EMILIA-ROMAGNA

By: MARTIN Gani

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

This is a visual guide, illustrated with over 240 photos, to Emilia-Romagna region, home to some 4.5 million inhabitants set in central-north Italy with Bologna acting as regional capital. Romagna confined to the south is where all the beaches are, with at least 30 resort towns from Casal Borsetti in the north to Milano Marittima, Cesenatico, Rimini, Riccione to Cattolica in the south, strung along the Adriatic coast on a sandy stretch topping 90 km. Romagna also has fascinating cities like Ravenna, Cesena, Forlì, Faenza, and Rimini which is not only famed for its beaches and nightlife, it was a Roman city with still standing ancient monuments and is also the native city of Federico Fellini, the four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker. Emilia portion houses Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, Reggio-Emilio, Parma and Piacenza all packed with history, culture, art not to mention great food. Nearly half of the region is flat, the Padana Plain stretching down here from southern Lombardy, 25% is mountainous, and some 27% hilly providing not a little variety. Most of the region borders with Tuscany to the south, a small part with Liguria to the west and another small part down the Adriatic coast with Le Marche. In the vicinity of some cities are also medieval castles to check out such as Castell'Arquato close to Piacenza, Bardi and Cologno in the province of Parma. There are delightful villages like Dozza, close to Bologna, embellished with murals, or Santarcangelo near Rimini. That's not all, the tiny, ancient nation, San Marino, independent since 1291, is but an enclave in the province of Rimini well worth a visit.