May, 2024
Bologna Road Trip #1
All work and no play…well, there was a lot of play mixed in with the work. Call it working play, as we had to practice our Italian skills as we road tripped around!
Our first chariot took us to small towns around Bologna. It was twice the price to rent in Bologna so we hopped on a train to Ferrara to rent the car. Of course this was when we were operating in blissful ignorance about the International Driving License rule.
San Giovanni in Persiceto
First stop: San Giovanni in Persiceto. This little town near Bologna is very much a locals place but Piazzetta degli Inganni is what attracts the occasional visitor. Back in the early 1980s, in an attempt to bring this little square back to life, the town enticed the Italian film set designer Gino Pellegrini to paint murals all around the square for its summer film festival. Well, this fabulous artwork lasted long beyond the summer festival and remains the big draw for this little town.
As with everywhere in Italy, there are many places to stop for a “chiacchierata”. When you listen in, everyone sounds like they’re old friends catching up, sharing the latest gossip, regardless of which generation they belong to. Young and old are connected.
Wildlife in San Giovanni in Persiceto.
The gelato research continues! Even in a little town they take it seriously.
How’s this for a vending machine! Where else would you find fresh pasta sold this way? Clearly pasta is important to one’s survival in Italy so they need to make sure people can get it when they need it if the shops are closed or their nonna has gone to sleep.
Dozza
Dozza is a beautiful hilltop village just outside Bologna. Its claim to fame is murals that decorate the houses and shops of the two streets that make up the village.
This was no happenstance revitalization of a dwindling medieval village. In 1960, watching the younger generation leave in search of action and modernity, and historic buildings decline through lack of interest, designer/art promoter Dino Gavina and artist/art critic Antonio Rinaldi hatched a plan! Bring art out of the museums to make it more accessible, blend modern with the old and take art beyond decoration and into the cityscape.
These two visionaries invited contemporary artists to come paint directly on the exterior walls of the buildings. It was such a success that it turned into a biennial event, now heading into its 29th round with some 200 murals on the walls, staircases and various nooks and crannies in the village.
It was a win-win: historic buildings were preserved in a creative way; art became more accessible to everyone; and tourism increased, giving a reason for the youth to stay and build a life here.
A beautiful rest stop on someone’s stoop. Everyone is welcome!
I wonder who this guy is running away from…the barber?
A bit of wisdom from those who came before.
A perfect day with perfect friends!
A view into upstairs, as though the walls are made of glass.
This one is called Nature Morte…the most literal Nature Morte I’ve seen.
I love how some of the artists make use of the doorways in their work.
Is this better protection than a dog?
We are in the land of Lambrusco!
Castel del Rio
The Ponte Alidosi was an engineering marvel back in its day in 1499. It has stood the test of time, spanning 42 m across and nearly 20 m above the Santerno River in the village of Castel del Rio. Notice the little windows? There are five rooms hidden inside for guards and temporary prisoners. Its size is really apparent when you notice the tiny specks of Gilly and Laurie waving from its crest!
Cervia
Beach day! Welcome to Cervia, just outside Ravenna. Gilly scored rockstar parking right by the beach. This was the first, but definitely not the last, time she was blessed by the parking angel!
There’s a story here…one of Gilly’s first Italian word fumbles! We were in a restaurant with our friend Fabio and Gilly wanted to tell him, in Italian, that she liked figs. She made a tiny mistake with the word. Instead of saying “mi piace il fico”, she said “mi piace la figa”. Look it up on Google translate…I can’t translate it here because Facebook might ban me.