Travel guide Emilia-Romagna

In Emilia Romagna, balsamic vinegar is grown like wine, that is, with great care. Around Modena and Reggio Emilia, the production of traditional balsamic is strictly controlled. It is made from cooked grape must and aged in wooden barrels for at least twelve years, a true luxury product!

Many writers have been fascinated by Italy. This was the case of Stendhal who, after a trip, wrote his book The Charterhouse of Parma, for which he was inspired by the Charterhouse of Paradigna near Parma, built in the ^14th century by Benedictines. Since 2007, it has belonged to the University of Parma and houses a research center.

From the province of Piacenza to the shores of the Adriatic, the territory is dotted with castles, either on the plain or balanced on the top of a rocky spur. Of medieval origin, with their towers and battlements, these castles have often been refurbished since the Renaissance into noble residences with elegant rooms decorated with frescoes.

This term derives from a town in Emilia Romagna, Faenza, located in the province of Ravenna at the foot of the Apennines. It was in Faenza that a center of ceramic manufacturing developed in the ^15th century. The name "faience", derived from Faenza and designating the glazed terracotta produced there, spread throughout Europe in the ^16th century.

If Rimini is first and foremost synonymous with the beach, the city is also the birthplace of the great filmmaker Federico Fellini. It was the setting for several of his films, including Amarcord and I Vitelloni. Whimsical and offbeat, with a critical eye on Italian society, Federico Fellini won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1960 with La Dolce Vita.

The most important Italian car manufacturers originate from the region: Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ducati were all born along the Via Emilia. The "Motor Valley" or Land of the Motors gathers on its territory museums dedicated to these giants of the automobile and circuits of international renown such as that of Imola.

Better known as Parmesan in France, but not to be confused with Grana Padano, which also belongs to the family of pressed cooked cheeses, but which is produced over a larger area, is ripened for a shorter time and is reputed to be less gastronomic. A good Parmigiano is a delight in shavings with a few drops of balsamic.

Bologna has 40 km of porticos and it is possible to walk along eight of them without ever deviating from the route. The portici give the city a certain elegance and are not limited to Bologna: even the streets of secondary municipalities are equipped with them. Created to save space on the public highway, they protect from the sun and bad weather.

Emilia-Romagna is famous for its pork meat and the king of cured meats is Parma ham, made in the hills near Parma and taking advantage of the air currents coming down from the Apennines that intervene in the curing process. To be enjoyed with fried gnocchi (fried bread dough)!

Don't you dare order a "Bolognese sauce" in a restaurant, it annoys the people of Bologna. The term ragù is used to refer to this famous sauce. In France, ragù is a mixture of meat and vegetables cooked over low heat. In Italy, it is a sauce made of meat and tomato sauce that accompanies pasta.

The University of Bologna is the oldest in Europe. Founded in 1088, it has shaped the city and still today it sums up the soul of the city. In via Zamboni is the heart of the university. Its motto Petrus ubique pater legum Bononia mater means "Saint Peter is everywhere the father of laws, Bologna is the mother".

The composer was a child of Parma, and more precisely of Roncole, a hamlet in the province. With his 26 operas, Verdi established himself during his lifetime as the greatest Italian musician of his time. Today, an itinerary allows us to follow in his footsteps, from his birthplace in Roconle to Bussetto, where he spent most of his life.