The Apennines between Tuscany and Romagna in the steps of the great poet

Florence - Scarperia e San Piero - Borgo San Lorenzo - Marradi - Brisighella - Faenza - Ravenna

www.viedidante.it

TOSCANA

EMILIA ROMAGNA

The Vie di Dante (‘Roads of Dante’) are an invaluable historical reservoir, made accessible by a renewed synergy between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, resulting in an interregional project with a comprehensive receptive offer and services able to meet the needs of tourists who no longer settle for a simple visit, but want to experience their holiday intensely, capturing the typicality of the territory. Thanks to this project, based on collaboration, participation and dialogue, the journey taken by Dante from Florence to Ravenna, crossing the Apennines between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, becomes a tourism product characterised by slow rhythms among culture and nature, following the attitude of the new tourist: reaching a form of integration that makes their stay increasingly pleasant and fun-filled.Culture, one of the essential elements of the tourism offerings in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, is in fact experienced as a veritable immersion in the territory, captured in all of its aspects. Retracing and visiting the places where the greatest Italian poet lived and exiled thus becomes a unique travel experience, among ancient palaces, Romanesque churches, small villages, museums and libraries, artisanal workshops and untouched nature, going on the “train” that connects Faenza to Florence via Marradi, or on the seat of a bicycle along the ancient Faenza Road, or even on foot along one of the many hiking routes between the provincial territories of Ravenna and Florence. The tourism offerings, which can be viewed on the website www.viedidante.it or are available in updated brochures at IATs (Tourist Information Offices) or sector fairs, feature the seven Municipalities of Florence, Scarperia e San Piero, Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Faenza, Brisighella and Ravenna with their heritage of monuments, tradition, identity, gastronomy and wine. The Vie di Dante routes are based on and exalt two regions, enhancing the common traits which include the warmth, authenticity and spontaneity of the people, the innate vocation for hospitality, the enjoyment of the good things in life and conviviality, the fascination and timeless charm of the places, the capacity for tradition and innovation, culture and enjoyment, quality and convenience to co-exist.This brochure presents the territories involved in a dynamic and coordinated way, describing their excellences alongside further information and curiosities. It is a valuable handbook able to best guide even the most demanding tourist.

THE “VIE DI DANTE

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FLORENCE

A n itinerary that will lead you to discover a lesser known Florence compared to the iconic Florence of the Renaissance: the Florence

where Dante Alighieri lived from birth (1265) to exile (1302). For Dante it was inevitably a place of love and pain, which often features in the Divine Comedy.In these years Florence underwent a period of intense transformation in all fields (cultural, political, religious, artistic, economic, urbanistic) which deeply marked the city’s identity. It was precisely in the later decades of the thirteenth century that the symbolic buildings were built, such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Palazzo Vecchio, the Basilica of Santa Croce and of Santa Maria Novella.One of the places, alongside the Baptistery,

that is most linked to the typical spirituality of Dante’s era is undoubtedly the stunning Romanesque Abbey of San Miniato al Monte, also mentioned in Purgatory (Canto VII). But alongside these places – experienced more or less directly by the Supreme Poet – there exist many other testimonies, from all periods, that document how much the city is strongly interwoven with the spirit of Dante. This is the case of the many portraits of Dante, painted from Medieval times to the nineteenth century; the cycles of paintings more or less inspired by the Comedy; the 33 famous Dante plaques mainly concentrated in the medieval quarter. Keeping the legacy of the Supreme Poet alive and current is the main task, including through the traditional Lectura Dantis, by the Dante Society whose headquarters is in the old Palazzo dell’Arte della Lana (Wool Guild).

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Rejoice, O Florence, since thou art so g reat,That over sea and land thou beatest thy wings,

And throughout Hell thy name is spread abroad!

(If., Canto XXVI)

“San Giovanni’s lovely baptistery” (Inferno XIX.17), is the affectionate name given to the Florentine Baptistery of San Giovanni by Dante; the place where the poet was baptised, and which he thinks of while hoping to return to his birthtown (Paradise, Canto XXV). Dedicated to the Patron Saint of Florence, San Giovanni Battista (St. John Baptist), the Baptistery is a Romanesque building, of extraordinary

interest, in the religious heart of the city. Probably erected in the eleventh century, on ancient remains from the Roman era, it has an octagonal plan. While the outside is conservatively adorned with geometric marble decoration, the inside shines thanks to the grandiose golden mosaic of the dome, dominated by the figure of Christ the Judge, solemn, at the centre of the Last Judgement, probably a source of inspiration for the Comedy.

THE BAPTISTERY

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TYPICAL WINE AND GASTRONOMY PRODUCTS

The typical dishes are simple and straightforward: from the famous “Florentine” steak, thick and rare, to the starters from farming tradition often based on bread such as the Pappa al Pomodoro (tomato and bread soup) and the Ribollita (vegetable and bread soup), all flavoured with extra virgin olive oil. What can we say about the Lampredotto (cow stomach), served in a sandwich, which can be enjoyed from a kiosk in full street food style. The typical desserts are linked to festivals or the season, of which we note the two best; grape schiacciata (flat bread) and Florentine schiacciata (a sponge cake), typical of the Carneval. In terms of wine, this is the land of Chianti, with various DOC and DOCG designations: full-bodied reds, fresh and delicate whites and the famous sweet wine or Vin Santo. The specialities of Florentine cuisine can be tasted in the city in Michelin star restaurants, trattorias or wine cellars, suitable for all budgets.

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The memory of Dante lives on through the many portraits dotted around the city, testimony of the extraordinary fame that has always accompanied the Poet, from the fourteenth century until today. The oldest depictions of Dante can be found in the National Museum of Bargello (Chapel of Mary Magdalene, work of Giotto and workshop), in the Palazzo dei Giudici e Notai (on Via del Proconsolo), in the Cappellone degli Spagnoli (Spanish Chapel) of Santa Maria Novella, by Andrea Bonaiuti. One of the most representative painted portraits is undoubtedly Dante and the Divine Comedy (Domenico di Michelino, 1465, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore). Dante features in the series of frescoes Illustrious People painted around 1450 by Andrea del Castagno, and now visible in the former church of San Piero Scheraggio – part of the Uffizi Gallery – (one of the places used, including by Dante, for political meetings before the construction of the Palazzo dei Priori, i.e. Palazzo Vecchio). There are also many sculptures, nineteenth century monuments dedicated to him, made in a period in which devotion to the Great Italians of the past was very popular. The Basilica of Santa Croce, Pantheon delle Itale Glorie, still houses two: one is the statue in the churchyard, a work by Enrico Pazzi, inaugurated in the centre of the square for the Dante celebrations of 1865; the other, inside, is the Cenotaph of Dante by Stefano Ricci (1829), a rhetoric monument that shows the Poet alongside the allegories of Italy and Poetry. Dating back to 1842 is the statue of Dante located, alongside other illustrious Tuscans, in one of the 28 niches of the Loggiato Vasariano of the Uffizi gallery. There are several examples of the controversial funeral mask in the city: at the Museum-House of Dante, in the Palazzo Vecchio and at the Bargello.

PORTRAITS

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TYPICAL ARTISANAL PRODUCTS

Works that you won’t see in the museums; refined, the result of mastery, research innovation and tradition, unique works. These are artisanal handicrafts. Silver, gold, leather, glass, ceramics, silk, essences, embroidery, shoemaking, items that take shape in the artisanal workshops of Florence, especially in Oltrarno. The artisan world is made up of people who conserve and hand down an invaluable human capital.The artisanal vocation of Florence has lead to the birth of two events dedicated to this sector. Artigianato e Palazzo, which seeks to redevelop the figure of the artisan in present day, and is carried out each year at the Corsini Gardens. The Fortezza da Basso hosts the International Handicraft Exhibition, founded in 1931, with participation from artisans from all over the world.

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DANTE’S QUARTER

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This quarter is enclosed between Piazza della Signoria square, Orsanmichele church, Torre della Castagna tower, the oratory of Buonomini di San Martino and the Badia Fiorentina church. This is the medieval heart of Florence, with its alleyways and its characteristic house-towers, used for both civil and military purposes. The House of Dante, a nineteenth century replica of a house-tower, houses the museum of the same name that documents the life and works of the supreme poet;

it is just a short walk from the Church of Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi (the “Church of Dante”) where, according to tradition, the poet married Gemma Donati and met Beatrice (the Portinary family had its tombs here). The greatest number of Dante plaques are concentrated in this area, with quotes taken from his masterpiece, affixed in the early twentieth century to keep the link between Dante and the places and personalities mentioned in the Comedy alive.

BORGO S.LORENZOS an Lorenzo, patron saint of Borgo and

celebrated here with religious and civil initiatives, reminds us that his tears fall on August nights: the stars that, like sparks, seem to fly up above us.

In the hills that surround the town you can enjoy new experiences such as lying down under the dark sky – which is now impossible to find in the city – to look for a shooting star and say a wish.Your first stop should absolutely be reserved for the historic centre, accessible through one of the two gates, Fiorentina and Orologio, remains of the old city walls built in 1351. A visit to San Lorenzo Parish Church, dating back to 941 - the biggest Romanesque church in the Florentine countryside - is a must. Inside is a wealth of works of art. These include: the Madonna attributed to Giotto, a Crucifix canvas of the Giotto school, the Madonna Enthroned with Child attributed to Agnolo Gaddi, and the Virgin and the Saints Francis and Dominic by Matteo Rosselli. The apse was frescoed by

Galileo Chini. To the right of the church’s facade there is a polychrome terracotta tabernacle made by the Fornaci Chini. Not far from the city centre, we find the Oratorio del Santissimo Crocifisso dei Miracoli, built in the 18th century to house a painted wooden Crucifix left there in 1400 by German pilgrims fleeing the plague. It is set in a deep niche above the main altar, and is covered by an enormous 19th century “mechanically run” curtain that is lifted on special occasions when the Crucifix is displayed for worshippers.Near the Oratory, we find Villa Pecori Giraldi, home to the Museo civico della Manifattura Chini (Chini Museum). This amazing villa, surrounded by a beautiful park, houses numerous paintings and architectural works by Galileo Chini and members of his family, while on the first floor of the building, in the halls of the museum, we find an exquisite collection of Liberty-style Art Nouveau ceramics and stained-glass windows.

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A delightful walk awaits you from the square in Grezzano to the Museo della Civiltà Contadina di Casa d’Erci (Museum of Farm Life and Customs - www.casaderci.it), a large farmhouse that has been restored and furnished using period pieces (the bedroom, kitchen, spinning room, laundry etc.), which houses an extensive collection of farm tools from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A little before the Museum, the Mulino ad acqua Faini (Faini water mill), dating back to the fifteenth century, is worth a visit. From Casa d’Arci, located in the Giogo Casaglia Forestry Complex, you can take round trips to the mountain crests along beaten trails or have lunch in picnic areas. A stop at the Mulino ad acqua Margheri (Margheri water mill) located in Madonna dei Tre Fiumi, with the owner Mr. Cerbai is a must. The mill, probably dating back to 845, is still in perfect working order: you are welcome to view the grinding process and to buy wheat flour, corn flour or chestnut flour with an original flavour. On the opposite side of the road stands an Oratory, built in 1578.You can walk uphill to the Colla di Casaglia Pass, and from there you will find a number of trails, suitable for both hiking and mountain biking through the Giogo Casaglia Forestry Complex or down through chestnut groves to the town of Ronta.

IN THE HILLS SURROUNDING THE TOWN...

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SCARPERIA S.PIERO

U nited by their history, and the presence of the De’ Medici family who left the mark of their prestigious rule over this territory,

today the two towns live in symbiosis thanks to the establishment of the Single Municipality of Scarperia and San Piero on 1st January 2014. There are so many tourism, cultural, gastronomic and sports offerings that visitors can discover when they arrive from Florence, on Via Bolognese, or from the motorway tollgate of Barberino di Mugello. In fact, the most important roads of Mugello converge in San Piero a Sieve, which run from the city to Imola and Bologna. The ancient town has developed around the parish of the same name since the eleventh century, but it experienced its greatest period between the fourteenth and

fifteenth century: the Medici family built their villas in the surrounding areas, such as the remarkable Castello Trebbio, and also erected homes within the town, such as Villa Adami (now home to the library) and Villa Schifanoia. Castello del Trebbo, which has almost entirely preserved the starkness of its medieval construction, was built by Michelozzo Michelozzi on the ruins of a former feudal tower, upon a commission from Cosimo de’ Medici. In 2013 Castello del Trebbio received the coveted recognition of Heritage of Humanity from UNESCO. The Fortezza di San Martino stands on the highest hill near the town, commissioned by Cosimo I in 1569, which Bernardo Buontalenti helped to build. A short distance away you will find the Del Bosco ai Frati Convent, founded by the Ubaldini family before the advent of the first millennium, considered one of the oldest in Tuscany.

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The history of this new Municipality continues towards Scarperia, where the Ubaldini family had always reigned until, to oppose them, the Florentine Republic decided to found a “new land” on 8th September 1306, called Castel San Barnaba and later Scarperia (at the “shoe” [Italian scarpa] of the Apennines). In the historic centre you can admire Palazzo dei Vicari, which has been the seat of the Vicar, mandated by the Florentine Republic to run a vast expansion of the countryside around

Mugello, since the fifteenth century. Alongside housing a valuable historic archive and the old clock of the bell tower, work of the great Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi, the Palazzo is home to the Museo dei Ferri Taglienti (Museum of Cutting Blades - something that Scarperia has proudly produced for centuries) which has now been refurbished, to be discovered by young, old and travellers from afar.

Don’t miss out on the old Bottega del Coltellinaio (Knife Makers’ Workshop) on Via Solferino nearby, where you can watch and participate in making a knife, accompanied by the expertise of the artisan, using ancient tools no longer used. The smells, sounds, smoke from the hearth; this is what it means to make a knife.

SCARPERIA

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TYPICAL ARTISANAL PRODUCTS

MARRADI

B eyond the Passo della Colla hill pass, still in Tuscany but approaching the lands of Emilia-Romagna, you will find Marradi bathed by the waters

of the Lamone river that leads to Ravenna. And it is precisely this central location between Florence, Faenza and the Adriatic coast that made this town prosper in the past. In fact, travellers to Marradi, arriving by train on the legendary Faenza railway, don’t expect to find an urbanistic structure that is quite unusual in a mountain town: the houses and stately palaces are rather reminiscent of the streets of Florence’s historic centre. This was determined by the noble families such as the Fabroni family from Pistoia

or the Torriani family from Milan who, after being exiled here, did not want to renounce the convenience and elegance of the city spaces. The Marradi territory, lush with forests and clear waters, is ideal for those who like to go on outings on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback. We suggest: a family walk from Marradi to the Rocca di Castiglionchio, an old fort from the eleventh century which dominates the panorama of the entire Lamone valley, or the more challenging excursion to the Hermitage of Gamogna, an old monastic complex founded by San Pier Damiani in 1053, accessible via a footpath that starts from Ponte della Valle, Lutirano or from the Passo dell’Eremo hill pass on the provincial road connecting Marradi to San Benedetto in Alpe.

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aThe sixteenth century Palazzo Torriani, now completely restored, is the most obvious proof of this. The interior preserves splendid decorations by Galileo Chini and a canvas by Silvestro Lega. Nearby you will find another Marradi gem: the sixteenth century Teatro degli Animosi theatre. The heart of the historic centre is the enchanting Piazza Le Scalelle square, surrounded by the Town Hall with its airy loggias, the fifteenth century Palazzo Fabroni and the Church of Suffrage. Having crossed the bridge over the river, it is an absolute must to visit the Church

of San Lorenzo, where you will find beautiful paintings from the end of the thirteenth century by the ‘Maestro of Marradi’, an anonymous painter who trained alongside Domenico Ghirlandaio around 1475. How can we forget that the poet Dino Campana was born and lived in Marradi, the maestro of the masterpiece “Canti Orfici” (Orphic Songs): at the Cultural Centre dedicated to him you will find the Centro Studi Campaniani (Centre of Campana Studies), an essential reference point for scholars and students from all over the world.

You can’t come to Marradi and not stop for dinner or lunch to taste some of the typical dishes of this slice of Romagna and Tuscany: spinach and ricotta ravioli, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, wild boar or enriched with seasonal truffles, cappelletti with stracchino and raveggiolo cheese, grill platters of game or mutton, trifle, tarts, ricotta cake, fried cream and, in Autumn, all of the desserts based on the PGI Mugello chestnut, celebrated here each year with the famous Sagra delle Castagne (Blessing

of the Chestnuts). In fact, Marradi is the home of the “good chestnut”: there are many hillsides covered by chestnut trees which, like well tended gardens, interrupt the uniformity of wild vegetation. The love for this plant and the desire to create a project that represents it in all of its forms have led to the creation of the Strada del Marrone del Mugello di Marradi (Road of the Mugello Chestnut of Marradi) which offers tourists a veritable journey around the theme of chestnuts.

THINGS TO SEE

TYPICAL WINE AND GASTRONOMY PRODUCTS

BRISIGHELLAB risighella, one of the most

beautiful villages in Italy, is an ancient medieval and thermal village certified with an Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club

thanks to its beautiful landscapes and environments, nestled within the Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola park, in the Tuscany-Romagna Apennines, along the ancient Faenza Road that connects Florence-Faenza-Ravenna (which today can also be travelled by train). Three rocky peaks characterise this road, the famous three hills, upon which stand the Rocca Manfrediana fortress (fourteenth century), the Sanctuary of Monticino (eighteenth century) and the mighty Clock Tower (nineteenth century). Its origin dates back to the eleventh century when Maghinardo Pagani Da Susinana, Lord of the area, had a defence tower built in 1290 on the rocky spur where the clock tower stands today to monitor trade from Ghibelline Romagna towards Guelph Florence. Throughout his long military career, Maghinardo fought

on the Guelph Florence side in the Campaldino battle of 1289, in which Dante Alighieri also notoriously took part; but then he was a champion of the Ghibellines of Romagna for a long time, in alliance with the Ordelaffi of Forlì. This is why it seems possible to say that he was a Guelph in Tuscany and Ghibelline in Romagna. This contrast irritated the Supreme Poet a lot. In Canto XXVII of the Inferno Dante refers to him, without specifically naming him, as the Lord of Imola and Faenza, and stigmatises his political conduct, considering it contradictory:

«Lamone and Santerno still are ledby the young lion whelp of the white lairwho, with the changing seasons, changes bed»

(Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto XXVII, 49-51)In the early fourteenth century the territory was passed to the hands of the Manfredi family of Faenza, who remained in charge of the city until the end of the fifteenth century. In 1500 Brisighella was conquered by Cesare Borgia, and later, between 1503 and 1509, it became part of the territories governed by the Republic of Venice.

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Up high, a Fortress, a Church and a crenelated Tower watch over the town as if guarding it. Brisighella reveals itself in the glimmer of the gypsum that surfaces and shows itself in the pastel colours of the houses in the historic centre and coming alive in the festivities that involve you, as a guest, in an unforgettable experience. In Brisighella you can’t miss out on a journey along the Antica Via del Borgo (Ancient Village Road), also called the Via degli Asini (Donkey Road): what makes it unique in the world is that it is a raised road that runs basically enclosed in a row of buildings. You should also see the Parish Church of San Giovanni in Ottavo, or the Parish Church of Thò. Moving onto

the Three Hills, the Rocca Manfrediana fortress was built in the fourteenth century by the Manfredi family, Lords of Faenza, to then pass into the hands of the Venetians. The Clock Tower stands on the peak of one of the three hills. The third hill is dominated by the Sanctuary of Madonna del Monticino, built in the eighteenth century. As you leave the village and immerse yourself in the charming surrounding territory, you can visit the Grotta Tanaccia, one of the most beautiful caves of the Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso park: its landscapes, the result of karst phenomena, can be visited year-round with the exception of the period in which the bats go into hibernation.

THINGS TO SEE

Brisighella also offers gastronomic wealth. Its specificity, however, is greatly linked to the products of a territory that is still largely unspoiled and ecologically intact.The reigning product is “Brisighello” extra virgin olive oil, which boasts a European DOP certification. We also can’t forget the cheese cured by aging in the gypsum caves, the meat of Mora Romagnola (an ancient breed of indigenous pig), the meats of the

Romagnola cow breed, the forgotten fruits (including the Fox Pear), PGI Romagna Peaches, Nectarines and Apricots and, finally, the Moretto artichoke, typical of the ravine area. Excellences of the region’s wine production include the typical indigenous grape varieties of Romagna, in particular the Sangiovese DOC and the Albana di Romagna DOCG (the Passita version is excellent) which give rise to extremely high quality products.

TYPICAL WINE AND GASTRONOMY PRODUCTS

FAENZA

T he Faenza road (Via Faentina) is the main means of communication between Romagna and Tuscany, thanks to the Provincial

Road 302 and the railroad connection that invites tourists to take a leisurely journey in the footsteps of the Supreme Poet. At the centre of this “Dante itinerary” you will find the city of Faenza, in the Province of Ravenna. Faenza, of Roman origin and situated on Via Emilia, is a city with 60,000 inhabitants and is known for its ceramic production, which dates back to the twelfth century and reached its peak in the Renaissance period.The city has transformed in a long period of historic evolution, enriching itself with prized architecture, strongly characterised by Renaissance and Neo-Classical styles.

In Faenza ceramics boast a tradition spanning several centuries, an expression of an artistic handicraft of exceptional quality. Due to its geographic location, the city has been able to establish itself as a European ceramics centre of primary importance, to the point that the Maiolica plates are known throughout the world under the French name Faience. The offer of typical products, food and wine is captivating and varied, valued and promoted by the Strada del Sangiovese, a gastronomic route.

TYPICAL WINE, GASTRONOMY AND ARTISANAL PRODUCTS

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The splendid Piazza del Popolo square is the beating heart of the City of Faenza, sat between two elegant porticoes facing one another, one on the side of the Town Square and the other on the side of the Palazzo del Podestà. The square is closed off by the civic Clock Tower.Next to Piazza del Popolo we find Piazza della Libertà, with the Renaissance Cathedral (Giuliano da Maiano, 1474) dedicated to Saint Peter Apostle and the monumental fountain designed by Domenico Paganelli (seventeenth century). The era of Neo-Classical flowering cheerfully remains from the end of the eighteenth century until the first three decades of the following, with examples of artistic significance by Giuseppe Pistocchi, Giovanni Antonio Antolini, Felice Giani, and Pietro Tomba. The many accomplishments include

Palazzo Milzetti, today the National Museum of Neo-Classical Civilization in Romagna which masterfully captures, both in terms of architecture and decoration, the Romagna civilization in Neo-Classicism and Piazza Nenni (previously Piazza della Molinella), with a cobblestone pavement and overlooked by the prestigious Teatro Comunale Masini theatre, also from the Neo-Classical era (1780-1788).The International Museum of Ceramic (M.I.C.), founded in 1908, is one of the most important museums of ceramic art worldwide and houses collections from every century and continent, as well as prestigious exhibitions, including of contemporary art, while the many ceramics workshops, mainly located in the charming setting of Faenza’s historic centre, continue the great tradition of the artistic handicraft in Faenza.

THINGS TO SEE

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RAVENNAD ante passed the last years

of his life in Ravenna, where he died between the 13th and 14th of September 1321, perhaps due to a

malaria fever contracted during a diplomatic mission in Venice. His solemn funeral took place in the Basilica of S.Francesco, a cultural and religious building of great prestige in the fourteenth century. Ravenna features heavily in the Comedy, both through direct mentions of its toponym and through poetic imagery. The nostalgic memory of Francesca in Inferno V is famous: “The land where I was born lies by the sea, That gleams along the coast, where Po descends”. Francesca is perhaps one of the most well-known of the many Ravenna characters encountered in his otherworldly journey and is the pilgrim’s first contact after Virgil. His stay in Ravenna was aided by the hospitality bestowed on him by the Lord of Ravenna, Guido

Novello Da Polenta, who ruled the city from 1316 to 1322. The Poet lived in a house provided by his host (the exact location is unknown) where his children Pietro, Jacopo and Antonia, who took her monastic vows under the name Beatrice, also stayed; this was a serene period of life and study. In the city of his “last refuge” the Florentine exile left the great literary legacy of his art, the Eclogues that feature certain characters from the nucleus of devotees and admirers that gathered around him, under familial allegory. But above all it was where he finished the Comedy, or rather the last Cantos of Paradise about which Boccaccio, the first biographer of the Supreme Poet, narrates an adventurous discovery by Dante’s son Pietro. After his death the city was a hive of activity for maestros and writers, who made it into an important hub of early Humanism and were the protagonists of the initial dissemination of Dante’s works, giving rise to a veritable cult.

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Dante’s Tomb, exalted and experienced by the Ravenna community as heritage of its identity par excellence, was commissioned by the Cardinal Legate Luigi Valenti Gonzaga to be made by Camillo Morigia, who finished it in 1781. The architectural work, although modest in size, respects sixteenth century Neo-Classical canons with dignity. It is located at the end of Via Dante, between the second cloister of the Franciscan monastery, called the cisterna or Dante cloister, and the Quadrarco di Braccioforte. The small building consists of a gabled façade, with a Doric frame, in which the entryway opens within a round arch. The architrave features the words “Dantis poetae sepulcrum”; the overhanging gable shows a serpent biting its own tail, a symbol of eternity. The small dome is finished off with a pine cone, the ancient symbol of burial.

DANTE’S TOMB

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TYPICAL WINE AND GASTRONOMY PRODUCTS

Ravenna and Emilia-Romagna are hospitable lands with ancient culinary tradition. On typical menus you will certainly see the tasty handmade starter dishes such as tagliatelle, lasagne, strozzapreti with ragu, passatelli made from parmesan and eggs, cappelletti filled with cheese, with ragu or broth, or fish-based dishes such as seafood risotto, seafood tagliolini and spaghetti with clams. The next courses will be the classic grills, of meat or fish, washed down with the wines of our hills.You can’t leave Emilia-Romagna without having tried the fragrant piadine (a type of flat bread) stuffed with Squacquerone di Romagna, the local soft cheese, or with savoury slices of cured meats.

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The Basilica of S. Francesco was commissioned to be built in the mid fifth century by the Bishop Neone, who dedicated it to the Apostles. Towards the tenth century it was re-built, took the title of Basilica and was dedicated to San Pier Maggiore; in 1107 the title of vicarage was added. In 1261 it was given to the Franciscan Friars who ran it until 1810, when religious orders were abolished by Napoleon I. It was only in 1949 that the Franciscans returned to hold mass in the church. On Via Zagarelli alle Mura, at number 2, you will find an ancient house called the “Home of Francesca”, which dates back to the eleventh century and belonged to the Da Polenta family. This family ruled Ravenna when, in 1275, Guido Minore Da Polenta,

chief of the Guelphs and Francesca’s father, cast his political adversaries from the city and the family continued to rule until 1441, when the Serenissima Republic took over. The Quadrarco di Bracciaforte, located near Dante’s Tomb, is called “Braccioforte” (literally ‘strong arm’) according to an ancient legend in which two worshippers took an oath, invoking the ‘strong arm’ of Christ, whose image was kept here. Inside you will find the “Pignatta” and “Traversari” sarcophagi, which can be dated between the fifth and sixth century, which were later re-used for the burial of members of Ravenna’s noble families. A further three sarcophagi can be found in the small garden, near to the burial mound where Dante’s remains were hidden during the Second World War.

BASILICA OF SAN FRANCESCO - HOME OF FRANCESCA - QUADRARCO DI BRACCIOFORTE - PALAZZO DEI DA POLENTA

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TYPICAL ARTISANAL PRODUCTS

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The great mosaic tradition still permeates

through the city of Ravenna thanks to the

artists who keep this ancient art alive

with their works: numerous workshops

offer objects and souvenirs, inspired by

antiquity or with a contemporary edge.

Printed cloths are still made with ancient

methods, by applying mineral-based dye

pastes of varying colours, including the

typical rust colour which is obtained by

amalgamating iron oxide with flour and

wine vinegar, onto the carved moulds.

Byzantine embroidery is still practiced in

the city, a “needlework” of oriental origin

that dates back to the fifth century, when

it was used to adorn the clothing of the

Exarchs and their courtiers.

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The Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, commissioned to be built by Teoderico (493-526) next to his palace, was originally used as a palatine church, for worshipers of Arianism. After the Byzantine recapture and consecration to Orthodox worship (mid sixth century), it was dedicated to San Martino, Bishop of Tours. According to tradition, in the ninth century the relics of Sant’Apollinare were moved here from the Basilica of Classe and, on that occasion, it was dedicated to Sant’Appolinare, called “Nuovo” (new) to distinguish it from another church of the same name in the city.

The Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe stands, grandiose and solemn, around 8km away from the centre of Ravenna. It was built by Giuliano Argentario at the orders of the Archbishop Ursicino during the first half of the sixth century on a former cemetery area in use between the end of the second century and start of the third, where it appears they found the entombment of the proto-bishop Apollinare. The church is defined as the largest example of an early-Christian basilica. Despite the spoliation endured over the centuries, the church still preserves the beauty of its original structure and is admired for its splendid polychrome mosaics in the bowl-shaped vault of its apse and the ancient marble sarcophagi of archbishops located along the lateral naves.

S. APOLLINARE NUOVO

S. APOLLINARE IN CLASSE

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Tourist Information

UFFICIO INFORMAZIONI TURISTICHE BRISIGHELLA

Via Naldi 2 - 48013 - Brisighella (RA) tel. 0546.81166

iat.brisighella@racine.ra.it www.brisighella.org

UFFICIO TURISMO UNIONE MONTANA DEI COMUNI DEL MUGELLO

Via P. Togliatti, 45 - 50032 Borgo San Lorenzo (FI)tel. 055 84527185/6

turismo@uc-mugello.fi.itwww.mugellotoscana.it

COMUNE DI FIRENZEContact center turistico 055 000

Infopoint Stazione 055 212245 (piazza Stazione 4)055 000 - 055 212245

IAT - PRO LOCO FAENZA Voltone della Molinella 2 - 48018 - Faenza (RA)

tel. 0546.25231 info@prolocofaenza.it www.prolocofaenza.it

UFFICIO INFORMAZIONE E ACCOGLIENZA TURISTICA

Piazza San Francesco, 7 - Ravennatel +39 0544 35755 - 35404

turismo@comune.ra.itwww.turismo.ra.it

Tourist Information Office of Florence

Tourist Information Office of Borgo San Lorenzo, Scarperia e San Piero, Marradi

Tourist Information Office of Brisighella

Tourist Information Office of Faenza

Tourist Information Office of Ravenna

CREDITSGraphics: empresacreativa.com

Texts and photos: Comune di FirenzeComune di Firenze

Comune di RavennaComune di Brisighella

Comune di FaenzaUnione della Romagna Faentina

Unione Montana dei Comuni del MugelloApt servizi Emilia Romagna

Toscana Promozione turisticaNicola Strocchi

Giacomo BanchelliCarlotta Nucci

Noemi PorcellinoEmilio Maccanti

The Apennines between Tuscany and Romagna in the steps of the great poet

www.viedidante.itFlorence - Scarperia e San Piero - Borgo San Lorenzo - Marradi - Brisighella - Faenza - Ravenna