BrowsingItaly Sharing stories, experiences, photos, tips and all things good on Italy
Possessing deep Roman and Medieval roots, the village of Portico di Romagna is nestled in the Apennine mountain range, halfway between Ravenna to the north and Florence to the south and west. This tiny borgo (hamlet) boasts around 400 residents and is one of 3 distinct settlements making up the municipality of ‘Portico e San Benedetto’. The other 2 communities are San Benedetto in Alpe and Bocconi.
Portico di Romagna’s proud connection with the supreme poet Dante Alighieri (credited with giving birth to the Italian language) is legendary – as old as the Renaissance itself. It seems that the father of Dante’s immortalized muse, Beatrice Portinari, was born in this town. In fact, this November 28th, Portico di Romagna held a day of celebrations to commemorate the 750th anniversary of Dante’s birth.
Formerly the capital of the Romagna territories, this quaint and serene village continues to retain many of its historic charm and centuries-old history. As part of this year’s Settimana Buon Vivere Blog Tour 2015, our group of bloggers were treated to a special walking tour by the illustrious mayor, Luigi Toledo. Sindaco Toledo led us through the tiny streets and alleyways of the village, giving us a local’s perspective of his unique home. The following are just a few highlights from our visit:
Il Ponte della Maestà
Dating back to the 1300s, this ‘humpback’ bridge once linked the town with the road to Florence.
Town Park
Inside the walls of Giardino Pubblico Dante e Beatrice, opposite the S. Maria in Girone, a kinetic iron sculpture created by local artist Cristiano Quadalti sways in the wind.
Al Vecchio Convento Albergo, Ristorante & Albergo Diffuso
Situated on the high street and occupying an 18th-century palazzo, family-owned Al Vecchio Convento Albergo is not only a characteristic hotel and restaurant, but it also offers cooking courses, tours and excursions, i.e., wine/olive oil tastings and truffle hunting (see below). And if that weren’t enough, Al Vecchio Convento functions as an albergo diffuso, which literally means “scattered hotels”.
The innovative concept of ‘diffuso’ came into favor in the early 1980s. It was a solution for regenerating tourism in smaller, historic towns and villages. This unconventional form of hospitality invites guests to stay in different buildings sprinkled throughout town, giving them the opportunity to experience intimate contact with locals.
The Al Vecchio family likes to explain it this way, “The term ‘diffuso’ (diffuse) denotes a structure that is horizontal, and not vertical like the one pertaining to traditional hotels.” More and more, albergi difussi are catching on.
We’re Going on a Truffle Hunt!
Setting out on a truffle hunt is a bit like diamond mining or online dating: Everyone is filled with hope and anticipation that today might be their lucky day! Following behind our trusted guides Otto, Rex and their master Matteo, we trudged into the nearby woods on damp ground in search of the elusive white truffle.
Unlike France, which uses pigs to sniff out these rare funghi, Italians prefer to employ canines. Otto and Rex belong to a breed of work dog called Lagotto Romagnolo. Once trained, these boys are excellent at what they do! How did our fluffy cacciatori do? Well, you decide….
Good doggies!
If you’d like to learn more about the wondrous region of Emilia-Romagna, click here.
Settimana del Buon Vivere Blog Tour 2015 began on September 18 and included 10 days of tours, programs, appearances and activities dedicated to celebrating, educating and promoting the region of Romagna’s unique and distinctive foods, wine and rich culture.
For information about Settimana del Buon Vivere email: info@settimanadelbuonvivere.it; tel. 0543 785443. Find them on Facebook and Twitter
Special thanks to Alessandra Cantania from 21Grammy.com for being the fearless leader and knower of all things Romagna. A shout out also goes to the other bloggers in attendance this year: Agata Mleczko of NullandFull; Аня Бритвина (Anna) for Moya Planeta; Maria Arruda and Patricia Kalil of Italia Para Brasilerios; Martha Bakerjian of GoItaly and James Martin of WanderingItaly.
