Marzabotto between the Etruscans, remembrance and nature

Kainua and Etruscan history

Kainua preserves the fully intact urban structure of an Etruscan city, with houses, workshops, and sacred and funerary areas. The city was founded by the Etruscans around 500 BC on the Pian di Misano and the Misanello hill in what is now the municipality of Marzabotto. In the northeastern area of Kainua are two large temples dedicated to Tinia and Uni, the most important deities in the Etruscan pantheon. In Kainua, residential, working and religious areas therefore stand side by side. Marzabotto's historical role also extended beyond the local area: the town lay within the new trading system along the Reno and was an important hub for contacts with the Tyrrhenian region.

Remembrance and interpretation on site

Many victims of the massacre are buried in the Sacrario di Marzabotto. The Centro di Interpretazione di Monte Sole offers another way of engaging with the history. It has three rooms with information panels, audio and video material, and a multimedia table. The Centro is located in the Casa della Cultura e della Memoria in Marzabotto, next to the town's tourist information point. At the Sacrario, the focus is on commemorating the many victims; at the Centro, the focus is on interpretation through several media.

The Memorial Route for a long hike

The Memorial Route is a 20.5-kilometre hiking trail rated difficulty level E (hiking route), with a walking time of around seven hours. It passes through places in Marzabotto, Monzuno and Grizzana associated with the 1944 massacre and the history of the “Stella Rossa” partisan brigade. A variant to Murazze is 6 kilometres long and follows an out-and-back route. With its length and approximate walking time, the main route is designed for a long day of hiking. The shorter variant offers a more compact framework for planning the day, thanks to the return route to Murazze.

Romanesque sacred architecture

The parish church of San Lorenzo di Panico in Marzabotto is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th century, with an artistically ornamented chancel apse. It complements the ancient and remembrance-related themes with a medieval architectural monument.

Flora in the Parco Storico Regionale di Monte Sole

The Parco Storico Regionale di Monte Sole is home to around 936 plant species. Its flora therefore provides a distinctive natural-history highlight in Monte Sole.

Information for your stay

Marzabotto railway station is located on the Bologna–Porretta–Pistoia railway line.

Discover more destinations

More destinations for planning your trip to Italy: Castel Maggiore, Farneto, Borgo Tossignano, Scuola, Fiumetto, San Giovanni In Persiceto, I Casoni and Sasso Marconi.

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