Anywhere Italy
Stemma di Bertinoro

Emilia-Romagna · Forlì-Cesena

Bertinoro

A 254-meter Romagna-hill borgo above the Via Emilia, with a twelve-ring hospitality column from 1300 and the slopes that grow Albana DOCG.

Known for

  • ALBANA DOCG

    First Italian white wine to receive DOCG status, in 1987, grown on the clay-sandstone slopes around the borgo.

  • COLONNA DELLE ANELLA

    Twelve-ring stone column from 1300; arriving visitors tied their horse to a ring and were hosted by the noble family who owned it.

  • BALCONE DI ROMAGNA

    Panoramic terrace below the Rocca, looking out across the Romagna plain to the Adriatic on clear days and to the Apennines southward.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

  • J8°
  • F12°
  • M14°
  • A17°
  • M21°
  • J28°
  • J31°
  • A30°
  • S25°
  • O20°
  • N13°
  • D9°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Caterina d'Alessandria, 25 November

Why come

Bertinoro sits on Mount Cesubeo, a few kilometers south of the Via Emilia between Forlì and Cesena, the Romagna hills rolling toward the Adriatic on a clear day visible from the panoramic balcony locals call the Belvedere. The town's signature object is the Colonna delle Anella in Piazza della Libertà, a white-stone column with twelve iron rings, erected in 1300 by the noble families of the borgo so visitors arriving from the Via Emilia could tie their horse to a ring and be hosted by the family it belonged to. The Albana grape grown on the surrounding slopes became, in 1987, the first Italian white wine to receive DOCG status; the artist Guerrino Bardeggia's Campana dell'Albana still rings to mark the opening of the harvest.

Bertinoro joined the Borghi più belli d'Italia network in 2025. The municipality holds two institutional signals: Borghi più belli, Città del Vino. Population 11,026.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Bertinoro’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 Rimini (RMI), about 1 hour by car.

Bologna (BLQ) is about 1h 10m away.

By car from the centre of Ancona 1h 50m.

Coming by train into Forlì? Bertinoro is about 18 minutes away by road.

Every town within reach of Rimini airport.

Bertinoro — photo 1
Bertinoro — photo 2

What to see

  • Colonna delle Anella

    White-stone column with twelve iron rings, erected 1300 in Piazza della Libertà so visitors could tie their horse to the ring of the family who would host them.

  • Rocca Vescovile

    Tenth-century fortress on the summit of Mount Cesubeo, expanded by the Ordelaffi and Malatesta and used as the bishop's residence from the sixteenth century.

  • Cattedrale di Santa Caterina

    Sixteenth-century cathedral on the upper part of the borgo, rebuilt over an earlier Pieve dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

  • Balcone di Romagna

    Panoramic terrace below the Rocca, with views across the Romagna hills to the Adriatic on clear days and to the Apennines southward.

  • Piazza della Libertà

    Central square framed by the Palazzo Comunale, the Palazzo Ordelaffi and the Torre dell'Orologio, with the hospitality column at its centre.

The slow-trip planner

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Plan your trip

Living here

  • Population 11,026
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Nearest airport Rimini, 1 h 3 min drive
  • Regional capital Bologna, 1 h 12 min drive

Common questions

What is Bertinoro known for?
Bertinoro is a 254-meter Romagna-hill borgo above the Via Emilia, with a twelve-ring hospitality column from 1300 and the slopes that grow Albana DOCG.
Where is Bertinoro?
Bertinoro is a comune in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna, at 254 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Bertinoro?
Rimini (RMI), about 1 hour by car.
How long is the drive from Ancona to Bertinoro?
About 1h 50m by car.
When is the best time to visit Bertinoro?
Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 11 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Bertinoro?
The town keeps its patron saint's day: Caterina d'Alessandria, 25 November.
Which other towns are like Bertinoro?
Verucchio, Casamassima and Mercogliano.
How many people live in Bertinoro?
11,026 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 254 m
  • Population: 11,026
  • Surface area: 57.25 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.

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