Itinerary:

 

Duration: two nights, three days.

Way of transport: car

Itinerary: Ravenna, Forlì, Portico di Romagna, Bertinoro, Polenta, Castrocaro Terme.

 

 

DAY 1 – RAVENNA

 

Arrival in Ravenna. A visit to the city. We'll discover the countless historical and artistic treasures of the city, and we'll take a trip though time: we'll discover the secrets of Dante's Ravenna. Recommended itinerary: In the morning, a visit to the Tomb of Dante (1780), the Quadrarco di Braccioforte (where Dante's bones were found in 1885), the Basilica of Saint Francis (where Dante went to pray and his funeral ceremony held), and the Centre and Museum of Dante Studies. In the afternoon, we'll go on a trip to discover the Byzantine Mosaics, the same ones that, after he took refuge in Ravenna in 1318, Dante admired and which inspired the final draft of his Paradiso. Must-sees: the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the San Vitale and Sant'Apollinare Nuovo Basilicas, the Baptistry of Neon, the Archdiocesan Museum. Lastly, you really shouldn't miss a visit to the Da Polenta Palaces, including the so-called “Casa di Francesca” (also known as "Francesca da Rimini").

 

 

 

 

DAY 2 – FORLÌ, PORTICO DI ROMAGNA, BERTINORO AND POLENTA

 

We'll reach Forlì (30 km) in the morning and visit the historical centre. In Forlì, Dante was a guest of the Ordelaffi, lords of the city, on more than one occasion (1302, 1308 and 1311). The poet mentions them in Canto XXVII of the Inferno: “la terra che fé già la lunga prova/e di Franceschi sanguinoso mucchio,/ sotto le branche verdi si ritrova…”. These words are engraved on a plaque at the base of the bell tower of the Abbey of San Mercuriale, which was around at the time of Dante and features frescoes by Palmezzano. The Santa Maria dei Servi Church features a beautiful portal in the Gothic Po Valley style and, in the Sala del Capitolo, there is a 14th century Rimini School Crucifixion attributed to Giuliano da Rimini. The Sant'Antonio Vecchio Church, today a Shrine to the Fallen, is also worth a visit, with a typical exterior in Romanesque style, and the San Domenico Monumental Monastic Complex, the new home of the Civic Museums and a prestigious venue for exhibitions and cultural events.

 

About 40 km from Forlì you'll find the Portico di Romagna, a picturesque village arranged in three levels: in the middle, where local notables resided and the seat of economic activities, you can see Portinari Palace that, according to legend, belonged to Beatrice's father, the woman Dante loved and who was an essential figure in his personal and literary life. It was here, according to tradition, that love blossomed between Dante and Beatrice. In Portico, we recommend taking a walk starting from the highest part of the village, from where you'll be able to see the Vigna Turrets that surround the town; in the middle part of the village, you can visit the Compagnia Church, and then walk downhill along the Vicolo della Calgheria until you reach the beautiful Maestà Bridge, in the shape of a donkey's back, and which dates back to 1300.

 

In the afternoon, we'll head over to Bertinoro. This village, called the "Balcony of Romagna", is dominated by the medieval Rocca (Fortress) that is now home to the Museum of Religious Arts and which is also remembered for its past, which was wonderful during the signorie of the Mainardi family and Guido del Duca, as mentioned by Dante. In Bertinoro's Piazza della Libertà, you can also see the Colonna dell'Ospitalità (Colum of Hospitality), with 12 rings. Each ring symbolised one of the well-to-do families of the town. It was customary that when an outsider arrived in Bertinoro, by tying his horse to one of these rings, he would've been welcomed by the corresponding family.

 

Must-sees: Piazza della Libertà and its beautiful 14th century Palazzo, the Torre dell'orologio (Clock tower) and the thousand years old Rocca del Barbarossa (Fortress of Barbarossa) on top of the hill. The Interfaith Museum is a real cultural jewel housed inside the Barbarossa Fortress.

 

The wineries that enrich the town's territory are important. From Bertinoro, if you drive along hillside roads from where you can enjoy impressive views, after 6 km you'll reach the hamlet of Polenta, famous thanks to the San Donato Parish Church. Carducci sang about this Romanesque basilica, built before the 10th century, in his famous ode Alla chiesa di Polenta (To the Polenta Church), and it suggests that Dante was a guest right here of the Polenta lords of Ravenna. Every year, the town holds the Carducci Gathering and Dante reading cycles.

Return to Ravenna for dinner.

 

DAY 3 – CASTROCARO TERME

Let's enjoy a relaxing morning. Let's go to Castrocaro Terme. Before pampering yourself in the famous local thermal baths, take a look around the still intact medieval town, graced by exquisite Renaissance buildings: it'll be worth it!

 

Dante spared no criticism for Castrocaro, "che di figliar tai conti più s’impiglia...", as he wrote in Canto XIV of the Purgatorio, which is quoted on a plaque on the outer wall of the San Nicolò Church. According to Dante, the city is guilty of stubbornness for giving the world a generation of such evil counts. Here, we're in the heart of the Tuscany-Romagna area, and Castrocaro was for a long time the capital of Medici power in the Romagna side of the Apennines. This medieval town is worth a visit: it stretches around the imposing Fortress and where you can find the small Baptistry of San Giovanni and, further down, the Palace of Florentine Commissioners, with coats of arms on the façade. In the lower part of the town, you'll find the Saints Nicolò and Francesco Church, which is home to interesting frescoes and altarpieces.

 

Two kilometres away, is the fortress city of Terra del Sole, built in 1564 by Cosimo I de' Medici to serve as the capital of Tuscany-Romagna. The Medici Castle is worth a visit.

 

The Thermal Baths: The thermal bath complex includes three large buildings: the Bathing facility, the Grand Hotel, preserved in perfect Art Deco style, and the Amusement Pavilion. Here, wellness, hospitality, elegance and entertainment coexist in perfect harmony.

 

Just 18 km away, you'll find the Grand Hotel “Terme della Fratta”, an elegant place for health treatments.