Granarolo Dell'emilia: Culture, Landscape and La Via Lattea

Theatre and Sacred Art

TaG – Teatro a Granarolo offers programmes of drama, comedy, music and children's theatre in every theatre season. The theatre also organises workshops for children and theatre courses for adults. The Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo houses the 1600 painting Madonna del Rosario con i quindici Misteri by Pietro Faccini.

In the municipal area, in Lovoleto, the Chiesa di San Mamante preserves a 17th-century painting of the Madonna ai piedi del Crocifisso, attributed to Guglielmo Caccia (il Moncalvo). It also contains a Way of the Cross dating from the late 18th century. The Chiesa di San Vitale was rebuilt in 1682; it houses a San Girolamo attributed to Guercino. The church hosts concerts in the “Organi antichi, un patrimonio da ascoltare” series.

Villas and Traces of History

Villa Fibbia is also known as Pippola and is already documented in sketches dating from 1578. Its passage loggia is decorated with large tempera paintings from the early 18th century. The villa's dovecote tower dates back to the 16th century and stands about one hundred metres away in the fields. Villa Montanari is a simply designed manor house from the first half of the 19th century, set in a valuable garden with exotic plant species. A centuries-old yew tree grows there, a long-lived evergreen tree that is uncommon on the local plain.

The Cimitero tedesco di Villa Montanari was established during the German occupation of Italy between 1943 and 1945, opposite the entrance to Villa Montanari. Villa Bassi is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside; it includes a tower and an oratory dedicated to the Madonna della Vita.

Rural Landscape and Biodiversity

The Maceri are important natural features today. Their bodies of water, often surrounded by spontaneous vegetation, provide shelter for mammals and birds as well as habitat for aquatic species and amphibians. The few remaining visible Piantate Bolognesi are important spaces for biodiversity and help convey an understanding of the historic rural landscape with its “strange woods”. In the smaller roads around Quarto Inferiore, traces of the ancient Roman centuriation can also be recognised; the roads there often follow a zigzag pattern with right-angled bends.

Cycling Route and Agricultural Heritage

La Via Lattea is a cycle tourism route established in 2015 in Granarolo dell'Emilia and designed as a cycling route with ten stops. The route explores milk and its history as cultural heritage, as well as the area's characteristic agricultural food production. This also makes the route interesting for travellers who want to explore the landscape and local food culture together.

Festivals and Practical Information

The traditional Sagra di Viadagola is organised by a volunteer committee of the Viadagola parish on the meadow near the church and includes food, music, games and performances. It takes place in Viadagola during the second week of June. Markets for organic products and agricultural stalls are announced for Verdevolo at the end of May. Bus route 88 connects Bologna, Cadriano, Viadagola and Granarolo dell'Emilia, providing a direct link between the town and these stops.

To the main travel overview: Bologna.