A daily itinerary to discover Casola Valsenio, a small village in the Romagna Apennines on the Tuscan border, known as the Village of Herbs and Forgotten Fruits, thanks to the many species of officinal herbs cultivated in its Botanical Garden.
The itinerary starts from the Herb Garden of Casola Valsenio, to discover the world of officinal plants and continues to the locations which are the symbol of this land: Casa Museo Alfredo Oriani and the Abbey of San Giovanni in Valsenio, unveiling the centuries-old history of the Senio valley.
Useful info
The locations are open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays and opening hours may vary according to the season.
Our day starts in the Herb Garden, a true point of reference for deepening one's knowledge of official plants, recognized and used for centuries thanks to their virtues.
The Garden was created in 1938 with the purpose of cultivating, preserving and spreading the knowledge of plants of medical and officinal interest: there are about 450 plant species, in use since the Middle Ages, when they were used and studied mostly in monastery laboratories. The Garden was opened in its current location in 1975 and is named after Augusto Rinaldi Ceroni.
The Garden is open for visiting during the day, when walking around will lead you to smells and colors of nature, among terraces and lavender rows. If you wish to truly deepen your knowledge about this vegetal world, book a guided visit or a workshop, go through the Smells Gallery and enter the Chamber of Wonders.
Stop by the Garden shop to find some officinal plants for your garden or your terrace, to enjoy everyday the intensity of the smells and the memories of this magical place.
Tip
June is the month of lavender: the best season to admire the flowering of the many species at The Herb Garden.
To taste
Around lunch time, taste the original dishes made with herbs and forgotten fruits that you can find in the restaurants in Casola Valsenio: creative pairings that don’t leave the traditions. Just as the culture of Romagna culture!
Events
The Herb Garden offers a rich calendar of workshops and guided visits from March to October.
In the afternoon, our itinerary continues to Cardello, the house-museum of the writer Alfredo Oriani, one of the most “original” characters in Italian culture of the late 19th century.
Originally built as a guest house for the closeby Benedictine Valsenio Abbey and surrounded by a wide and green park, the Cardello was acquired by Luigi Oriani, Alfredo’s father; the writer lived here his whole life and composed all of his writings.
The structure was re-built in 1926, in the neo-romanic style, popular at that time.
On the other hand, the inner spaces, including the writer’s studio and his private library, are perfeclty preserved offering a rare example of a noble home of the 20th century in Romagna.
In the wide attic area, the bicycle used by Oriani is on display,.as He is considered the inventor of cyclotourism, for the long solo ride he completed through Romagna and Tuscany in 1897. This journey inspired him to write “The bicyle” (1902), the narration of a suggestive 1000km-bike ride across the Appennines.
To know
Cardello opening from April to October.
A few kilometers away from Cardello is the Valsenio Abbey, whose presence has been documented since appearing in a Papal bull in 1126. Next to the Abbey there used to be a Benedictine monastery with a cloister and guest house.
The Valsenio Abbey is located in a historical strategic point of access to the valley. Its relevance is witnessed in the many lands it owned and its several satellite churches. Here, community council and assemblies took place.
Recent restoration works brought to light adjacent monumental sacred buildings from the High middle ages. The remains of an ancient church, probably with cross vaults, with columns fragments and basis, dating back to the 8th Century A.D. where found under the apse.
Enjoy the quiet of the place, living the history of the Senio Valley.
Events
On the first Sunday in May the Abbey hosts the Old Valsenio Fair: an event of rural tradition and local food.
