Deep in the heart of the Bolognese plain, San Giorgio di Piano has a toponym that is easily intelligible: it indicates the name of the patron saint of the castle and its location in the plain.
San Giorgio di Piano is a typical small town of the Pianura Bolognese, whose historical centre, remarkably well-preserved, has a characteristic “torresotto” (small tower) dating back to 1321, which today houses the public library. The beautiful Porta Ferrara, also ancient, represents the only remains of the ancient castle built in San Giorgio in 1403.
It is worth seeing the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), built at the end of the 18th century, and the 19th-century Romanesque Church of San Giorgio.
Close to where there once stood Porta Bologna, the Oratory of San Giuseppe and the Nativity of the Virgin (18th century) contains a Sacred Family of the School of Guercino.
A popular site for film-loving pilgrims is the birthplace of Giulietta Masina, colleague and wife of Federico Fellini. You can see the facade of her house on the main street of the town.
By being in the heart of the Bolognese plain, San Giorgio di Piano shares with the area the truest culinary tradition of the lower Emilia region, including fresh hand-rolled pasta and many fresh and cured variations of pork, which is the true king of local cuisine. The citizens of San Giorgio even dedicated a statue to pork: you can find it in the municipal courtyard.
The Corso dei Fiori (early June) is the beloved summer carnival of San Giorgio di Piano: a night parade of colorful carnival floats, full of lights and flowers.
Between San Giorgio di Piano and San Pietro in Casale, in the town of Gherghenzano, Annibale I Bentivoglio defeated the Visconti army in 1433. Here stands a monumental plane tree of 33 meters as a memento of past centuries.
