Tourist Guide - Around Bologna

MONTEVEGLIO

Beautifully situated on the foothills of the Bolognese Apennines (about 20 km west of Bologna) Monteveglio is one of the region's most beguiling medieval townships. The area has long been a zone of contention - between Romans and Byzantines, Byzantines and Longobards, the Church and State, Bologna and Modena - and the town's thick walls bear the imprint of these cultures and their conquests. No man's land, in between the provinces of Bologna and Modena, Monteveglio today offers superb natural beauty (it is located inside the Regional Park "dell'Abbazia") and great historical interest, a must-see tourist attraction far from the madding crowd.
The peace and serenity that this spot naturally inspires convinced the Bologna Curia to install a Franciscan community in the monastery and the church of Santa Maria, breathing new life into the region. The abbey as it appears today is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, but its roots lie as far back as the 5 th century, as testified by the suggestive, ancestral crypt. The reconstruction effected by Mathilda of Canossa in 1000 A.D. is the building we see today in all its austere splendour. It is impossible to remain unaffected by its peaceful cloisters, beautiful scenery, and imposing towers. Don't miss this historical and in many ways mystical experience.

IN HALF A DAY

The tour allows the tourist to discover the medieval hamlet: the impressive entrance gate to the castle, the imposing crenellated tower, the oratory of San Rocco & San Sebastian, the massive bell tower, the ancient house of San Bernadette and naturally the Abbey itself with its cloisters and adjacent church of Santa Maria Assunta. The town and monastery are rendered even more suggestive by the uncontaminated nature of the surrounding Natural Park of Monteveglio.

IN ONE DAY

After lunch, which may be packed or eaten at the characteristic restaurant inside the village, the visitor may choose to visit one of the numerous surrounding wineries, or a local cheese maker to see how the famous Parmigiano Reggiano is made, or even tour a traditional balsamic vinegar plant, seeing as Monteveglio lies on the border with Modena. Alternatively, the afternoon may be spent visiting the nearby castles at Bazzano or Vignola.

COMBINATION

It is also possible to combine a half-day trip to Monteveglio with a half-day tour in Bologna.

TOPICAL TOURS AROUND MONTEVEGLIO

Castles and Watchtowers - Medieval Defence Systems in the Valleys

The area between the Lavino and Samoggia river valleys was the scene of many battles from the eleventh to the fourteenth century, most of which were waged in order to gain possession of the region's castles, towers and fortified towns that constituted the vital nerve centres of the territory. The tour touches on many towns whose contemporary peacefulness belies their bellicose pasts: San Teodoro, Monteveglio, Monte Freddo, Castello di Serravalle, Palazzo Boccadiferro, Castelletto, Zappolino, Ca' Casini, Venerano, etc. etc.

Pilgrim's Progress: The Churches, Chapels and Abbeys of the Valleys

Ecclesiastic ties - through the Dioceses and parish churches - were often used to manage the territory between the Lavino and Samoggia river valleys. The tour follows the complex knit of this religious organization and includes not only churches and chapels, but also all the infrastructure that was necessary to provide the pilgrim with safe passage to and from Rome: San Lorenzo in Collina, San Giovanni Battista, San Cristoforo, Santa Maria Assunta di Fagnano, Santa Maria Assunta di Monteveglio, Sant'Apollinare a Castelletto, San Michele Arcangelo a Tiola, Pieve di San Giorgio, Oratorio di Santa Maria del Pruno, Santa Maria di Merlano, San Matteo a Savigno, San Biagio a Ca' dell'Oste, Oratorio di Santa Croce, San Prospero, Oratorio della SS: Trinità, Monastero della Badia, Chiesa di San Chiurlo, and San Giovanni Battista a Monte San Giovanni.

Apennine Architecture: Rural Buildings, Tower-Houses, Fortified Houses