Path of art and culture
Marvel at the magic of beauty
Millennial art
and ancient culture
Let yourself be amazed by the beauty of art, amazed by ancient knowledge, captivated by the craftsmanship. In the Savio Valley there is a whole world to discover and a priceless journey through ancient history and human civilisation.
The Romans, the Malatesta and Degli Onesti families, popes and saints, such as San Vicinio, and painters, sculptors and writers, such as Donatello, Plauto and Carducci, have left us their legacy over the centuries.
With this path you can get to know all the artistic and cultural spots of the Savio Valley, from the Malatestiana Library in Cesena to the National Archaeological Museum of Sarsina and the natural museum Idro in the Ridracoli dam, and discover ancient professions in the craft shops, such as the art of luthier and the workmanship of “pietra serena”.
Visit the Savio Valley for a cultural holiday among thousand-year-old books in a unique location, works of art of the highest value, monuments of great value and local traditions that become excellence.
Take a look at all the cultural and artistic experiences and choose the ones that leave you breathless: guided tours in undiscovered places and in the workshops of the master luthiers, theatrical performances at the Plautus Festival or during the Saracen Night and listening to the melodies of ancient instruments in the “Talking Garden” of the Musicalia Museum.
Bagno di Romagna
Bagno di Romagna retains an example of Romagna architecture with Tuscan influences, which are identifiable in its palaces and monuments. Not to be missed for unforgettable days discovering the cultural soul of the village: the Roman baths, a panacea for the body and mind, the Museum of Sacred Art with more than 200 artistic works and the Ridracoli dam, a monumental feat of engineering and nature, with the museum of its waters.
Artistic notes
- Roman baths
- Museum of sacred art
- Works by Donatello, Ghirlandaio and Andrea della Robbia in the
- Church of Santa Maria Assunta
- Idro, the water museum of Ridracoli
In the National Archaeological Museum of Sarsina you can admire a unique collection: some of the finds from the ancient Roman baths of Bagno di Romagna.
Cesena
In Cesena, the footprints of the Malatesta family are still visible in every corner of the city and have indelibly marked its history. Malatesta Novello has in fact handed over to the city and to posterity one of the rarest cultural heritages in the world, the Malatesta Library, which still contains 350 original codes. The Malatestiana Fortress with its towers also stands out in the historical centre, defined by Dante as “between the plain and the mountain”, where you can admire historical wonders such as the Bonci Theatre and the Masini fountain.
Artistic notes
- Malatesta Library – UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Malatesta Fortress
- Masini Fountain
- Bonci Theatre
- Villa Silvia Carducci – Musicalia Museum
“Nobody alone ever knows enough.”
Plautus
Mercato Saraceno
Mercato Saraceno, a village that remains in the heart for its natural beauty, has a long history that was born with the Degli Onesti family: witnesses of this passage are the mill, still standing since 1153, and the remains of the ancient bridge over the Savio. Another important monument of the Saracen Market culture that should be visited in the historic centre is Palazzo Dolcini. In Liberty and Art Déco style, the building is the symbol of the architect who created it, Ugo Dolcini.
Artistic notes
- Dolcini Palace
- Ponte Vecchio
- Village of Paderno
- Saracen Night, the night of the contemporary circus
Decorated initials on books, the chessboard on column capitals, the Indian elephant emblem drawn on the Library door and 70 different coats of arms set into the facade of the Captain’s palace are symbols of the dynasties that have marked events throughout history. Try to spot them in the Valley’s monuments and museums!
Montiano
As soon as you reach Montiano, what immediately strikes you is the imposing Malatestiana Fortess, where the village stands. A 16th century castle, which encircles the village in a distinctive heart shape and owes its splendour to the Malatesta family, in particular Giacomo, Lord of Montiano. To enter the town, go through one of the arches in the walls, della Spada or Galeffi, and go to the historic centre to admire the splendid Pasolini Palace.
Artistic notes
- Malatesta Fortress
- Pasolini Palace
- Arco della Spada and Galeffi
- Poetic paths
“Not with age, but with ingenuity you reach wisdom”
Plautus
Sarsina
With its two souls, historical, due to its Roman foundation, and sacred, as the place of worship of St Vicinio, Sarsina welcomes its visitors with rare artistic beauties. Visit the National Archaeological Museum, one of the most important in Italy for the value of its treasures, the Plautina Arena where the works of Plautus, born in Sarsina, are still displayed today, and the Basilica of San Vicinio with the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art.
Artistic notes
- National Archaeological Museum
- Plautus Festival at the Plautina Arena
- Basilica of San Vicinio
- Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art
- Art of the luthier
- Craftsmanship of “pietra serena”
“In this place where words on books are beautifully protected, it’s nice to leave words hanging in the air”
Tonino Guerra in the Malatesta library