Discovering Authentic Romagna by motorbike

On the first day of the trip to discover the most authentic Romagna, you come across curves and panoramas that open up onto fascinating villages and hamlets, each with a different soul:

• Faenza, a town that is a symbol of ceramics, where this art has taken shape for centuries and can be sensed everywhere, among age-old workshops and museums dedicated to “faience” (a kind of pottery).
• Riolo Terme, a few kilometres away, is nestled among rolling hills and is famous for its thermal waters. From here, the view opens out onto the spectacular Chalk Vein of Romagna, with its white cliffs and nature sculpted in chalk.
• Brisighella, reachable by continuing along provincial road 23, is a medieval gem that amazes with its Via degli Asini, a unique elevated passageway, and with its towers that dominate the hamlet.
• Modigliana, on the other side of the Lamone river, reveals its history linked to the Guidi Counts, among stately buildings, ancient bridges and narrow alleys that follow the course of the Tramazzo river.
• Tredozio, the last stop of the day, is a small village in the woods, from which you climb up to Monte Busca.

Suggestions for a visit

• The (MIC) International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, which houses pieces from every geographical origin and from every historical period, with a rich section devoted to ceramics from the Renaissance period in Faenza.

Events

• In Tredozio on Easter day, as a propitiatory ritual for spring, the Sagra and Palio dell'Uovo takes place; this is a traditional festival born from the ancient custom of beating hard-boiled eggs.
• In Modigliana, on the third Sunday of September, the Festa dell'Ottocento takes place: for the occasion, almost all the villagers dress up in period costumes to make living reproductions of the paintings (Tableaux Vivants) by the Modigliana painter Silvestro Lega.
• In Brisighella, in November, the event “4 Sagre per 3 Colli” takes place which celebrates the Piglet, the Volpina Pear, Aged Cheese, Truffles and Olive Oil.

To taste

In Tredozio, you must try the Bartolaccio, a unique gastronomic delicacy: a pastry made only of flour and water, filled with a mixture of mashed yellow potatoes, bacon, aged parmesan, salt, pepper and other spices and, at the end, grilled.

Curiosities

On Mount Brusca, in the silence of the Apennines, the “smallest volcano in the world” has been burning for centuries, a natural flame that never goes out, evidence of a territory steeped in surprises.

After a good rest, we get back on the road and, one curve after another along SS67, the Tosco-Romagnola state road, the landscape becomes more and more picturesque, accompanying us on one of the most iconic stretches of the Romagna Apennines until we reach the altitude of Portico di Romagna.

A short distance away, we reach Bocconi, where the Ponte della Bruscia is located, a spectacular construction that crosses a wild waterfall.

Going beyond to San Benedetto in Alpe, the famous Acquacheta waterfall awaits us, immortalised by Dante's verses; nearby, there are several excellent local restaurants.

From here, the most technical stretch begins: curves and hairpin bends lead to the legendary Muraglione Pass, a true mecca for motorcyclists, also known as the "Disneyland" of two wheels. After the pass, take the recently resurfaced SP9ter road to return to Romagna crossing the Tre Faggi pass.

You descend towards Premilcuore, following the course of the Rabbi river, which, with its waterfalls and lush vegetation, offers strong emotions and enchanting landscapes.

Continuing along the Strada San Zeno, we pass the Passo delle Cento Forche to reach first Galeata, then Santa Sofia, an enchanting gateway to the Casentino Forests National Park. Here, at just over 500 metres above sea level, there is the spectacular Ridracoli dam, immersed in an uncontaminated natural environment. The reservoir, which reflects the peaks of the Casentino, offers one of the most memorable views of the entire trip.

Suggestions for a visit

• In Premilcuore, you can visit Palazzo Briccolani, the Oratory of San Lorenzo, the Oratory of Mogio, the Pieve di San Martino and also the Museum of the Fauna of the Romagna Ridge, a destination for tourists who love nature and the peacefulness of the ancient woods.
• In Galeata, the church of Saint Mary of Miracles, a jewel of Renaissance architecture, preserves valuable paintings from the 16th and 18th centuries.
• Portico is the village of nativity scenes: during the Christmas period, the ancient medieval village keeps an ancient tradition alive, the tradition of setting up nativity scenes along the streets of the village.

To taste

At the end of April, there’s a special festival dedicated to stridolo (green field grass), a local speciality; this festival brings the village alive with traditional dishes, especially tagliatelle (a kind of pasta) and tortelli (a kind of filled pasta)

Back on the SS310 from Corniolo to Campigna, you climb until you reach Campigna and the Calla Pass. A few dozen kilometres and Bagno di Romagna awaits us, with its restorative spas, and then, following the course of the Savio river, you reach San Piero in Bagno and, after about twenty kilometres, you reach the heart of Sarsina, with its unique batch of stories and legends. Continuing along Provincial Road SP142, you reach Mercato Saraceno and the formidable hairpin bends of the Barbotto Ascent: 4 kilometres and 600 metres with substantial inclines in the last epic stretch that leads to the ridge that divides the Savio and Uso valleys.

Suggestions for a visit

• In Bagno di Romagna, several places are well worth a visit: Palazzo del Capitano, a venue for art exhibitions and home to the historical archives and library, and the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, of Romanesque origin embellished by the works of the Florentine Renaissance.
• Instead, inside its National Archaeological Museum and distributed in various parts of the historic town centre, Sarsina preserves some of the most original and interesting archaeological finds of Northern Italy. The town that gave birth to Titus Maccius Plautus, the greatest Latin playwright, commemorates him every year in July and August on the occasion of the Plautus Festival, one of the most important and longest-running theatre festivals in Europe. Moreover, on the two Sundays before Easter, the Pagnotta Pasquale Festival is held; the Pagnotta Pasquale is a traditional dessert eaten during the periods of Lent and Easter, and it is one of the most genuine and original peasant dishes.
• In Mercato Saraceno, visit Palazzo Dolcini, built in 1927; it is based on a design by the architect Ugo Dolcini (1871-1927) and was conceived in Art Nouveau and Art Deco style.

The last stop, on the last day of the three-day journey, is a crescendo: you see ancient hamlets such as Rontagnano, Montegelli, Strigara to reach Sogliano al Rubicone, a village that gives its name to the Formaggio di Fossa DOP (Fossa PDO Cheese) and celebrates its festival in autumn; then descend along the legendary 18 hairpin bends of Cioca, to Roncofreddo.

A few more kilometres and you find the magic of Longiano that is already perceived from afar, arriving from the Provincial Highway SP40 when the eye can fully grasp the medieval spirit that the ancient hamlet is still able to transmit. Not far away is the junction with Via Emilia that, in hardly more than a breath, leads to the heart of the splendid Malatesta Cesena and to the end of an intense, emotionally rich and marvellous journey in the heart of the most authentic Romagna.

Suggestions for a visit

• Walking through the charming historic centre of Sogliano al Rubicone you can admire the famous Butterfly Fountain designed by Tonino Guerra, visit the Museum of Vintage Records and Sound Recording. But also discover and fall in love with the tradition linked to the famous Formaggio di Fossa di Sogliano DOP thanks to visits to the “Fosse”: the pitmen will be happy to tell you the history and technique of pitting, showing you materials, locations and tools.
• In Longiano, a visit to the Malatesta Castle is a must, as are the treasures of the Tito Balestra Foundation that are kept there: a highly original collection of works by the greatest Italian artists of the twentieth century.
• In Cesena, don't miss a visit to the Malatesta Library, the first Public Library in Italy, founded in 1452 by will of the Lord of Cesena Malatesta Novello, recognised in 2005 as a UNESCO "Memory of the World", to the Malatesta Fortress, one of the most impressive in Romagna, to the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria del Monte (Saint Mary of the Mountain) which houses the remarkable collection of ex-votos, among the richest in Europe, and to the Ancient Book Restoration Laboratory.