Anywhere Italy
00 Brisighella
Stemma di Brisighella

Emilia-Romagna · Ravenna

Brisighella

A Lamone-valley borgo under three selenite hills crowned by a fortress, a clock tower, and a sanctuary.

Best time
Apr–Oct
By car
1 h 21 min from Bologna
By train
Station in the comune
Population
7,186

Known for

  • BRISIGHELLO DOP

    Extra virgin olive oil from the Nostrana di Brisighella variety, granted Protected Designation of Origin status by the European Union in 1996.

  • THREE HILLS

    Three selenite outcrops carrying the Rocca Manfrediana, the Torre dell'Orologio and the Monticino sanctuary above the town.

  • VIA DEGLI ASINI

    Fourteenth-century covered street running through the centro storico, named for the donkeys that once carried gypsum from the quarries.

  • PROTECTED PRODUCTS

    The commune also lies inside the Romagna Albana DOCG and Pesca e Nettarina di Romagna IGP production zones.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Oct

  • J9°
  • F13°
  • M15°
  • A18°
  • M22°
  • J29°
  • J32°
  • A31°
  • S26°
  • O21°
  • N14°
  • D9°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

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

The festa: Michele, 29 September

Why come

Brisighella sits in the Lamone valley, forty-five kilometers southeast of Bologna, on the Apennine slope where Romagna meets the gypsum vein the UNESCO list added in 2023. Three selenite hills rise above the rooftops, each carrying a building: the Rocca Manfrediana, built in 1310 by Francesco Manfredi and reinforced by the Venetians after 1503; the Torre dell'Orologio, rebuilt in 1850 with a six-hour dial instead of twelve; and the Santuario del Monticino above the town. The Via degli Asini runs through the centro storico as a covered elevated street, originally a fourteenth-century patrol walkway, later excavated into stables for the donkeys that hauled gypsum down from the quarries.

The Nostrana di Brisighella olive, grown on the same hills, makes the Brisighello DOP oil that has carried European protection since 1996. The town holds four institutional signals at once: Borghi più belli, Bandiera Arancione, Cittaslow, Città dell'Olio.

The Sunday letter

Brisighella is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Brisighella comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Brisighella in our articles

How to get there

From Bologna (BLQ), about 1h 19m by car.

Rimini (RMI) is about 1h 42m away.

By car from the centre of Florence 1h 42m.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Bologna or Florence?

Coming by train into Forlì? Brisighella is about 59 minutes away by road.

Every town within reach of Bologna airport.

Brisighella, photo 1
Brisighella, photo 2

What to see

  • Rocca Manfrediana

    Hilltop fortress begun in 1310 by Francesco Manfredi of Faenza, reinforced by Astorgio II in the 1460s and held by Venice after 1503.

  • Torre dell'Orologio

    Clock tower rebuilt in 1850 on an earlier defensive structure, with a dial that marks six hours rather than the usual twelve.

  • Santuario del Monticino

    Eighteenth-century sanctuary on the third selenite hill, overlooking the town and the Lamone valley below.

  • Via degli Asini

    Covered elevated street through the centro storico, built in the fourteenth century as a patrol walkway and later cut into donkey stables.

  • Vena del Gesso Romagnola

    Gypsum ridge running along the eastern Apennines, holding over 900 karst caves and inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2023.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Brisighella 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.

Plan your trip

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

  • Sagra Della Collina E Del Cinghialefood festival

    usually held across July and August. eventiesagre.it

Living here

  • Population 7,186
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy in town
  • Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Bologna, 1 h 19 min drive
  • Regional capital Bologna, 1 h 21 min drive

Common questions

What is Brisighella known for?
Brisighella is a Lamone-valley borgo at 115 meters under three selenite hills crowned by a fortress, a clock tower, and a sanctuary.
Where is Brisighella?
Brisighella is a comune in the province of Ravenna, in Emilia-Romagna.
What is the nearest airport to Brisighella?
Bologna (BLQ), about 1h 19m by car.
Can you get to Brisighella without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Florence to Brisighella?
About 1h 42m by car.
When is the best time to visit Brisighella?
Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and December the wettest, with about 12 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Brisighella?
Yes. Sagra Della Collina E Del Cinghiale. July is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Brisighella?
Longiano, Corigliano d'Otranto and Dozza.
How many people live in Brisighella?
7,186 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 115 m
  • Population: 7,186
  • Surface area: 194.33 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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