Along with Florida’s Highway One, Australia’s Coastal Drive and California’s Big Sur, Italy can boast of its own dream route, a Route 66 completely “Made in Italy” and amongst the world’s best 20 itineraries for a road trip. English tabloid newspaper The Sun included the Via Emilia amongst its own best 20 of the world’s roads: this is an important recognition for the country, that this tract of land dotted with urban centers is valuable for its heritage just as much as from the point-of-view of tourism.
Between ancient towns and enchanting villages, sandwiches stuffed with Parma ham and a plate of pasta dusted with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, winds one of the most iconic ancient roads in Italy. In 187 BC the 240 kilometer route, built by the Roman consul Marco Emilio Lepido, began to develop, connecting, in a straight line, Rimini and Piacenza. Along the route we find towns and villages of varying sizes and note, united by the distance that separates them. 25 kilometers on average between one and the next, a distance of historical significance, being the mean daily distance a marching army could travel.
Setting off on a journey we begin to discover characteristic villages, famous and less well known, that populate and stamp their identity on the Via Emilia: whether by car, motorcycle, bicycle or even on-foot, the important thing is to enjoy one of the most evocative and historic roads in the world.
ON-THE-ROAD
With our backpacks on and a desire to get going, Forlì is the first city to welcome us.
Our trip just has to begin from the Tiberius Bridge in Rimini from which the Via Emilio rises. We get up early today and head-off dead straight in a north-westerly direction: passing by Cesena, we reach our first stop: Forlì.
The city has around 117 thousand inhabitants and was probably founded at the same time as the Via Emilia. Back in 188 BC the Romans established a tiny settlement, which has expanded over the centuries to become today’s flourishing capital of the province of Emilia. It’s bizarre though that beautiful Forlì, jewel in Emilia’s crown, proud of its traditional food and wine, should have been the first city in Italy to welcome the “controversial” Hawaiian pizza, the one garnished with pineapple and ham, into its pizzerias and bars. The purists turn up their noses but the contrasting choice actually underscores the whimsical character of the place, always able to surprise and at the same time embrace and reassure with established specialties such as thistles in parmesan with truffles, creamed rice with parmesan, and the unusual and delicious scampi with ham.
TRATTORIA PETITO
Via Filippo Corridoni, 14
47121 Forlì
Telephone: 0543 35784
A break amongst ceramics and murals: Faenza and Dozza the first stops in Bologna
After a lavish and filling meal courtesy of Forlì, we can resume our journey heading north-east. It’s a pleasant journey, the afternoon is sunny and, a mere 25 km further on, there is Faenza, a city of 60,000 souls that merits a look round. The center, famous for its ceramics, put down roots in Roman times even though its exact historical origin is difficult to trace.
The main monuments are gathered in two adjacent squares dating from the early 1300s: Piazza del Popolo (where the clock-tower stands) and Piazza della Libertà. In the first you can admire the Mayor’s Palace and Palazzo Manfredi (now city hall); in the second you’ll find the cathedral. Should you be visiting Faenza during the last days of May, you can witness the passing-through of the historic 100 km race known as the Passante, an ultra-marathon which starts from Florence and, taking in the hills and passes of the Apennines, finishes in the city of Emilia. It’s a race considered a legend by many and is extremely demanding, which every year attracts more than 1,000 participants from all over the world.
This area is also full of vineyards and for wine lovers here is an opportunity to try some of the best, such as the Albana di Romagna, a white, typical of the hilly areas in the southern part of the Via Emilia, or the red Cagnina di Romagna. After a glass of excellent wine, we set off on the trail once more: the Via Emilia is a long road and we are expecting to arrive in Bologna in late evening after having made a necessary detour to the little town of Dozza, very near Imola and at least 40 km from Bologna. A colorful but small place (of about a thousand inhabitants) characterized by murals painted on the walls of the houses: in fact in Dozza there are many artworks decorating the streets of this little town which make for an occasion to take some great photos.
TRATTORIA MARIANAZA
Via Evangelista Torricelli, 21
48018 Faenza
Telephone: 0546 681461
For dinner, tortellini, ragù and meatloaf: in Bologna hunger wins through and we fill our stomachs.
After a walk round the narrow streets of Dozza we resume our journey. Evening is upon us and Bologna is a city more than capable giving us what we need to eat and regain our strength. We could not have chosen a better place to sample typical Emilian cooking: Bologna is popularly known as “The Fat One” because cooking has always played such import role in the local’s lifestyle. Tagliatelle in Bolognese sauce, stuffed tortellini, lasagna verdi and meatloaf are just some of the characteristic dishes that one can enjoy, prepared according to traditional recipes.
After dinner, a walk round the old town is a must: Bologna is rich in monuments, churches and various curiosities that merit our attention. If you don’t suffer from vertigo you might visit the two towers that loom over the city or, close by, Piazza Maggiore with its San Petronio basilica within which is housed the largest sundial in the world. If you are fond of interesting “magic” tricks then you could try the wireless telephone underneath the Palazzo del Podestà. What is required to make the magic work is that two people place themselves on opposite sides of the vault both facing the wall, and then start communicating in whispers. Each will clearly hear the other’s voice, and it is said that the sick and victims of plague might thus make confession.
It’s getting late and tomorrow we need to get started early. So let’s go and get some sleep in one of Bologna’s numerous high quality hostelries, and then, after a good night’s rest, set out once more. Modena and Fidenza will be our last two stops before reaching Piacenza.
AL SANGIOVESE
Vicolo del Falcone, 2
40124 Bologna
Telephone: 051 583057
In Modena amongst history and tradizione. From the seeds of independence to the folk carnival.
It’s about 50 kilometers to Modena and we decide to do it in one go. In 1831 the city was one of the first centers of rebellion against Austrian rule in an attempt to gain independence. These insurrections did not achieve the hoped-for result and ended in bloodshed: the actions of Italian patriots had nevertheless shaken-up the minds of the people and were an incentive for subsequent decisive revolutionary action 30 years later. When visiting this city, one must not forget the Cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Italy and Europe. Then in the town square, Modena’s carnival, a great big celebration and a very popular traditional event. The undisputed centerpiece is the local mask, the Sandròun, symbol of sly cunning and rustic peasant intelligence.
Talking about Modena from a culinary perspective, we can’t fail to mention its famous balsamic vinegar, the authentic king of the table. A product documented as far back as the year one-thousand: a particularly fine vinegar, based on cooked Trebiano and Lambrusco grape must. Flat-bread (tigelle) and stuffed pig’s trotters (zampone) are two of the town’s most popular specialities.
RISTORANTE ANTICA MOKA
Via Emilia Est, 1496
41126 Modena
Telephone: 059 284008
Labyrinths and bamboo: Masone Park is a must-see.
Let’s set out once more, the last stretch of the bewitching Via Emilia awaits us. We pass by Reggio Emilia and Parma to reach another characteristic town. Fidenza is one of the last places in the province of Parma and is famous for the miracle of the Roman Domninus, Chamberlain to the Emperor Maximilian, beheaded by the Romans in 296 AD for converting to Christianity. Legend has it that after his beheading he collected his own head and walked a few steps with it, letting it fall onto the spot where the cathedral now stands. In the town center we also find the little square of Sambòt, a splendid glimpse of the middle-ages with the apse of the cathedral dedicated to San Domninus as a backdrop. If you have time for a small detour, it’s worth visiting the Masone Labyrinth, about 10 km away. It’s a culture-park covering approximately 7 hectares including the labyrinth, the largest of its kind in the world, which is made up of various sorts of bamboo. Opened in 2015, this site is one of the major tourist attractions in the area.
Località Fornio, 78
43036 Fidenza
Telephone: 0524 60118
We cross the finish line and enjoy Piacenza: 240 km and a unique experience behind us.
After a trip around the bamboo corridors, we are preparing for the final stage of our perfect adventure. Another 50 km and here we are in Piacenza having completed the length of the original Via Emilia. Don’t be deceived by the small dimensions of the city: Although not large, Piacenza offers plenty to see and do. We start as usual from the center in Piazza Duomo. Take your time, especially if it’s a nice sunny day, treat yourself to a coffee and watch the world go by. The heart of the city is focused on its most scenic square, Piazza Cavalli, which takes its name from the two equestrian statues of Alessandro and Ranuccio Farnese, masterpieces of baroque sculpture. Overlooking the square there is the Town Hall (known as Il Gotico) where the poet Petrarch spent time in 1351.
Piacenza is a place that has always cultivated interesting and unpredictable flavors that enrich its food and wine with powerful and tantalizing deviations. Pork salami (coppa piacentina) and the local pancetta for example are ideal as tasty starters, pisarei and faśö is a typical first-course consisting of small dumplings and boiled beans, as is the traditional egg pasta stuffed with stewed beef, bread crumbs, grana padano cheese and nutmeg and cooked in a savory meat stock. From amongst the main courses, we recommend the pìcula ‘d caval, a recipe based on finely minced horse-meat, or the donkey stew, braised for several hours in red wine (Barbera or Gutturnio), tomato puree, lard, butter, carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic and onion. To finish the meal and hopefully our trip, begun in Rimini and now at its end, a slice of fig or almond cake.
A glass of Gutturno wine, perfect for toasting the end of our journey and between sips, remembering its most beautiful moments, and perhaps making plans for our next one.
OSTERIA SANTO STEFANO
Via Santo Stefano, 22
29121 Piacenza
Telephone: 0523 327802