Emilia-Romagna · Bologna
Sasso Marconi
A 128-meter pre-Apennine town at the confluence of the Setta and Reno, renamed in 1938 for the radio pioneer whose family estate stands in its Pontecchio frazione.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 26 min from Bologna
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 14,747
Known for
MARCONI
The radio pioneer carried out his first long-distance wireless experiment in the attic of Villa Griffone in 1895; the town was renamed in his honor in 1938.
TRUFFLE AND WINE
Città del Tartufo and Città del Vino, with white truffle from the Reno valley and hillside vineyards around Mongardino and Pieve del Pino.
SASSO DELLA GLOSINA
Pliocene rock formation at the confluence of the Setta and Reno, the geological landmark that gave the town its name.
PROTECTED PRODUCTS
The commune lies inside the Colli Bolognesi Classico Pignoletto DOCG and Prosciutto di Modena DOP production zones.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J8°
- F12°
- M15°
- A18°
- M22°
- J28°
- J32°
- A31°
- S26°
- O20°
- N13°
- D9°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
The Setta and Reno rivers meet below the rock that gives the town its name, at the point where the pre-Apennine hills begin their climb south of Bologna. The Sasso della Glosina dominates the bend, a Pliocene formation old enough to have shaped how the crossing below it was used long before the valley took its modern name. The town itself was called Sasso Bolognese until 1938, when it was renamed for the family whose estate lies in the frazione of Pontecchio, on the valley floor rather than on the rock itself.
The territory reaches from that river confluence up into the Apennine slopes, and the change in elevation shows in what the land produces: white truffle from the valley floor near the Reno, and vineyards on the hills around Pieve del Pino and Mongardino, recognition earned on two different registers of the same ground. The lower town, built around the rivers and the old road to Pistoia, and the upper slopes, given to woods and terraced vines, read as one territory doing two different kinds of work.
The Sunday letter
Sasso Marconi 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 Sasso Marconi comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Sasso Marconi in our articles
The best towns that cure their own meat within two hours of Padua6 towns, Sasso Marconi among them.
The best towns that cure their own meat within two hours of Verona6 towns, Sasso Marconi among them.
The best towns you can reach by train within 45 minutes of Bologna6 towns, Sasso Marconi among them.
The best hidden towns with a serious restaurant in Emilia-Romagna7 towns, Sasso Marconi among them.
How to get there
From Bologna (BLQ), about 22 minutes by car.
Verona (VRN) is about 1h 47m away.
By car from the centre of Parma 1h 11m or Florence 1h 12m.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Bologna, Florence or Verona?
Coming by train into Bologna Centrale? Sasso Marconi is about 27 minutes away by road.
What to see
Villa Griffone - Museo Marconi
Marconi family villa in the frazione of Pontecchio. The mausoleum sits alongside the attic laboratory, and the museum holds working reproductions of his early apparatus.
Sasso della Glosina
The rock rises directly over the river bend, its bulk visible from the crossing below and from much of the surrounding valley.
Confluenza Setta-Reno
Meeting of the two valleys at the foot of the rock, with the historic crossing of the Via Porrettana toward Pistoia.
Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Pontecchio
Parish church next to the villa, with the family chapel of the household that once lived there.
Contrafforte Pliocenico nature reserve
Protected ridge of Pliocene-era marine sandstone running along the territory, with hiking trails through chestnut and oak woods.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Sasso Marconi 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.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Casa MazzucchelliRistorante
Casa Mazzucchelli has one Michelin star and two Gambero Rosso forks (82/100).
Antica Trattoria la Grotta dal 1918Ristorante
Antica Trattoria la Grotta dal 1918 holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
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.
Fira di Sdaz di Sasso Marconipatron saint's feast
usually held in September. il Resto del Carlino - Cosa Fare
Living here
- Population 14,747
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Bologna, 22 min drive
- Regional capital Bologna, 26 min drive
Common questions
- What is Sasso Marconi known for?
- Sasso Marconi is a 128-meter pre-Apennine town at the confluence of the Setta and Reno, renamed in 1938 for the radio pioneer whose family estate stands in its Pontecchio frazione.
- Where is Sasso Marconi?
- Sasso Marconi is a comune in the province of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, at 128 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Sasso Marconi?
- Bologna (BLQ), about 22 minutes by car.
- Can you get to Sasso Marconi without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Parma to Sasso Marconi?
- About 1h 11m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Sasso Marconi?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 32 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 12 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Sasso Marconi?
- Yes. Fira di Sdaz di Sasso Marconi. September is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Sasso Marconi?
- Galatone, Galatina and Copertino.
- How many people live in Sasso Marconi?
- 14,747 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 128 m
- Population: 14,747
- Surface area: 96.45 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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