Santerno on the Lamone: History, Buildings and Cultural Events
Accommodation in Santerno
Santerno on the Lamone
Santerno lies directly on the right bank embankment of the Lamone River. The location combines a clear connection to the landscape with a history reflected in individual buildings and historic uses. The position on the Lamone, the historic traces and the approach routes therefore offer three specific points of reference for Santerno.
File:Custode Marcucci, dipinti di arte urbana dedicati al liutaio di Sant'Agata sul Santerno 1.jpg
Photo: Enea Emiliani via Source, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting There from Different Directions
From Ravenna, the route initially follows the SS 16 Adriatica towards Ferrara. An alternative route follows Via Canala towards Piangipane and Santerno. From Mezzano, local signposting leads towards Ammonite and Santerno. Depending on your starting point, you can consider these approach routes separately for your own trip planning. Each of the three approach routes organizes the journey through its own road or signposting reference.
Early Local History
Santerno's origins date back to around 1080. At that time, the town was called Santernum. For those interested in culture, the historical period extends from Santernum around 1080 to the later histories of the town's buildings and uses.
The Palazzetto Veneziano in Santerno dates from the Middle Ages. It was used as an orphanage for girls and during the Second World War as a German military hospital. These different uses connect social history with a period of wartime history. Its history thus combines a medieval origin with a social use and a period of wartime history.
Villas and Notable Buildings
Villa Poletti on Via degli Angeli became the residence of the family of lawyer and Cavaliere Paolo Poletti around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Dating from around the turn of the century distinguishes this building chronologically from the medieval Palazzetto Veneziano.
Palazzo Spreti is a large aristocratic villa with an adjoining oratory on Via Palazza in Santerno.
Casa Minguzzi is also known as “dell’ortolano” and served as a refuge for the Passatore's gang.
Villa Poletti and Palazzo Spreti are associated with different street references: Via degli Angeli on the one hand and Via Palazza on the other.
Museum and Cultural Events
The Ecomuseo delle Erbe Palustri, a museum, is located in the vicinity of Santerno. For a culture-focused trip, you can plan this destination separately from the buildings in Santerno. The museum thus provides a geographical reference to the surrounding area, while the buildings are situated within the context of Santerno itself.
The 2026 summer workshops are held under the motto “ESTATE INSIEME SUL FILO DELLA MEMORIA”. The Italian title refers to community and remembrance and complements the local-history topics with a cultural event scheduled for a specific period. In Santerno, a Sagra Paesana is associated with September. The two events therefore also differ in timing: the workshops refer to a year, while the Sagra Paesana refers to a month.
More Destinations to Compare
If you would like to compare Santerno with other Italian destinations, you can also include Ravenna, Cervia, Casalborsetti, Riolo Terme, San Pietro In Trento, Castel Bolognese, San Zaccaria and Fognano in your further planning.
For the overarching travel overview: Ravenna.
