Emilia-Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. It forms a rough triangle, bounded on the East by the Adriatic Sea, on the North by the Po river and on the South by the Appennine range; these two linear features, with the Via_Aemilia, and the A1 highway and the railway that run close and parallel to it, give an unusually regular structure to the whole region except for the easternmost part. With 4,030,000 inhabitants in 22,123 km² (8545 sq. mi) as of the 2003 census.
The name Emilia-Romagna has roots in the Ancient Rome legacy in these lands. Emilia refers to via Emilia, an important Roman way connecting Rome to the northern part of Italy. Romagna is a corruption of Romània; when Ravenna was the capital of the Italian portion of the Byzantine Empire, the Lombards extended the official name of the Empire to the lands around Ravenna.
The regional capital is Bologna.
Main Tourist attractions :
Bologna: The city - Piazza Maggiore - Fontana di Nettuno - University - Asinelli and GarisendaTowers
Parma: The city - Parmigiano cheese - Parma ham - Culatello di Zibelllo
Modena: The city - Traditional balsamic vinegar - Ferrari
Bologna:
Bologna is well-known for its food and for its politics, and is now regarded to be one of the most attractive cities in Italy, being full of character. The beautiful city centre in Bologna is well preserved and maintained, and is a credit to the city's policy of preservation. With unified architecture and marbled pavements, this charming Emilian city is well pedestrianised and easily explored by foot.
In the heart of Bologna are the city's two main squares, the Piazza del Nettuno and the Piazza Maggiore, the latter of which is where you will find the official tourist information centres.
Piazza Maggiore
The Piazza Maggiore is a huge pedestrian square in the centre of the oldest part of the city. Surrounded by many of Bologna's Renaissance and medieval buildings and landmarks, the Piazza Maggiore is situated next to the Piazza del Nattuno. Nearby are many cafés, bars, musicians and street performers, creating an exciting and friendly atmosphere is this busy square.
Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune)
Connecting the Piazza del Nettuno with the Piazza Maggiore, this street contains the large and famous Fontana del Nettuno, a fountain that was built in 1566 by Tomaso Laureti of Palermo and later embellished by Giambologna. With a group of angels and fish, it features an enormous statue of Neptune standing at the top of the fountain. This slightly outrageous and very splendid fountain provides a useful meeting point in the Piazza del Nattuno.
University Quarter
In the heart of the more modern Bologna, the popular University Quarter is full of bars and cafés. This is a thriving district and is to the north-east of the two towers, along the Via Zamboni. The enormous and impressive University of Bologna is actually Europe's oldest university and was founded over 900 years ago. The university is an international centre for academic studies and attracts many students from all over the world.
The two towers
The Two Towers, both of them leaning, are the symbol of the city. They are located at the intersection of the roads that lead to the five gates of the old ring wall (mura dei torresotti). The taller one is called the Asinelli while the smaller but more leaning tower is called the Garisenda. Their names derive from the families which are traditionally credited for their construction between 1109 and 1119. However, the scarcity of documents from this early period makes this in reality rather uncertain. The name of the Asinelli family, for example, is documented for the first time actually only in 1185, almost 70 years after the presumed construction of the tower which is attributed to them.
Parma:
Parma is the city of the ham par excellence; Italy is renowned all over the world for this kind of tasty charcuterie. This city offers lots of museums to be visited, just as example the National Gallery, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Mineratologia. The city, with its intimate historic center, is perfect for a peaceful stroll or for enjoying the elegant palaces, monuments, piazzas and hidden treasures of the area.
A simple bike, possibly rented in the city, allows you to get to the surrounding countryside or to the beautiful Parmesan hills in search of castles and ancient parishes, while water enthusiasts can go to the Grande Fiume and listen to the sound of the river, reliving stories of the past told by Guareschi and Bacchelli.
A vital town rich in history, art and culture, Parma has been shaped along the centuries by great painters and architects the likes of Antelami and Correggio.
Antelami's pink marble Baptistery and Correggio's illusionistic frescoes, decorating the Cathedral, the Chamber of St Paul and St John the Evangelist, are actually the trademarks of the town together with Parmigianino's masterpieces in the Church of St Mary of Steccata.
Works by Parmigianino are also hosted in the National Gallery, located in the Pilotta palace and displaying paintings by Canova, Tiepolo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Besides its delightful streetscape and historical centre, Parma can also boast outstanding modern architecture designed by worldwide famous Renzo Piano: the Barilla Center and the Auditorium Paganini, a former sugar factory converted into a concert hall.
Quite appropriate for a town whose heart beats for opera and drama, offering all year long a rich calendar of events and entertainments in venues such as the brand new House of Music, the Birthplace and museum of Arturo Toscanini, the House of Sound or the Regio Theatre, opened in 1829 by Marie Louise of Austria.
The surroundings of Parma are scattered with castles built by noble families between the 14th and the 15th century: Bardi Castle, Castle of Torrechiara, Rocca Sanvitale of Fontanellato and Reggia of Colorno to name a few.
Winding around the province, three different Roads of wines and tastes invite visitors to experience real local food. Highlighting gastronomic delicacies, the itineraries reflect the influence of history and culture and the craft of man.
The Road of Culatello crosses the vast plain along the river Po, area of production of the sweet and sparkling Fortana wine and Spalla Cotta ham of San Secondo.
Worldwide famous Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and mouthwatering slices of Prosciutto di Parma and Salame of Felino can be tasted along the Road of Ham and wines running south, while sipping the Wines of the hills.
Last but not least, the Road of Porcino mushrooms will bring visitors to discover the mountains of Taro, Ceno and Baganza valleys, their traditions and stunning views.
Busseto
This is the small town where Giuseppe Verdi grew up, even though he was actually born in the small village of Roncole, isolated in the country 5 kms southeast of Busseto.
The modest building that saw his birth was once even used as a grocery store, and now attracts a large number of visitors.
The nearby church of San Michele has historical links with the Verdi family. The original building dates back to 16th-17th century, but was subsequently rebuilt several times. Inside are still the font where Verdi was baptized and the old organ on which the young Maestro used to practice.
Modena:
Modena is appreciated by tourists for its cuisine; delicious dish is, for example, fried gnocchi.
Mutina was proclaimed a Roman colony in 183 B.C., but its earlier history had roots in the Etruscan period.
With the arrival of the Romans the city took on a new urban layout, fostered by the great land drainage works, and was connected directly to the main highway of Via Emilia, which became the most important east-west road.
It was a prosperous municipality in the imperial era, but with crisis of the empire it began to decline. The wars between Constantine and Massenzio (312 A.C.) and especially the floods, of which the worst was in the 6th century, forced the inhabitants to move out of the city.
The hamlet subsequently began to take shape again and in 891 walls were built around it.
This was solely due to the tenacity of the bishops, who refused over the centuries to allow the remains of the patron, St. Geminian, to be moved from the ancient basilica where they were kept.
The 12th and 13th centuries found Modena involved in the most important political events of the times (the Lombardy League, the domination of the Swabians, the internecine wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines and the defeat of Fossalta), with years of great expansion alternating with years of crisis.
In the 14h century there was a succession of different rulers in the municipality, from the d'Este family to the Gonzagas, to Papal domination, until the d'Este family finally achieved power.
The d'Este family governed the city almost without interruption until 1796, the year when Ercole III d'Este withdrew from the city in the face of the French advance.
From 1796 the French dominated, with alternating fortunes, until 1814. From that year the Austria-Este dukes Francis IV and Francis V governed the state until 1859.
With the decline of d'Este sovereignty, the city became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Balsamic vinegar is one of Modena's most authentic products, steeped in local tradition. It can be traced back to the eleventh century and is known to have been used by the dukes of the d'Este family as a "royal gift".
For centuries the production of balsamic vinegar (using the dry vinegar loft handed down from generation to generation) was the prerogative of great houses and humble families, and was made for domestic use or, at most, as a prestigious gift.
It is distinguished by its special fragrance, by the skilful blend of tart and sweet flavours, by its syrupy density and its clear, shining, dark brown colour.
The recipe, handed down from century to century, has always been the same: balsamic vinegar is obtained from the transformation of cooked grape must that is left to age in wooden casks, needing only time and a few inspections by skilled people. In order to obtain an excellent product it is vital to use indigenous grapes of the province of Modena (Lambrusco, Trebbiano or Ancellotta).
Other fundamental points are careful cooking of the must and skilful management of the various stages over the long years of ageing.
Balsamic vinegar is excellent with numerous traditional dishes, and not just those of Modena, providing a delicious addition to every course, from starters to desserts.
The coupling of sweet and sour aromas makes it possible to experiment with surprising new combinations, without foregoing those not-to-be-missed dishes of local tradition.
If you want to plan your stay in Modena so as to take part in one of the many initiatives related to this product, bear in mind that in September and October there are several events focusing on Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.
Ferrari Museum - Maranello
A true custodian of the myth, the Galleria Ferrari of Maranello, the Company's official exhibition, receives over 200,000 fans from all parts of the world every year.
It houses cars, images and trophies that have characterized the history of the brand and have been hugely successful on commercial markets and worldwide circuits.
This is one of the reasons why the Galleria Ferrari is not just a museum, that is a static collection of cars and objects, but a dynamic exhibition that is constantly renewed from time to time.
The Galleria is divided into theme areas, and each one is capable to meet the expectations of race fans and expert connoisseurs of vintage cars: Formula One, Sports and Sports-Prototype cars, the GT world.
Ferrara:
The Province of Ferrara stretches out over a great plain, a countryside that is like a long deep breath. The north-eastern part of Emilia-Romagna, it is a land born out of the equilibrium between earth and water, and is made up of a succession of different landscapes: cultivated fields, towns with artistic treasures, forest, wetlands, pinewoods, all the way through to the beach resorts of the coast.
Lying in the middle of the Po Valley, Ferrara still has the atmosphere of the past, which blends in harmoniously with the lively atmosphere of the present. Ferrara's most famous image is certainly that of its grand Renaissance, the age of splendour of the Estense court, which has left indelible signs everywhere: in the colossal Addizione Erculea project, in the impressive pictorial cycles belonging to the Quattrocento and Cinquecento and in the Last Judgement by Bastianino. From 1995 on, UNESCO has included the historical centre of Ferrara in the list of World Cultural Heritage as a wonderful example of a town planned in the Renaissance and still keeping its historical centre intact. The town planning criteria expressed in Ferrara had a deep influence on the progress of town planning in the following centuries. All the province's historic, artistic and architectural beauties have their own pages, with pictures, visitor information and background details. We will take you to the well known places, but also to some quieter backwaters, just as laden with atmosphere and history. Our province is an ancient land on which a thousand histories have been laid, then interwoven: Etruscan Spina, the flowering around Pomposa Abbey, the glories of the Este family, the ascendance of the Popes.
The detailed view of Ferrara and its territory is more like the image in a kaleidoscope: endlessly reflecting historic themes, places of interest, fascination.
Ravenna:
Ravenna is a treasure chest of art, history and culture of the highest order, a city with ancient origins and a glorious past and capital three times, of the Western Roman Empire, of King Theodoric of the Goths and of the Byzantine Empire in Europe.
The basilicas and baptisteries of the city contain the richest heritage of mosaics dating from the 5th and 6th centuries and eight historic buildings included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO. If Ravenna was the most important political and cultural centre of the West during the centuries that saw the decline of the Latin civilisation, it is no less important in later ages, from the archaeology of the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra to the vast Roman port of Classe. It is the city that guards the remains of Dante and keeps alive the memory of the great poet with important cultural events. The winding streets still reveal the past of a city built on a lagoon, the presence of water in the canals that cross it, closed during the period of Venetian rule and at the end of the fifteenth century opening the elegant space of Piazza Maggiore, now known as Piazza del Popolo. In the seventeen hundreds the city was connected to the sea by a navigable canal, the current port, which the people of Ravenna called the Candiano. The Corsini Canal then opened up a new prospective for resuming the ancient vocation as a port. The cultural offer of Ravenna is abundant and varied: the MAR, City Art Museum of Ravenna, programmes regular exhibitions of high profile and is home to a number of permanent collections; the National Museum exhibits a variety of collections, including finds from excavations of Roman and Byzantine remains; the Archiepiscopal Museum includes the Chapel of Saint Andrew (Unesco); the Dantean Museum holds relics connected with the cult and fame of the poet while the Museum of the Risorgimento bears witness to the lively sentiments of Mazzini and Garibaldi who stirred up the people of Ravenna in the more recent past. Just a short distance from the sea, Ravenna also offers nine seaside resort areas along its 35 kilometres of coast for a wide variety of holidays and stays. The organisation of services is efficient and dynamic, and the choice of holiday is as wide as ever: sunshine and relaxation, games, sports and fitness, excursions and parks, including Mirabilandia theme park, in addition to varied and delicious cuisine. There are many cycle tracks along which it is possible to cycle to any part of the city, Theodoric's park, the Planetarium, The Garden of Forgotten Herbs or the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. For lovers of nature and excursions nothing can be more exciting than visit to the reserve of Punte Alberete with its silent swamped forests which provide shelter for rare bird species or a visit to the Nature Museum of Sant'Alberto, located at the edge of the lagoons. The historic pinewoods of San Vitale and Classe, unique as monuments to nature, have been included in the protected areas of the Po Delta Park. Ravenna is a living mosaic.
In the summer with the Mosaics by Night programme the treasures of Ravenna take on a new aspect: from June to September in the evening the city comes alive and many places of artistic interest are open to the public with guided tours and special itineraries for tourists. Art can be combined with entertainment with a stroll among the late opening shops, bars, restaurants and pizzerias, discovering romantic corners and wonderful historic buildings in a magical atmosphere.
The centre becomes a multifaceted stage for events with another summer programme entitled "Bella di Sera", in which many pleasant events for tourists and residents take place in the bars and squares of the old city centre.
Just a few kilometres from the city there is also the theme park of Mirabilandia, a destination for all the family which offers an entire day of fun. The nine seaside resorts of Ravenna meet the most varied demands for holidays: hotels immersed in the pinewoods, family run pensions, holiday homes, flats, camp sites, restaurants much appreciated for their Romagna cuisine and fish dishes following the recipes of a tradition that is still alive.
There are plenty of opportunities for more lively fun and following the trend in the discos by the beach which attract young people from the entire region and for those who want a holiday with physical activity and movement there is no end to the equipment and services offered for all types of sports and fitness with numerous basketball and beach volley courts, sailing clubs, sailing and water ski schools, tennis courts, football pitches, riding clubs and golf courses.
The area is also ideal for those who love cycling with plenty of routes along the coast and across the plain to the hills.
For those seeking health, wellness and beauty care, the treatments in the spa centre by the beach at Punta Marina Terme, provided with the most sophisticated equipment, are ideal.
Rimini:
Riviera di Rimini is over 160 years, a vacation spot frequented by people from around the world: a history of hospitality that comes from far away and walk towards the future.
Riviera di Rimini means welcoming, fun, genuine taste, human relations.
Here you will find a complete guide for your holidays: hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, beaches, theme parks, events, performances, art, history and nature.
