Anzola dell'Emilia is situated in the rich plain along the Via Emilia, on the west side of the Bologna territory. It is part of the area called Terre d'Acqua (Water Lands), crossed by the Samoggia River and bounded by two more rivers, the Reno and the Panaro.
Anzola and its surroundings have an ancient history, dating as far back as 3300 years ago. In this place indeed were found the ruins of a Terramara, a village from the Bronze Age typical of west-central Emilia.
Since the Middle Ages, Anzola has been home to the Tower of Re Enzo, the only remaining evidence of the castle of the Lords of these lands, and part of the Church of St. Peter and Paul, whose medieval origins can be seen in the 13th-century font.
Nowadays Anzola houses the Carpigiani Gelato Museum, the first museum dedicated to one of the most famous made in Italy products, Italian gelato.
Inaugurated in September 2012, the Carpigiani Gelato Museum is the first in the world dedicated to the history, culture and technology of Italian gelato, and can be visited and “tasted” from Tuesday to Saturday upon reservation. The Museum hosts the first industrial machines for gelato production, like the very first one, produced by the Cattabriga company in 1927, and the automatic Motogelatiera designed by Bruto Carpigiani in the early 1940s. A specific area is dedicated to the ice cream cone, the traditional edible container patented in Washington D.C. in 1903 by an Italian who emigrated from Cadore. In combination with the guided tours, the Museum offers “tasty” workshops: unique experiences where it is possible to have ice-cream tastings and learn how to prepare sorbets and ice-creams.
The Carpigiani Gelato Museum is a center of cultural excellence dedicated to the understanding and study of the history, culture, and technology of gelato and the expertise of the innovators who have driven its evolution over the centuries.
The Anzola branch of the Archaeological environmental museum takes in and displays the materials found in the nearby Terramara. They are the evidence of the close relationship between these lands and water, an element that has been both an asset and a threat over the centuries.
It is worth visiting the Abbey of Santa Maria in Strada and the Church of St. Peter and Paul, both rebuilt between 1600 and 1700 but still preserving memories from over a thousand years of history and notable paintings of the Bolognese School.
Anzola is in a production area of Parmigiano Reggiano. Among the traditional food one can find sweets - like the “penza” cake and the “Sughi” made of grape must - tortellini and tagliatelle with ragù.
The “Sagra dla raviola e dla brazadela - Fiera di Anzola” (Festival of "raviola" cookie and donut) (June) gives visiothe opportunity to taste typical Bolognese cuisine.
The “Festa di San Martino e Sagra dei Sughi” (November) proposes tastings of new wine and “sughi”, traditional sweets prepared with boiled must.
