in the heart of the Lamone valley. Here, surrounded by forest, rivers, streams and mountains, the ancient, rural way of life lives on.
This is the land of the Marron Buono (sweet
28Contact [email protected]
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CReaTeD by 187bC the Romans built via emilia, to link the north of italy with ariminum (Rimini) on the adriatic and then connect to
Rome on the via Flaminia and to Ravenna and Venice along the via popilia..
This historic trunk road skirts the Apennines on the one side, making its way past the Po River Plain – possibly Italy’s most productive and fertile land – on the other.
Protected by the road, cities quickly sprang up, becoming rich and powerful because of the opportunities for trade and the proximity of great agricultural land.
Thus saw the inception and success of six of the seven most important, wealthy and powerful cities of the territory – Imola, Faenza, Forli, Cesena, Santarcangelo and Rimini.
And, naturally, the road, with its wealth and its cities, became a magnet for all kinds of travelers. Soldiers, merchants, vagabonds, highwaymen, peddlers, priests and prostitutes – all travelled the via Emilia, as did invading armies of Goths and Guelphs and Ghibbelines, of Bourbons and Bonaparte amongst many others.
And, of course the great Italian warring families – the Malatestas of Rimini, the Medici and the Borgias of Florence, the Montefeltros of Urbino, the Sforzas of Milan, and the Estes of Ferrara, quarreled over control of these cities’ wealth and trade. – and built their castles to protect them.
Now, all of this wealth, all of this trade, all of these quarrels and all of these colourful characters make this 120 kilometers of road, from Bologna to Rimini full of stories, full of history, full of art and architecture. Like jewels on a wonderful necklace, these magnificent and historic cities, towns and settlements straddle the via Emilia, all with their own tales to tell, providing the visitor with a massive treasure chest of experience to enjoy.
Not just experiences for the eye and the
ear, of course. All this wealth, all these travelers and trade, all the fertile land and the productive sea combine to deliver possibly the best cuisine in Italy. From Dozza, which hosts the prestigious Regional Wine Centre of Emilia Romagna, via the culinary pilgrimage site of Imola, to Forlimpopoli where the “Father of Italian Cookery” has his foundation – the road is a route of global culinary excellence.
And all along the via Emilia really good seasonable local food is available to the traveller at astonishingly low prices…
Leaving Bologna, the Via Emilia first call is at Dozza the “City of Painted Walls”. As visitors enter the city through its ancient gate, they are charmed by the tradition of wall-painting – rather more than graffiti, but colourful and humorous nonetheless.
The fabulous castle at the top of the cobbled hill was the home of Caterina Sforza (and still is said to house her ghost) and is now the prestigious and substantial enoteca Regionale. Here, more than 1000 different wines of Emilia Romagna are displayed according to the foods they are best served with. Naturally Dozza is dotted with superb restaurants, benefitting from superb views and great hospitality – so the city is rather difficult to leave!
But Imola beckons, Caterina was here too, although the Sforza’s didn’t have it all their own way – their castle fell to Cesare Borgia, who happily had his associate Leonardo da Vinci ready to plan the city a little better!
A few hundred years later in the 1890’s the town fell under the thrall of the socialists. Well before it was fashionable in Europe, Andrea Costa, originally an anarchist then a massive figure in socialism (whose name remains on many streets in Italy) became mayor of Imola, his birthplace.
Now, of course this city is world-famous for its racetrack – and for its cuisine, San Domenico restaurant is a pilgrimage site for international gourmets.
FolloW the ancIent mIllIons and travel
doWn the vIa emIlIa – a road Full oF FascInatIng
storIes, hospItalIty, great Food and WIne
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Cavour) and wonderful streets such as the majestic Corso d’Augusto all now pedestrianised.
Hungry? There are at least 20 fantastic Michelin-rated restaurants in Rimini, a city that has prided itself on its good food for centuries.
Tempted? Now succumb to temptation and take the short walk from the ancient city to the modern home of hedonism!
It started as long ago as 1843 when Rimini beach was promoted as a health-giving destination. And it all got extremely upmarket when the Grand Hotel was established in 1908 – then Mussolini got the impressive infrastructure going with his ‘Holidays for All’ programmes in the 1930’s building holiday resorts for factory workers, railwaymen and colonies for kids.
But it all got hyper hedonistic in the 1960’s – and still is. More than anywhere in the world seaside Rimini represents the ‘Dolce Holiday Vita’
Walk the dramatic 15kilometre long seafront with beaches and bathing establishments on one side and a plethora of hotels and shops on the other – and you’ll get some idea about Rimini’s scale, and colour and hedonistic activity.
With more than 1600 hotels, 60,000 rooms, 750 bars and cafes, 350 restaurants, 70 nightclubs, 50 cinemas, plus mini-golfs, plus tourist attractions – it has space and diversions for more than 100,000 tourists a day. Rimini is without doubt simply the biggest, funkiest, most unpretentious, most cosmopolitan Lido in Europe.
A fittingly hedonistically end to an extraordinary via-full of experiences.
became a via Emilia Roman Fortress-city, ultimately ruled by the Ordelaffi family of Forli. Cardinal Abornoz the papal legate took over the city in 1357 but the citizens hated Papal rule so much they revolted and the Malatestas arrived. Great! Domenico Novello Malatesta decided that the city’s future was as a centre of educational excellence, built the massive Rocca, the superb public library (Biblioteca Malatestiana) and promoted the university. Now you have a truly delightful and very walkable city, with lovely squares, medieval streets, pretty parks and charming people, and an amazing festival of St John on Midsummer’s Day.
Next stop down the via Emilia is truly the food and wine and historic heart of Romagna – Slow city, Art City - Santarcangelo di Romagna.
Yet another Malatesta Castle tops the city, which (like Gradara) is said to be the scene of the indiscretion between Paolo and Francesca which occasioned their murder. Be that as it may, on moonless nights a female ghost is said to shuffle around the ramparts.
Strangely, 200 artificial caves with long access corridors ending in circular rooms create a latticework under the city– are they for Celtic places of worship, Roman temples to Mithras or for storing Sangiovese (the latter say the locals!)
The selection of museums is no less
idiosyncratic with a ‘Button Museum’, ‘Mangle Museum’, a museum dedicated to the customs of Romagna and a installations all over the city designed by Tonino Guerra the locally-born poet. Vibrant festivals include the ‘International Street Theatre Festival’, “Balconies in Bloom’, ‘Goblets of Stars’ wine festival, the massive ‘Bird Fair’, ‘Santarcangelo in Jazz’ and the enormous, historic ‘Festival of Cuckolds’ in November.
We’ve travelled, we’ve dawdled and finally we’re at our destination – Rimini or Roman Ariminum and the Arch of Augustus where the via Emilia terminates and you have a choice (since about 200ad) of taking the via Flaminia towards Rome or the Popilia towards Venice and Ravenna.
The Romans made Rimini one of the most important and wealthy cities in the empire, and a major crossroads. Its amphitheatre (now almost destroyed) was nearly as big as Rome’s Coliseum.
But it was the Malatestas who came down from the mountains and left a really wealthy legacy of art and architecture and good living in the city today. And although the city has been in the wars since then – it has been refurbished incredibly.
And it would be a pity to miss some of the extraordinary works of art the city holds. In particular the Tempio Malatestino – covered in its snow-white walls it is one of the great works of the Italian renaissance. Also created in the city during the Malatestian era (about 1250 – 1500) are the Palazzo del Podesta, and the Malatestian castle.
After a massive refurbishment, Rimini is now a delight for the senses – great piazzas (including piazza Tre Martiri and piazza
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papal legate and replaced by the massive forbidding Rocca on the via Emilia. Now better known as the cathedral of Italian home cooking, Forlimpopoli was the birthplace of the great Pellegrino Artusi, - the “Father of Italian Cookery” and creator of “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” which his the best seller and not out of print since he first published the work at the age of 70 in 1891, thirty years after Italian unification.
Now there is a massive library of cookbooks, a cookery school, two superb restaurants, a knowledge-centre, a convention venue and a massive annual food festival, all in Artusi’s memory. Plus, of course, there is a related culinary culture for miles around.
…Fancy a glass of wine to go with all that great food? Legend has it that the Empress Galla Placidia, while passing through the region, having tried a wine served in a humble terracotta cup, declared: “you are so good you should be drunk in gold” (“berti in oro” means drunk in gold, in Italian), Fabulous wines grown here in the stunning hilltop wine-town Bertinoro – conveniently just a few kilometres from Forlimpopoli - include the delicious red Romagna DOC Sangiovese - the most delicious representative wine of Romagna. Plus Albana DOCG, Pagadebit and Trebbiano.
Originally an Etruscan town, Cesena
Just a few kilometers down the via Emilia, you’ll find the fabulous city of Faenza which gave its name to Faience ceramics - massively successful in the 16th century, and still are. Great wealth from this great European hit financed both great architecture – and a local artisan industry, the city is dotted with superb little ceramic studios and hosts the fabulous International Museum of Ceramics. The museum is a must-see with pottery works from the dawn of history through the renaissance to Picasso and Matisse.
Even some buildings in Faenza are ceramic-decorated like the Art Deco Matteucci Palace, and the town’s great wealth and taste is liberally displayed architecturally by the galleried Piazza del Popolo and adjacent Piazza della Liberta.
The major reason that Faenza became “Ceramic City” was the proximity of quality clay, amply provided by the Faenza Hills in which the city nestles. These are made of gypsum (Gesso), and have a number of qualities – one of which is to provide extraordinarily good fertiliser and another a stable micro-climate (winters not too cold, summers not too hot) all this is extremely good for growing grape vines and olive trees. And led to the origin of Brisighella – a lovely village on top of a Faenza hill (or a big lump of microclimate-forming fertiliser!) – known for its beauty, and its superb DOP olive oil, wine and honey. It takes just 15 minutes to get from Faenza to Brisighella by train and it’s very well worth the time.
The second ‘F’ word on the via Emilia
hasn’t got such a straightforward commercial history. Forli is the city of Il Duce. If it hadn’t been for Mussolini, Forli would have been just an atmospheric little city of Roman origin with nice medieval squares and porticos and its fair share of minor and major works of art.
However ‘Il Duce’ was born near here (in a village called Predappio) and as dictator, he felt it appropriate to set his architectural seal on his local big city.
Hence ‘Citta del Duce’ a processional route from the massive railway station to the Piazza della Vittoria – there are other massive fascist-era edifices around the town, but this open air museum of totalitarian architecture delivers an extraordinary vision of the world as it was then. You can close your eyes and almost hear the goose-steps of the troops and rants of the dictator
And for a little light entertainment you can take a tour of the rest of this pretty city… including its many squares and green spaces.
Quite close to Forli it is possible to take advantage of another local therapeutic natural phenomenon – thermal baths. Both Castrocaro and Riolo Terme are dedicated to luxurious natural hot water therapy. Thermal bathing combined with great luxury. There is a Grand Hotel in each thermal station when the dirt of the via needs to be cleaned off.
Who knows what was there before 1361 – the date that the Forlimpopoli was visited by Cardinal Albornoz, because whatever was in Forlimpopoli was razed to the ground by this
Contact [email protected]
brisighella: Trattoria
la Cassetta
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great hospItalIty In romagna
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RelaiS Villa RonCuzzi is a four-star boutique hotel in the country close to Ravenna and with an art gallery in every room! Superb well-
informed welcome.At the The Tenuta Saiano, you can be
absolutely sure of the very best in food and drink (it’s produced on the estate for possibly the best restaurant in Romagna).
You are assured of sensational service at the iconic five star Grand Hotel Rimini – star of Fellini’s Oscar-winning ‘Amarcord’ and his favourite place to stay.
In many respects the five star boutique Hotel Wardorf is a homage to Fellini’s friend Tonino Guerra and the views are sensational along Milano Marittima beach.
Cesenatico, with its da Vinci canal-port is a delight, and the five star Da Vinci Grand offers hospitality and de luxe service right on the beach. As does the four star Grand Hotel. Both are superb!
A small palazzo that has been furnished and decorated with total and individual style – the B&B Al Re in central Cesena is comfort and taste personified.
Close to Bagnacavallo, the Palazzo Baldini is self-contained luxury on the farm – warm fresh-from-the-orchard breakfast and ultra-friendly service.
In Cervia, right on the beach, the four star Grand Hotel offers the best of old-world luxury and hospitality.
The Locanda della Luna is a superb agriturismo producing its own olive oil and great fruit and veg, plus extra-comfortable accommodation near Longiano.
A superb boutique four star art-hotel, the Hotel Vittoria in Faenza replicates the city’s luxury, style and hospitality.
In Bologna, the Novecento is a four star hotel with great style and is right slap-bang in the centre of the city.
Attached to a superb restaurant in Brisighella (La Cassetta) Modus Vivendi is a clean and simple B&B with extremely friendly hospitality.
Close to Bertinoro the spa hotel Terme della Frata offers four star luxury and well being plus good local food.
An incredibly comfortable and stylish B&B, Casa Lo offers real Romagnolo hospitality in Cesena.
An old family palace with superb accommodation and good, old fashioned service, Casa Masoli is in the heart of Ravenna.
Four star luxury in possibly the best position in San Marino, views from the terrace of the Hotel Titano are amazing .
Five star suite hotel on the beach in Rimini
the i-Suite is ultra-modern luxury with a spa and superb restaurant.
A superb four star historic hotel near Dozza, the Hotel del Re offers luxury combined with great food and wine.
The Camping Marecchia is just by the river outside of the delightful town of Pennabilli – professional and extremely green.
With its own band, leisure centre, spa, the four star Hotel Bellettini in Milano Marittima has been offering state-of-the-art hospitality since 1956.
At the four star Hotel Derby in Milano Marittima can get fit in the impressive Technogym, enjoy the night-time entertainments and excellent.
Guests can chose one of the 12 individually-designed luxury suites at the four star Hotel Eros Cervia with artwork created by world-famous local artist Tonino Guerra.
Michelin-listed four star Hotel Mazzanti is by the beach in Milano Marittima, and within a few steps to the centre, this establishment specializes in great food.
You can be sure of a cure at the four star art deco Grand Hotel Castrocare – relax in at a thermal spa and bathe the troubles away.
Or at the Grand Hotel Riolo Terme try a grand epoch setting combined with sensational food for your hot water cure.
our choice of places to stay where you will receive a woNderful autheNtic
roMagNolo welcoMe – guaraNteed.
Contact [email protected]
bagnacavallo:
osteria di piazza nuova
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FolloW the steps oF
pellegrIno along la vIa
artusIana to a Wealth oF culInary dIscovery
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eVeR HeaRD oF pellegrino artusi? if not you have some wonderful
eating, drinking and living to do in the warm company of the father of italian home cooking.
In 1891, At the tender age of 70 Pellegrino Artusi, a rich travelling Florence-based merchant got his final refusal from yet another publisher.
This delightful, energetic gentleman’s life work was to travel the length and breadth of Italy prior to unification and collect authentic local home recipes from all over creating a wonderful cookery book where each recipe had both a story and a taste!
Anyway, Artusi, not to be deterred by the refusal, went ahead and self-published
his first volume of 475 recipes called “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” And it quickly sold out, 124 years later it is still one of Italy’s best selling books and has never been out of print. The story of the book in Artusi’s own words is “A bit like the story of Cinderella”
Artusi’s masterpiece is not just a popular cookbook, though, it is a landmark work in Italian culture.. In effect Artusi is like the English Mrs Beeton, offering advice and a myriad of stories to his audience of housewives – the undisputed mistresses of the Italian kitchen.
As Scienza in Cucina was the first cookbook specifically for home cooks rather than professional chefs, it was treated as a treasured culinary Bible in
many Italian homes and tattered, stained copies are often passed from mother to daughter.
The book has been pivotal in the proliferation of Italian cuisine throughout the world. As the Italian diaspora took place, new brides were often given copies of the book so that their families would benefit from good Italian food wherever they were.
And it is read not only because it is practical but also because it is enjoyed. Without the benefit of a publisher’s editor, the reader hears Artusi’s true voice. Never one to avoid a good story – Artusi made sure that the book abounds with them, told with his unique blend of charm, humour, warmth and wit. And Artusi does not avoid the sensual nature of his
Contact [email protected]
bagnacavallo: la
Cantina di piazza nuova
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the hearth, if you do not want lumps to start forming. After it has firmed up, keep the pot on the fire for another eight to ten minutes, then let it cool.
Take a fluted mold, grease thoroughly with cold butter and begin filling it as follows: if you have good conserves such as apricot, peach or quince, line the bottom of the mold with this, pour a custard layer on top, followed by a layer of ladyfingers dipped in white rosolio. (liqueur). In addition, if for example there are 18 flutes in the mold, dip 9 ladyfingers in Alkermes (cochineal liqueur) and 9 in white rosolio and then fill the flutes with alternating colours. Pour more custard on top, then add another layer of ladyfingers dipped in rosolio over the custard. Repeat the procedure until the mold is full.
Make sure that you do not soak the biscuits too long in the rosolio otherwise the excess liquid will ooze out and spoil the custard. If the liqueur you are using is too sweet, lace it with rum or cognac. If the fruit preserves have hardened over time, soften over a fire with a little water (though, actually you can make this dessert without it). Make sure that the preserves are cold when you pour them into the mold.
In summertime, you can keep this dish on ice, to remove the contents from the mold, immerse it for an instant in hot water, so that the butter melts.
From Science in the kitchen and the art of eating Well (lorenzo Da ponte italian library) by pellegrino artusi (author), murtha baca (Translator), luigi ballerini (introduction)
project, a typical Romagnolo man he said “Two are the pleasures of life - the tablecloth and the bedsheet!”
But, most importantly, - in his 14th edition he says: “Finally, I should not like my interest in gastronomy to give me the reputation of a gourmand or glutton. I object to any such dishonourable imputation, for I am neither. I love the good and the beautiful wherever I find them, and hate to see anyone squander, as they say, God’s bounty. Amen”
He saw 15 editions published before his death in 1911 at the age of 90. Originally containing 475 recipes, the latest edition of “Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well” contains 790 recipes.
Casa Artusi, established in 2007, is a tribute to this man who single handedly put Italian home cooking on the culinary map.
Housed in a renovated monastery and church in his birthplace of Forlimpopoli, Casa Artusi has a restaurant, wine store, culinary school, library with over 45,000 books, meeting space, art exhibits and museum. It is a place to read, learn, practice, taste and appreciate the treasure that is “Italian home cooking.”
The Cooking School offers a variety of day classes and serves as the headquarters for the Associazione della Mariette, named after a woman whom Artusi said, “. . .is both a good cook, and a decent, honest person. . .”.
And since 1997, Forlimpopoli has held an annual gastronomic event dedicated to Artusi when Casa Artusi and the historical center of the town come alive as a “City of taste.” Streets, alleys, courtyards and squares become stages for food stands featuring Artusi’s dishes, exhibitions, performances, multi-media productions, tastings and gastronomic tours, concerts, children’s events, cultural events, art displays, and more.
In 2015 the Festa artusiana will be from June 20th through the 28th .
Want to experience Romagnolo food at its very best? Now you can follow in the steps of Pellegrino Artusi at any time and experience some of his signature recipes cooked by professionals in Romagna.
1. In Forli: Don Abbondio http://www.osteriadonabbondio.it/ 2. In Predappio: Vecia Cantena d’la Pre http://www.laveciacantena.it/ 3. In Forlimpopoli: Edo http://www.hoteledo.net/ 4. In Santa Sofia: Del Borgo http://www.osterialocandadelborgo.com
5. In Castrocaro: La Cantinaza http://www.ristorantelacantinaza.it
TRY THIS: Piadina RomagnolaLa Piadina, Romagna’s flatbread, is tasty to bite into, wonderful when spread with cheese, an excellent foil for cold cuts, and (when folded) perfect for containing all sorts of things…and it’s easy to make.
No family in Romagna makes their Piadine in exactly the same way, so use this recipe as a base and make your own unique version!
Use a cast iron piadina pan or stone (if you haven’t got a Piadina stone (yet!) use a big frying pan or a griddle or a skillet!)
Take… 1kg plain flour, 80-100gm lard (or olive oil); teaspoon of baking powder, dried yeast or bicarbonate of soda; teaspoon of sugar (or honey); 25cl of sparkling water, 25cl warm milk (or beer); a good pinch of good salt.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar. Make a pile of the flour on a work surface and use your hands to work in the all the ingredients. Put in the salt last. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and let it rest for at least 60mins.
Use your rolling pin to roll out the dough to maximum half a centimeter thick. Cut out circles between 15-30cm diameter. Make sure your pan is really hot and dry. Cook like a pancake until the piadina is spotted on both sides.
Eat NOW while they are hot with your cheese or salami or whatever - you won’t be able to restrain yourself!
OR THIS:Pellegrino Artusi’s Simple Ravioli Romagna Recipe no 98
Says Artusi: “Because of their climate, which requires very substantial fare, and perhaps also because they have been so long accustomed to heavy foods, the Romagnoli tend to cook their vegetables in a way that makes them as pleasant as smoke in the eyes. Indeed I have often heard people cry out in restaurants: :”Waiter, some boiled meat please, but mind you no spinach” or, pointing to the spinach “With that you can make a good poultice for your bottom” Thus, leaving out chard and spinach, here is a recipe for ravioli Romagna style:”
Take… 150gm Ricotta cheese, 50gm of strong plain flour 00 if possible (and 50gm for rolling), 40gm of grated Parmesan, one whole egg and one yolk.
Enjoy mixing the lot together with your hands as the pan of water is coming to the boil. Roll the dough on the extra flour into little AA battery-size cylinders.
Toss them in the boiling water and boil for 2 or three minutes. Drain and serve with anything you like. Bon aptìt!
Pellegrino Artusi’s Lamb with peas Romagna StyleRecipe no 319
Says Artusi: “Take a lamb hindquarter and stud it with two cloves of garlic (cut into tiny strips) and a few sprigs of rosemary. I said sprigs rather than leaves because sprigs may
be more easily removed once the lamb is cooked. Take a piece of lardon or a slice of bacon and chop fine with a knife. Put the lamb on a fire in a pan with the chopped lardon and a little oil. Season with salt and pepper and brown. When the lamb has browned, add a bit of butter and tomato paste diluted with water and cook until it is perfectly done. Then remove the lamb for a moment, pour the peas into the sauce and when they have boiled a little put the lamb back on top of them, cook until the peas are done and serve as a side dish.
You can cook a bit of veal or beef in the same manner.
These dishes are prepared in almost the same way in Tuscany as they are in Romagna, but in Tuscany olive oil is all they use as condiment.
OR THIS…Zuppa Inglese (English Trifle)Recipe no 675In Tuscany, due to the region’s climate and because the stomach of its inhabitants has become accustomed to this manner of cooking, the emphasis is on making dishes that turn out light, and, whenever possible, rather runny. Thus the custard there is silky smooth, made without starch or flour, and customarily served in little cups. Yet while it is true that a custard prepared in this fashion is more delicate to the taste, it does not lend itself to Zuppa Inglese, which is prepared in a mold, nor is it particularly impressive in appearance.
Here are the ingredients and amounts to be used to create confectioner’s custard, as chefs call it, to distinguish it from custard made without flour:
500 ml of milk85 grams of sugar40 grams of flour or powdered starch4 egg yolksA dash of vanilla
First beat the egg yolks and the sugar together, then add the flour and lastly the milk, a little at a time. You can begin cooking it over a high flame, stirring constantly, but when you see that the mixture starts to steam, throw a small scoop of ashes on the fire, or else move the pot to a cooler part of
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Sarsina: antica osteria
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Forests and the sea, a Walkable natural, dappled playground oF yelloW, green and blue
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FoR a DeligHTFul 12km stretch from an amazing salt water bird-watchers paradise, fabulous pine woods provide shade all down the adriatic
coast to Cesenatico.What a wonderful walk, through unique
resorts each with their own fascinating story but all with the lovely Adriatic and immaculately-groomed sugar-fine sandy beaches.
And a sensational choice of resorts stretch down the coast to welcome you for your enjoyment and relaxation for a longer stay.
The state natural Saline reserve must be a high point for any visit. Recognized by the Ramsar Convention as wetlands of international importance for their high natural and scenic value, the salines provide a unique sight. And the beginning of our walk.
The stunning environment is populated by
rare species such as flamingos, “Cavaliere d’Italia” (Black-winged Stilt), avocets and many other protected species.
Next down the coast is the upmarket resort of Milano Marittima which dates back to 1907 and the Garden City Movement. The story is that 10 Milanese decided to buy a nice bit of land by the sea so that they could take their families on healthy seaside holidays. They entrusted the development of their seaside strip to Guiseppe Palanti
Now, Mr Palanti had been very influenced by Ebenezer Howard who believed that Garden Cities were the perfect blend of city and nature. Garden cities were largely independent, managed by the citizens who had an economic interest in them, the land on which they were built was owned by groups of trustees and leased to the citizens.
Anyway Palanti went ahead with the Garden City concept - ideal for Milano Marittima with its pine forests and beaches.
In1913 the Society built the first three cottages and the following year four more including Giuseppe Palanti’s villa.
All these cottages were in the heart of the pinewoods and in Art Deco style. In a few years Milano Marittima became a new middle-class beach resort and, following the trend for healthy holidays in 1927 neighbouring Cervia, and Milano Marittima became “ Resorts for health and tourism”
The beneficial effects of Cervia’s health spa has been known for centuries and the centre has been visited by many people over the years. ‘Selva e mare’ - ‘forests and sea’ was the first theme used to publicize the spa at the start of the century and today is still considered the winning formula of the city.
And Milano Marittima has gone from strength to strength thanks to its big selling points: the environment, spa and wellness, and its fascinating architecture.
Now you’ll find possibly the most
upmarket family destination on the Romagna coast with five star hotels, top class designer shops, fine dining restaurants and an all-season calendar of events for guests.
Plus, behind the resort the 27 hectare Cervia Natural Park – a massive botanical garden and an ideal place to spend hours of tranquility in natural surroundings with the scents of trees, flowers, plants and orchids and sounds animals including donkeys, deer, swans, pheasants, peacocks and a glorious birdlife.
Ficocle made its money from white gold – the salt that came from the sea, so prized that the industry was quarreled over by the Popes, the Venetians, the Romans and the Greeks. Re-named Cervia, and later re-positioned to avoid flooding – Ficocle-Cervia became yet another fine example of a ‘New Town’.
A whole new model city was built in the
17th century – the historic, delightful Cervia that visitors enjoy today.
The lovely main square with its cathedral, the colourful port-canal with its myriad of great seafood restaurants and the fascinating salt-museum – all these lead back to the sea and the fine golden sands.
And more woods of maritime pines, following the line of the beach lead to the very green, and aptly-named resort of Pinarella a natural family-holiday paradise. Woods and a beach to play in, shops, restaurants, bars and family hotels for after play comfort.
12 kilometers along the beach from the salines, we arrive at lovely Cesenatico.
Its superb centerpiece – the Port Canal – improved by Cesare Borgia’s man, Leonardo da Vinci in 1502, a delightful Venetian-style marina, is dotted with superb restaurants where amazing seafood can be enjoyed ‘al fresco’ delivered daily by one of most
important fishing fleets in the Adriatic.The PortoCanale is now a grand open air
museum, filled with colourful ancient vessels which would, in their time, have plyed the Adriatic for trade and plunder
Nowadays Cesenatico is better known for being a swanky beach resort with a full range of facilities, swish hotels, superb restaurants, and a very impressive café society.
And two more superb “Gardens by the Sea’. The Levante park - 40 hectares of mixed woodland, lakes, walks and cyclepaths plus kids playgrounds – and the Ponente park, 13 hectares of woods with picnic areas.
And a cavalcade of great gelato shops – here you can even buy gelato without cream, bio gelato – every sort of gelato according to your taste.
A seat in the sun, a gelato in hand - a fitting conclusion to a delightful walk.
Contact [email protected]
Cesena: pappa Reale
oUr beSt 20 reStaUrantS
two VeRy diffeRent seaside cities, sepaRated by 50 kilometeRs and at least 1000 yeaRs
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FoR DiFFeRenT ReaSonS the adriatic coast has always been important – first to dominate the sea, second for the wealth of the hinterland and now for
the hedonistic pull of its beaches.From Iron-age Villanovan trading station,
through Roman centre of commerce and trade, renaissance fiefdom of the Malevolent Malatestas to glitzy tourism resort – Rimini has changed dramatically with the centuries.
At one time all roads led to Rimini (or at least the Roman via Emilia – which came from Bologna; the via Flaminia – which came from Rome, and the via Popilia which came from Ravenna and Venice). That was the case in 27bc when the Arch of Augustus was created as the crossroads for these major Roman highways – and it still appears to be so today.
All of this trade and communication made big business for Rimini (or Ariminium as it was known in Roman times) and the city grew like Topsy. The city had become a Roman Municipium in 90bc and by the next century Ariminium became one of the most opulent towns in Northern Italy with an amphitheatre nearly as big as Rome’s Colosseum.
After the Romans went all was quiet for a millennium or so until the city got a very big headache… In the form of the Malatesta family (unfortunately for them Malatesta means ‘bad head’ in English). The violent
and unsavoury Malatestas moved into the city in 1216 staying until 1500 when the Borgias seized the city.
During the Malatesta reign over Rimini, family bosses included Malatestino the Cross-eyed, Giovanni the Lame, Paolo the Fair (murdered by his envious brother) and Pandolfo the Family-wrecker.
But possibly the greatest ruler of the city was Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, known as the ‘Wolf of Rimini’ who has been accused of murder, rape, adultery, incest, sacrilege, perjury and treason, for which the Pope (Pius II) accorded him the peculiar dishonour of a canonization to Hell and even a crusade was launched against him in 1461.
Be all that as it may, Sigismondo’s reign saw a glorious flowering of culture in Rimini, including the unique Malatesta Temple built by Leon Battista Alberti with works by the renaissance greats Piero della Francesca and Agostino di Duccio. And Sigismondo was well aware of his own faults, devoting the temple and many poems to his lover, mother of four of his children and ultimately wife and partner Isotta degli Atti.
Just as it seemed Rimini’s history was over, in the late 19th century seaside tourism came into fashion, and Rimini had another century-long heyday. Kicked off by the building of the magnificent Grand Hotel in 1908.
And eventually reaching a popular market through the Italian ‘Dolce Vita’ hedonism,
personified by a local man – the film maker Federico Fellini – and his friend local poet Tonino Guerra.
As a poor child growing up in Rimini, Fellini often looked through the gates of the hotel in awe, dreaming of a life of luxury like the hotel’s guests. These childhood memories inspired some of his most successful films. The Grand Hotel is featured particularly in his film, the Oscar-winning Amarcord, where it is the background for some of the film’s most memorable scenes.
Fellini himself loved to be a guest at the Grand Hotel once he was successful, and stayed in his favourite suite on a regular basis. Today, some guests specifically request to stay in that room.
In 1994 the Grand Hotel was recognized as a national monument and it is under the protection of the Superintendent of Fine Arts. One of the most attractive aspects of the Grand Hotel is its classic style. The rooms are still decorated with Venetian and French antiques of the 18th century, and the original wooden parquet floor and Venetian chandeliers have been restored. In the restaurant and the other banqueting rooms, the furniture, the paintings, and the lights, reinforce the original atmosphere of the past.
And the tourism boom that the Grand and Fellini sparked off in the 1960’s?
Nearly 2,000 hotels, with over 70,000 rooms, probably in excess of 50,000 day trippers, over 750 bars, more than 500 restaurants, up to 100 discos and dance halls, a couple of dozen cinemas, plus golf courses, fun fairs and bowling alleys make up the astonishing accommodation and entertainment complex that is Rimini today.
From six star super luxury to basic economy, there is something for every taste in Rimini today.
Plus an extraordinary historical centre… Walk away from the beach and the
promenade and you can see a very different Rimini. Historic Rimini today is a fabulous historic, well-renovated city of art with sensational Roman remains, world-class Renaissance masterpieces, suberb walkable streets and airy piazzas.
You can still see Roman remains all over the old city, the Arch of Augustus, the Tiberias Bridge, the exquisite mosaics in the Roman surgeon’s house. And the Malatestas left their own massive Renaissance legacy in the form of the Tempio Malatestiana, the Malatesta castle and much more.
Plus you can enjoy great Romagna food in
Rimini – superb restaurants, wine bars and tea shops, cafes and gelaterias dot the city centre.
Ravenna, just 50 kilometers away is very, very different.
Forget about the renaissance, forget about the Dolce Vita, forget about Italy. Just imagine that Ravenna is a different country in a very different age. Because it is, and in Ravenna you will see things that you cannot see anywhere else in the world.
As the Roman empire was crumbling in Rimini, so the star of Ravenna was rising, already the port for the Roman fleet with more than 250 seagoing vessels – Ravenna was to become the capital of the Western Roman Empire and a major European centre of power, closely linked with Byzantium in the East and the Goths in the North.
During that period major power-players controlled the city including the empress Galla Placidia, her son Valentinian III, her husband Constantius III, and Theodoric the Great.
And for 200 years – from 400ad until 600ad – Ravenna was not only a major power but building a fantastic world heritage, the like of which will not be seen again.
World famous for its extraordinarily beautiful mosaics, the city now has no less than 8 UNESCO sites - the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (c. 430) , Neonian Baptistery (c. 430), Arian Baptistry (c. 500) Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo (c. 500), Archiepiscopal Chapel (c. 500), Mausoleum of Theodoric (520) , Basilica of San Vitale (548) and Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe (549)- all of which are worth a day visit in themselves.
Add to that - the tomb of Dante - the great Italian writer; the stunning Classense Library full of 1,000-year old books and illustrated manuscripts; the beautiful (but practically unknown) National Museum plus archeological sites with classical mosaics, and much, much more - all befitting a city that was a powerful, wealthy, international capital and, more importantly, created a fabulous heritage that can be experienced today.
Ravenna today is three separate cities – it is a modern port, it has a superb coastal pine-wood fringed coastal strip with lovely small resorts such as Marina di Ravenna – and it is a world centre of cultural excellence which should not be missed.
Ravenna and Rimini, two cities divided by 50 kilometers and at least 1,000 years both really worth a visit!
43Contact [email protected]
Cesena: Quel Castello
di Diegaro
oUr beSt 20 reStaUrantS
enjoy old-fashioned authentic warm-hearted hospitality where the fast life and money are much less important than tradition, respect, kindness,
fellowship, great food and wine.
Festival Time In Romagna LocaL food, LocaL traditionS, LocaLLy-oWned hoteLS, LocaLLy-oWned bUSineSSeS, LocaL PeoPLe
ExPERIENCE THE MAGIC of two fabulous autumn festivals in two very different cities – two feasts of celebrations, eating and drinking in Romagna – the warm-hearted seaside kitchen-garden cornucopia of Italy.
Four days - Includes wine tastings and olive oil tastings, visit to stunning historic arty Santarcangelo and beautiful Bagnacavallo. from €421, £307, $460
In Santarcangelo di Romagna – Romagna’s spiritual home – the ‘Fiera degli Uccelli’ or “Bird Fair’ is to be held for the 739th year, in 2015. The whole of the hilltop city erupts in autumn celebration for the natural world. Entire squares are covered in plants and flowers, great marquees are erected to eat and drink. Literally hundreds of local
farmers bring amazing local food and wine and set up stalls to sell their wonderful produce. Music and dancing and singing are everywhere in this beautiful historic art city.
Beautiful serene Bagnacavallo becomes a little less soporific when it celebrates its patron saint for the Fiera di Sant’ Michele which dates from 1202. For five days thousands and thousands of visitors have the opportunity of discovering noble palaces, hidden courtyards, the great ‘Palio’ where barbary horses race, and the amazing ‘San Michele Tart’ which is baked for the occasion. Taverns open up in courtyards, cloisters and mansion houses – stalls line the stately streets – all to share and enjoy the best of Romagna food and drink, dancing and music.
itinerary
Friday: Transfer to Rimini for dinner and overnight. Walking tour of old Roman and Renaissance city if time allows.
Saturday: Afternoon/evening excursion to fabulous olive-oil and wine-growing village set in the beautiful Faenza Hills - Brisighella for tasting and walking, thence to Bagnacavallo for the enormous Fair of San
Michele. We’ll return to our hotel late at night.
Sunday: Afternoon/evening excursion to the ancient hilltop wine-growing village of Bertinoro for wine tasting then to Santarcangelo for massive festivities for the ‘Bird Fair’. Back late at night
Monday: Return transfer to Bologna train station or airport.
experIence the best oF romagna For yourselF In a World beyond tourIsm
44 45
detaiLS:
Departure: September 25 price: €421, £307, $460Single Room Supplement: €90, £66, $98Hotel upgrade to guaranteed 4 star, or historic 5 star on application
price includes: Return transfers from Bologna airport (or train station), 3 nights dinner bed and breakfast accommodation at 3*** plus hotel in Rimini, dinners with wine or soft drinks, excursions to Brisighella and Bagnacavallo, Bertinoro and Santarcangelo including olive oil and wine tastings as per itinerary.
LocaL food, LocaL traditionS, LocaLLy-oWned hoteLS, LocaLLy-oWned bUSineSSeS, LocaL PeoPLe,
TAKE A WEEKEND to the ancient and very wild Cuckold’s Fair in stunning arty Santarcangelo
The wild festival of Cuckolds – a feast of celebrations, eating and drinking in Romagna – the glorious seaside kitchen-garden cornucopia of Italy
Includes wine and olive oil tastings in two historic hilltop villages, and visit to the 939th annual Cuckold Fair
The Festa di San Martino (popularly known as the ‘Cuckold’s Fair”) is ENORMOUS. Simply everybody for miles around makes their way to Santarcangelo di Romagna to join in the festivities.
All of the historic centre streets and piazzas are lined with great food and wine and produce stalls. Truffles, honey, wine, oils, cheese, beer, cider, all manner of chocolates and sweets, sausages and salami, extraordinary cakes and biscuits and gelatos, from passionate local individuals, local enterprises and from all over Italy are tried and tasted here.
Great marquees are set up for eating and drinking and reveling. Storytellers, piadina-cooking cmmpetitions, antique markets, and above all the horns swinging in the triumphal arch indicating who’s being cheated and who isn’t – that’s the fabulous, fervent ‘Festa degli Becchi!
itinerary
Friday: Transfer to Rimini for dinner and overnight. Walking tour of the old Roman and Renaissance city if time allows.Saturday: Relaxed buffet breakfast, morning free. Afternoon/evening excursion to Santarcangelo for massive local festivities. Back late at nightSunday: Full day excursion to fabulous olive-oil and wine-growing village set in the beautiful Faenza Hills - Brisighella for olive oil and wine tasting then on to the ancient hilltop wine-growing village of Bertinoro for more wine tasting. Return to Rimini in time for dinnermonday: Return transfer to Bologna train station or airport.
detaiLS:
Departure: November 6th price: €421, £307, $460Single Room Supplement: €90, £66, $98Hotel upgrade to guaranteed 4 star, or historic 5 star on application
price includes: Return transfers from Bologna airport, or train station, 3 nights dinner bed and breakfast accommodation at 3*** plus hotel in Rimini, dinners with wine or soft drinks, excursions to Brisighella , Bertinoro and Santarcangelo including olive oil and wine tastings.
Contact [email protected]
Christmas In RomagnaLocaL food, LocaL traditionS, LocaLLy-oWned hoteLS, LocaLLy-oWned bUSineSSeS, LocaL PeoPLe
TRAVEL BY LUxURY COACH FROM LONDON – 7 DAYS/6 NIGHTS WITH OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION EN ROUTE
Italy at Christmas – a feast of traditional celebrations and amazing Christmas shopping in Romagna – the seaside kitchen garden of Italy from just 399?
Includes wine and olive oil tastings, visit to the Mountaintop Republic of San Marino amazing Christmas festivities & duty-free shopping, Visit to spectacular legendary Gradara Castle Christmas celebrations, visits to the historic Christmas celebrations and nativity scenes in the ancient Leonardo da Vinci port of Cesenatico.
Scenic journey out and return.From £399Departure dates 2, 9, 16 December
itinerary:
Wednesday Leave London for Bavaria. Stay overnight in a three-star hotel in the beautiful (and very Christmassy!) Tyrol.Thursday: Travel through the spectacular Alps and the Brenner Pass to Italy and then on to Rimini arriving in time for a warm welcome and dinner.Friday: Morning free for leisurely buffet breakfast and relaxation. In the afternoon we’ll go to the ancient hilltop wine village of Bertinoro for wine tasting. In the evening we’ll visit the lovely Leonardo da Vinci port of Cesenatico with its splendid antique ships decked out for Christmas with nativity scenes, Christmas music and a Christmas market. Return to the hotel for dinner.Saturday: The highlight of the week – our visit to the spectacular ‘Christmas of Marvels’ – the tiny mountaintop republic of San Marino with everything that Christmas should be - including a great Santa Claus village, skating rink, Christmas shops,
lights and music. nativity scenes , local Christmas fair trade and farmer’s markets with local traditional Christmas treats PLUS the opportunity to buy great brands at duty-free plus discount prices from the hundreds of little boutiques AND spectacular sights.. Return to Rimini for candle-lit celebration dinner in hotel.Sunday: Late buffet breakfast then afternoon/evening excursion to fabulous olive-oil and wine-growing village set in the beautiful Faenza Hills - Brisighella to taste oil and wine – then on to the incredible and legendary historic seaside hilltop castle-town of Gradara with its ancient Christmas celebrations. Dinner in hotelmonday: Return to UK via Eastern France and Strasburg area for overnight stay at a three-star hotel.Tuesday: Depart Strasburg for journey to London.
detaiLS:
Departures: 2, 9, 16 December 2015price: £399.Single room supplement £150Hotel upgrade to guaranteed 4 star, or historic 5 star on application
price includes: Luxury coach travel from London. Overnight accommodation with breakfast en route to Romagna and on return journey, 4 nights dinner, bed and breakfast in 3*** plus accommodation in Rimini, dinners with wine and/or soft drinks, excursion to Bertinoro (with wine tasting) and Cesenatico (with visit to unique nativity scene in Leorardo da Vinci port), excursion to Brisighella (with olive oil and wine tasting) and atmospheric Gradara castle, excursion to mountaintop San Marino fabulous Christmas event (farmer’s market, ice skating, kids Santa Claus village and branded boutiques duty-free shopping), Candle-lit 6-course Romagna Christmas dinner with typical delicious local specialities.
detaiLS:
Departures: December 3, 10, 174 day price: €421, £307, $460 Single Room Supplement: €90, £66, $985 day price: €560, £410, $610 Single Room Supplement: €120, £88, $131
4 day price includes: Return transfers from Bologna airport, or train station, 3 nights dinner bed and breakfast accommodation at 3*** plus hotel in Rimini, dinners with wine or soft drinks, excursion to San Marino fabulous Christmas event (farmer’s market, ice skating, kids Santa Claus village and branded boutiques duty-free shopping), and evening visit to Cesenatico for unique nativity scene in Leonardo da Vinci’s port. 5 day price includes an extra night’s half board accommodation and an excursion to Brisighella (with wine and olive oil tasting and to Gradara Castle.
Travel to Bologna is not included – for transportation alternatives (air, train, coach) see page: 49
scenes, Christmas music and a Christmas market. Return to the hotel for dinner.Saturday: The highlight of the week – our visit to the spectacular ‘Christmas of Marvels’ – the tiny mountaintop republic of San Marino with everything that Christmas should be - including a great Santa Claus village, skating rink, Christmas shops, lights and music. nativity scenes , local fair trade and farmer’s markets PLUS the opportunity to buy great brands at duty-free plus discount prices from the hundreds of little boutiques AND spectacular sights.. Return to Rimini for candle-lit celebration dinner in hotel.Sunday: Transfer to Bologna airport or train station for journey home
oR:Sunday: Late buffet breakfast then afternoon/evening excursion to fabulous olive-oil and wine-growing village set in the beautiful Faenza Hills - Brisighella to taste oil and wine - thence to the incredible and legendary historic seaside hilltop castle-town of Gradara with its ancient Christmas celebrations. Dinner in hotel *monday: Transfer to Bologna airport or train station for journey home
LocaL food, LocaL traditionS, LocaLLy-oWned hoteLS, LocaLLy-oWned bUSineSSeS, LocaL PeoPLe
ENJOY A FABULOUS traditional, Romagna at Christmas long weekend.
Italy at Christmas – a feast of traditional celebrations and amazing Christmas shopping in Romagna – the warm-hearted seaside kitchen garden of Italy
Includes wine and olive oil tastings, visit to the Mountaintop Republic of San Marino amazing Christmas festivities & duty-free shopping, Visit to the historic Christmas celebrations and nativity scenes in the ancient Leonardo da Vinci port of Cesenatico.
itinerary
Thursday: Transfer to Rimini for dinner and overnight
Friday: Morning free for leisurely buffet breakfast and relaxation. In the afternoon we’ll go to the ancient hilltop wine village of Bertinoro for wine tasting. In the evening we’ll visit the lovely Leonardo da Vinci port of Cesenatico with its splendid antique ships decked out for Christmas with nativity
4948LocaL food, LocaL traditionS, LocaLLy-oWned hoteLS, LocaLLy-oWned bUSineSSeS, LocaL PeoPLe
ENJOY 8 DAYS in fabulous traditional, Romagna at Christmas time.
A feast of celebrations, seeing glorious sights and shopping in Romagna – the glorious, warm hearted, seaside kitchen garden of Italy.
Includes wine and olive oil tastings, visit to the Mountaintop Republic of San Marino amazing Christmas festivities & duty-free shopping, Visit to the historic Christmas celebrations and nativity scenes in the ancient Leonardo da Vinci port of Cesenatico. Visit to glorious Ravenna with its amazing mosaics and to ancient ‘Ceramic city’ of Faenza and renaissance Florence.
itinerary:
Sunday: Transfer to Rimini for dinner and
overnightmonday: Full day visit with guided tour of Ravenna (three times capital of the Roman Empire) with its 1500-year old heritage legacy of stunning Byzantine architecture and glorious mosaics. Return to Rimini for dinner and overnight.Tuesday: Visit to Faenza for short guided tour before boarding train to travel through the Romagna hills and the soaring Apennines down onto the Tuscan plain and the heritage city of Florence. Return to Rimini for dinner and overnight.Wednesday: Full day excursion to fabulous olive-oil and wine-growing village set in the beautiful Faenza Hills - Brisighella for olive oil and wine tasting then on to the ancient hilltop wine-growing village of Bertinoro for more wine tasting. Return to Rimini in time for dinnerThursday: Free day in Rimini to enjoy this fascinating city with its sublime renaissance and Roman heritage.
detaiLS:
Departures: Nov 29, December 6,13price: €913, £670, $990Single Room Supplement €280, £205, $303
Hotel upgrade to guaranteed 4 star, or historic 5 star on application
price includes: Return transfers from Bologna airport (or train station), 7 nights dinner bed and breakfast accommodation at 3*** plus hotel in Rimini, dinners with wine or soft drinks, full day guided excursion by train to Ravenna to see world-famous mosaics, full day excursion to Faenza and thence by train through the Lamone Valley to Florence , full day excursion to Brisighella and Bertinoro including olive oil and wine tastings, excursion to San Marino fabulous Christmas event (farmer’s market, ice skating, kids Santa Claus village and branded boutiques duty-free shopping), Full day excursion to Romagna’s castles including Sant Agata Feltria Christmas festival, Gradara Christmas castle, Montebello and Verucchio, and evening visit to Cesenatico for unique nativity scene in Leonardo da Vinci’s port. Candle-lit 6-course Romagna Christmas dinner with typical delicious local specialities.
To book an authentic Best of Romagna experience simply email [email protected] with your preferred mode of contact – telephone number, skype name, email, What’s App, and we’ll contact you within 24 hours to discuss your authentic Romagna experience.
Friday: A full day of Romagna’s fabulous castles including Sant Agata Feltria, Gradara, Montebello, Verucchio and many more… finally to the lovely Leonardo da Vinci port of Cesenatico with its splendid antique ships decked out for Christmas with nativity scenes, Christmas music and a Christmas marketSaturday: The highlight of the week – our visit to the spectacular ‘Christmas of Marvels’ – the tiny mountaintop republic of San Marino with everything that Christmas should be - including a great Santa Claus village, skating rink, Christmas shops, lights and music. nativity scenes , local fair trade and farmer’s markets PLUS the opportunity to buy great brands at duty-free plus discount prices from the hundreds of little boutiques AND spectacular sights.. Return to Rimini for candle-lit celebration dinner in hotel.Sunday: Transfer to Bologna airport or train station for journey home
hoW to Get to romaGna
You will usually start your journey in beautiful Bologna…by aiR: If you are coming from outside of Europe, or have little time and need to fly, the best airport to arrive at is Bologna, which is well served by international airlines including low cost airlines.
For example you can fly from London with EasyJet, Ryanair or British Airways – often for less that £100 return. Carbon emissions around 182.4kg per person each way
by TRain: Bologna train station is well-connected to high speed train services from all key European points. Carbon emissions around 26.2kg per person each way
For example, you can travel from London via Paris and Milan to Bologna in approximately 14 hours from £140 return. There are also overnight services via Paris with sleeping cars.
by oVeRnigHT CoaCH: Bologna is connected with most key European points with coach services. Carbon emissions around 22 kg per person each way
For example you can travel from London via Paris and Milan in approximately 26 hours for £138 return.
Wherever you are travelling from,
whatever you want to do in Romagna – we can help you…
OUTSTANDING VALUE: WE INCLUDE COACH TRAVEL INCLUDING COMFORTABLE OVERNIGHT STOPS FOR OUR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL READER OFFERS – Emissions around 22kg each way per passenger.
To book an authentic Best of Romagna experience simply email [email protected] with your preferred mode of contact – telephone number, skype name, email, What’s App, and we’ll contact you within 24 hours to discuss your authentic Romagna experience. Our Simple and fair agreement: 1. Your contract is with TourismVision Ltd trading as Best of Romagna and TotemTourism and subject to English law 2. Prices and currency are agreed at the time of booking 3. You pay us a small service and arrangement fee, and for your tour arrangements 4. Your tour money is safely kept in an independent trustee (escrow) account and is not released to us until your tour is completed 5. Our liability is limited to the amount of money you have paid 6. If you cancel you will be liable only for your service fee up to 40 days prior to departure, from 40-30 days prior you are responsible for 40% of the total cost of your tour; 30-15 days 60%; 14 days and less 100%.
Contact [email protected]