photos and texts by Massimiliano Rella

The “Rocca Sforzesca”, at Dozza (Bologna), where the “Emilia Romagna Regional Enoteca” is housed

Sangiovese vineyard in Romagna, in autumn

Dozza, a charming little town between Imola and Bologna, is where the land of Sangiovese and Albana di Romagna begins, a territory offering several opportunities for art and wine appreciation. Every two years, dozens of artists take part in the “Biennale del Muro Dipinto” at Dozza: they paint their “murales” on house walls, in front of hundreds of onlookers, tourists and art lovers. Dozza is, also, the wine capital of the region. The Rocca Sforzesca, a castle at the top of the town, hosts the Emilia Romagna Regional Enoteca: a place for tastings, dedicated evenings and a wine shop with a wide choice of more than 800 labels (www.enotecaemiliaromagna.it). A few kilometers away, you are in Faenza (Ravenna), a town famous for its wine culture and artistic treasures. Here, every year in November, Enologica, the Romagna wines exhibition, is held (www.enologica.org), where you can taste very good Sangiovese (a red wine) or Albana, the first white wine in Italy to be recognized as Docg (Denomination of controlled and guaranteed origin), more than twenty years ago.

Lucio Fontana’s “Concetto Spaziale”, a ceramic artwork at the Faenza “MIC” (photo by “MIC“)

Faenza, surrounded by vineyards, is also a center for pottery production. The MIC, or International Museum of Pottery, is one of its main attractions with ancient Italian, Oriental and Arabian pieces and contemporary objects, created by famous 20^th century artists, from Pablo Picasso to Mimmo Paladino. Moreover, the countryside around Faenza is rich in villages where good wines and gourmet food specialties are produced. Not to be missed, Oriolo ai Fichi, a magic place among fields, farmhouses and vineyards. Right here, a group of vintners have recently rediscovered the “centesimino”, an old grape-vine, almost extinct, which produces a particular wine by the same name, the Centesimino, also called Red Savignôn. If you are interested in extra-virgin olive oil, Brisighella is your place, an ancient medieval village in the Lamone valley. Going south, along the “via Emilia”, one of the consular Roman roads, you will meet Forlimpopoli Casa Artusi, in the former Convento dei Servi, is the venue for high cuisine, regional exhibitions and gourmet events. On the ground floor, the Romagna Wine Touring agency in the territory of Sangiovese, promotes food-and-wine events and wine-tourism itineraries (www.romagnaterradelsangiovese.it). (Forlì), where Pellegrino Artusi, the great Italian gastronome, was born (1820-1911).

Murales” at Dozza, the town of the painted house walls

A window of “Casa Artusi“, at Forlimpopoli (Fc), (photo by “Casa Artusi”)

The new after all these gluttony sins, you can stop at Bertinoro and relax in the recently renovated Spa, Terme della Fratta. While Forlimpopoli is in the plain, along the “via Emilia”, Bertinoro, called Romagna‘s balcony, is on a panoramic hill, a few kilometers south. Bertinoro is the town of the Albana wine and some of its history and legends are linked to that wine. According to tradition, the town’s name, Bertinoro (“to drink in gold”), derives from the words supposedly pronounced by Emperor Teodosio's daughter Galla Placida, while tasting the local white wine: “Not so humbly this wine should be drunk, but in gold, as a testimonial to its delicious taste”. A symbol of Bertinoro is the Colonna delle Anelle (“the Rings‘ Column”) in the middle of Piazza Libertà. This 13^th century column was erected by the town’s noble families to decide who had to give shelter to the pilgrims traveling through the town and stopping there. Each ring on the column was associated with a family; when a pilgrim arrived, he would tie his horse to a ring and he would be hosted by the family associated with it. This ancient tradition has been resumed during the Welcome Festival held every year on the first Sunday of September. Envelopes, each one with a different address, are fastened to the Colonna delle Anella: a tourist chooses one envelope, opens it and discovers the name of the family who will welcome him/her as guest for dinner.

White and red wines of Romagna

Mario Sirri,owner of the “Celli Winery“, at Bertinoro

Sangiovese and Albana of Romagna are the two great grape varieties of this area. From Sangiovese pleasant, full-bodied red wines are produced, while from Albana you can obtain different kinds of white wine: dry, sparkling, sweet and “passito”, (made from raisins). In this area you can visit many interesting wineries. In Bertinoro, the Celli Winery (www.celli-vini.com) and Campo del Sole Winery (www.campodelsole.it), (Sandra Santini, in the photo). Near Imola, the Tre Monti Winery (www.tremonti.it) and the Zuffa farm estate (www.zuffa.it). Around Faenza, we recommend two good addresses for tasting Albana, Sangiovese and also Centesimino: La Sabbiona, at Oriolo ai Fichi (www.lasabbiona.it) and Poderi Morini where wine labels are designed by artist Pablo Eucharren (www.poderimorini.com).

When Pottery is an art

Matisse’s ceramic piece at the Faenza “MIC” (photo by “MIC“)

Casa Artusi, science and art in the kitchen

Casa Artusi is a museum dedicated to traditional, homely gastronomy, open to anyone who enjoys conviviality and good eating, to chefs, amateurs, gourmets, children. Artusi was a great Italian gastronome living in the second half of the 19^th century, author of the famous text, “Science in the kitchen and the art of good eating”. Casa Artusi  was opened in June 2007 at Forlimpopoli (Forlì), Pellegrino Artusi‘s native town. It is the first national center of gastronomic culture, dedicated to Italian traditional cooking. It hosts: a tavern, an interactive educational itinerary, cooking schools, a specialized library, a wine-bar and work-shops for experiments in cooking. The museum is in via Costa, 27, tel. 0543.743138 (www.casartusi.it). (in the photo: Romagna-style“passatelli”, a home-made pasta with chicory and sultana).

New tastes of Romagna at the Belvedere restaurant

A reinterpretation of the Romagna-style “passatelli” (home-made pasta with chicory, sultana and brandy), “Belvedere Restaurant“, Bertinoro

Andrea Ravidà

Sandra Santini, of the “Campo del Sole Winery“, at Bertinoro (Fc)

Mauro Altini, of “La Sabbiona”, a farm estate at Oriolo ai Fichi, near Faenza