Grizzana Morandi: Discover Art, Mountains and Historic Places
Accommodation in Grizzana Morandi
Altitude, art and historic places
Grizzana Morandi is located on a ridge in a panoramic position and offers scenic views over the Reno and Setta valleys. The landscape around Montovolo is protected by the Parco provinciale di Montovolo-Vigese and the Natura 2000 network.
The Casa Museo Giorgio Morandi preserves the complete furnishings and the studio where Giorgio Morandi painted some of his best-known works. The Rocchetta Mattei was built by Count Cesare Mattei (1809–1896) on the ruins of the 13th-century Rocca di Savignano. During a visit to the Rocchetta Mattei, a guide accompanies visitors throughout the tour.
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Photo: Gianni Careddu via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Morandi, architecture and sacred art
The Oratorio di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria di Montovolo dates from between 1217 and 1219 and is decorated with a cycle of paintings created in the second half of the 15th century. The scenes depict the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta di Riola provides an architectural contrast: it was the first Christian place of worship designed by Alvar Aalto.
The Fienili del Campiaro have housed the Centro di Documentazione since 2000. The Fienili also include exhibition spaces for artists who studied under Morandi at the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Bologna, as well as etching and printmaking workshops run by the Associazione Liberi Incisori. In Campolo, known as the “village of stonemasons”, an important tradition of sandstone working in the Apennines developed on the slopes of Montovolo. The almost unchanged Borgo La Scola is recognized as a historic centre.
Pilgrimage routes, hiking and cycling
The Via Mater Dei is a pilgrimage route around 157 kilometres long that runs in seven stages to the Marian sanctuaries of the Bolognese Apennines and passes through Grizzana Morandi, among other places. The Santuario di Santa Maria della Consolazione was built in the 13th century on the remains of an earlier church.
A shorter option for connecting several cultural sites is the 14-kilometre hiking trail starting from Riola railway station. It runs via the Rocchetta Mattei, La Scola, Cà Dorè, Predolo and the Borgo degli Sterpi, reaching Campolo at the foot of Montovolo. The route follows the trail marked with CAI signpost 039. The Grizzana Bike Area includes mapped and rideable cycling routes in the Grizzana Morandi area and the neighbouring municipalities. Through Mowi, you can find technical route details, information on the required level of experience, recommended bicycle types, as well as information on services, dining options and local activities.
Montovolo and Riola
Montovolo is 912 metres high. Its summit is home to a sanctuary, a crypt around nine centuries old, an oratory dedicated to Saint Catherine and the so-called Balzo, a several-hundred-metre-high cliff overlooking the valley below along the Reno. Riola SFM railway station is an intermodal transport hub for sustainable tourism and is located in the immediate vicinity of the Rocchetta Mattei complex.
More destinations
More destinations for planning your trip: Linaro, Ripoli, Funo, Brento, Scuola, Marzabotto, Bentivoglio, Mordano
To the higher-level travel overview: Bologna.
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