SASSO MARCONI - Bologna
Guide to SASSO MARCONI
Sasso Marconi is a commune of 14,612 inhabitants in the province of Bologna.
Its name comes from the rock located a short distance to the south (called "the rock") and from Guglielmo Marconi, the scientist to whom the invention of wireless telegraphy and radio is attributed.
Its origins are very ancient, as artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era and about twenty Etruscan tombs have been found in this area, the rich contents of which are now the pride of the Archaeological Museum in the nearby city of Marzabotto.
Evidence of the Romans' passage can be seen in the functioning aqueduct that still brings water to the city of Bologna.
After the Roman period, records of the town are lost due to wars and barbarian invasions, until it came under the control of the city of Bologna.
In 1506, when Pope Julius II conquered Bologna, the entire territory became part of the Papal States; during this period of relative peace, many villas were built, no longer fortified and positioned defensively, but in the valleys and near the fields, as the local agricultural system also developed.
WHAT TO SEE AND WHAT TO DO
A visit is warranted
Villa Griffone, in the locality of Pontecchio, where one finds the Mausoleum and the Museum of Guglielmo Marconi,
the Palazzo de’ Rossi, from the Renaissance period, and the Village of Colle Ameno, from 1700, where one can visit the oratory of Saint Anthony of Padua, from the 18th century, unique in its kind.
A visit to the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rock cannot be missed; it was once carved into the living rock of the mountain; following a landslide in 1787, the image of the Madonna was moved to the new Sanctuary, which can still be admired today.
For those who love outdoor activities, the Parco dei Gessi Bolognesi and Calanchi dell’Abbadessa is the ideal place: here one can hike on the many trails to admire the strange landscape created by the outcrops of chalk, the high plains, the ravines, the cliffs, and the valleys, as well as the many caves, some of which are visitable. The various itineraries are walkable or rideable on mountain bike and are of varying lengths but generally suitable for all: noteworthy is the Speleological Excursion in the Spipola Cave and the Calanchi dell’Abbadessa and Foiano.
Another interesting hike is that on Mount Adone: starting from the small village of Brento, one can visit the Natural Reserve of the Pliocene Counterfort, within which it is possible to admire unusual panoramic views characteristic of the area, until reaching the belvedere of Ant Hill Mountain, where the Sanctuary of Santa Maria di Zena is located. A small curiosity: as suggested by the name of the Park, it is possible to identify many fossils here, since this area was actually an ocean floor.
THE PLACES OF GUGLIELMO MARCONI
- Griffone Villa and Marconi Mausoleum - Guglielmo Marconi Foundation Via Celestini 1 - Pontecchio Marconi (Bo) Summer residence of the Marconi Family : here Marconi conducted his first experiments. Visits every Sunday at 10:00, other days/ hours by appointment tel. +39 051 846121 info@fgm.it [www.fgm.it]]
- Marconi Palace, former Orsi Palace Via San Vitale 28/30 - Bologna: Home of the Marconi family
- Orlandini Palace, Via IV Novembre 7 - Bologna: birthplace of Guglielmo Marconi (25 April 1874)
- Pelagalli Museum: A Thousand Voices... A Thousand Sounds Via Col di Lana 7/N - Bologna: Radio Museum www.museopelagalli.com
- Museum of Heaven and Earth - V.lo Baciadonne, 1, San Giovanni in Persiceto BO www.museocieloeterra.org
EVENTS AND MANIFESTATIONS
Many events in the city of Sasso Marconi:
- alla fine di luglio si tiene la manifestazione Atuttabirra che, come suggerisce il nome, è un’occasione per bere dell’ottima birra e ascoltare musica, non solo bavarese;
- at the beginning of September, as every year, the Fiera di Sdaz is held at Palazzo de’ Rossi, an ancient farmers' fair that evokes the popular and rural traditions of the area: stalls with artisanal products and enogastronomic stands frame the exhibition of agricultural tools, folk dances, songs in dialect, and the reenactment of ancient trades.
- La Tartufesta, l’ultimo fine settimana di ottobre, è giunta quest’anno alla 28° edizione, ed ‘ l’occasione per assaggiare il pregiato tartufo dei Colli bolognesi, una piccola curiosità: quest’anno è stato fatto per la prima volta un gelato al tartufo, e pare che fosse anche molto buono!
- By mid-December, the streets of Sasso Marconi come alive with the stalls of the Christmas Market, featuring typical products and handicrafts.
where - on the mountains south of Bologna
CAR: FROM THE AUTOSTRADA A1, TAKE THE EXIT FOR SASSO MARCONI, MARKED SASSO MARCONI
TRAIN : Metropolitan Railway Service, frequent schedule, from Bologna Central to Porretta, Station of SASSO MARCONI
Tourist Information Office Municipality of Sasso Marconi
Via Porrettana 314
Tel.: +39 051 675 8409
http://www.infosasso.it/home
Town of Sasso Marconi
Piazza dei Martiri della Liberazione, 6 -
Tel. +39 051 843 511
other useful addresses
A.S.L. (Local Health Authority) Hospital of VERGATO -
Via Dell'Ospedale, 1
Tel.: 051 674 9111
