Emilia-Romagna · Ravenna
Bagnara di Romagna
A 22-meter plain commune in the Bassa Romagna, the only fully preserved medieval castrum surviving in the Romagna lowlands.
Known for
ROCCA SFORZESCA
Late-fifteenth-century Riario-Sforza fortress on Visconti foundations from 1354, with four corner towers and a central keep.
INTACT CASTRUM
The only fully preserved medieval castrum on the Romagna plain, with circuit walls, moats, gate and raised pathways still in place.
CATERINA SFORZA
Used the Rocca as a residence during her years ruling Imola and Forlì for the Riario, between 1480 and her 1500 capture by Cesare Borgia.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- J9°
- F13°
- M15°
- A18°
- M23°
- J29°
- J33°
- A32°
- S27°
- O21°
- N14°
- D9°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Andrea, 30 November
Why come
Bagnara di Romagna sits on the plain between Imola and Faenza, forty kilometers southeast of Bologna in the Bassa Romagna. The borgo is the only castrum surviving intact in the Romagna lowlands, with its full circuit of medieval walls, moats, civic gate, raised pathways and the Rocca Sforzesca at the centre. Barnabò Visconti raised the first stone castle here in 1354; the Riario-Sforza lords of Imola rebuilt it in the late fifteenth century on the older foundations, giving the fortress its current Renaissance form.
Caterina Sforza, who ruled Imola and Forlì for the Riario, used the rocca as a residence. The municipality joined Borghi più belli d'Italia on the strength of the intact castrum layout, the only one of its kind on the Romagna plain. Beyond the walls, the commune is given over to fruit orchards and Sangiovese vineyards under the Romagna DOC.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Bagnara di Romagna’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Bologna (BLQ), about 45 minutes by car.
Rimini (RMI) is about 1h 24m away.
By car from the centre of Parma 1h 39m.
Coming by train into Ravenna? Bagnara di Romagna is about 35 minutes away by road.
What to see
Rocca Sforzesca
Late-fifteenth-century Riario-Sforza fortress built on the foundations of a 1354 Visconti castle, with a central keep and four corner towers in Renaissance form.
Castrum medievale
Intact medieval walled nucleus with circuit walls, moats, civic gate and raised pathways, the only fully preserved castrum on the Romagna plain.
Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Parish church inside the walls, rebuilt in the eighteenth century on the site of the earlier pieve, with a fifteenth-century terracotta relief.
Museo del Castello
Civic museum inside the Rocca, displaying weapons, ceramics, and finds from the fortress and the surrounding territory across the medieval and Renaissance centuries.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Bagnara di Romagna fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Living here
- Population 2,392
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Bologna, 45 min drive
- Regional capital Bologna, 47 min drive
Common questions
- What is Bagnara di Romagna known for?
- Bagnara di Romagna is a 22-meter plain commune in the Bassa Romagna, the only fully preserved medieval castrum surviving in the Romagna lowlands.
- Where is Bagnara di Romagna?
- Bagnara di Romagna is a comune in the province of Ravenna, in Emilia-Romagna, at 22 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Bagnara di Romagna?
- Bologna (BLQ), about 45 minutes by car.
- How long is the drive from Parma to Bagnara di Romagna?
- About 1h 39m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Bagnara di Romagna?
- Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 33 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Bagnara di Romagna?
- The town keeps its patron saint's day: Andrea, 30 November.
- Which other towns are like Bagnara di Romagna?
- Solferino, Cassinetta di Lugagnano and Morimondo.
- How many people live in Bagnara di Romagna?
- 2,392 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 22 m
- Population: 2,392
- Surface area: 9.96 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Similar
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