In a camper to Bologna: who hasn't even just passed through the city of Bologna located in a strategic point of Italy while traveling around the country? The city of the Asinelli Tower is much more than a stopover for those traveling by camper, car or train. In recent years Bologna has grown a lot as a tourist destination. Thanks to an artistic heritage of great respect (its porticoes have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021) and a university that many indicate as the first university in the Western world. With spring just around the corner we returned to the area in a camper to explore the surroundings of Bologna.
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The places loved by Giorgio Morandi and Guglielmo Marconi inspire a ring full of surprises. In a camper, the hinterland of Bologna reveals itself full of historical wonders and traditions that have remained alive over time.
SEARCH FOR DISCOUNTS AND ADVANTAGES IN THE BOLOGNA SURROUNDINGSGrizzana Morandi
The journey starts from Grizzana Morandi, in the metropolitan area of Bologna, between the Monte Sole Historical Park and Montovolo Park. As the name suggests, the town is linked to the memory of Giorgio Morandi, one of the most important Italian artists of the twentieth century who painted landscapes, still lifes and flowers, drawing inspiration from the works of Cézanne, André Derain and the artists of the Renaissance.
According to him, the one in Grizzana was “the most beautiful landscape in the world”: in the summer the teacher loved to go to what has now become a house museum, where the painter's furnishings and studio are kept.
Rocchetta Mattei, an original castle
About fifteen kilometers away, remaining in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi, we head the camper towards the Rocchetta Mattei. Built in the mid-nineteenth century on the ruins of the Rocca di Savignano by order of Count Cesare Mattei, the castle strikes you from the first impact for the veil of mystery that it seems to hide. Visiting it you enter a labyrinth of towers, stairways, private rooms and those dedicated to receiving guests: every corner has been modified several times over time.
The manor is an example of “esoteric” architecture: the many symbols and minute details found inside it refer to meanings that are not easy to decipher. The charm of the building is also linked to its curious combination of styles: it goes from neo-medieval to neo-Renaissance to Moorish and Art Nouveau.
Cesare Mattei, coming from a wealthy family, acquired the title of count from Pope Pius IX and over the years he devoted himself to the study and dissemination of alternative medicine, which he called electrohomeopathy. There are some unmissable places to see, such as the Sala Rossa, where the beautiful ceiling with pyramidal elements in pressed paper, the wooden arches and the alcove stand out. Music Hall, witness to the relationship between the Matteis and Gioacchino Rossini. The chapel where the remains of Cesare Mattei are kept. And the Marino Marini collection, one of the world's largest collections of automatic musical instruments including a Orchestrion, capable of reproducing the sound of an entire orchestra.
The church of Alvar Aalto
A Riola, fraction of Vergato a few minutes from Grizzana Morandi, it stands church of Santa Maria Assunta, unique example of ecclesiastical architecture designed by the Finnish Alvar Aalto. The architect began working on the building in 1966 at the request of Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro. The repetition of the elements, the use of reinforced concrete, the use of white and light make the construction one in a kind.
Porretta Terme
About 25 kilometers west the next stop is Porretta Terme, small hamlet of the Municipality of Alto Reno Terme. Here relaxation is at home: the center built between the Rio Maggiore and the Reno boasts a long spa tradition. The establishment fed by sulfurous and salsobromoiodic waters offers the possibility of undergoing treatments and taking advantage of many services. Among the experiences to do, helmet on the head and a little desire for adventure, there is certainly the tour through the underground springs among rocks and tunnels.
And in the baggage of memories of the trip you will take home the unforgettable taste of crescentine and tigelle with salami and cheeses served in the trattorias of the town. Before leaving the town it is worth stopping at Manservisi Castle, in the Castelluccio hamlet. Purchased by the owner of one of the most important tailoring shops in Bologna, it was renovated around 1886, taking on the appearance of a neo-Gothic manor embellished with towers and porticoes. In the Sala degli Arazzi you can admire the eight canvases made at the beginning of the twentieth century by the Bolognese painter Giacomo Lolli.
A soul soul
You can't leave out the music, the soul music that has characterized and invaded Porretta Terme for years. You can immediately understand this by seeing the murals that embellish the most characteristic corners with works signed by artists from all over Europe, selected during a special competition. Starting from bridge dedicated to singer Solomon Burke you can relive the history of soul music until you reach the final destination, the Rufus Thomas Park, where every summer the Porretta Soul Festival, an event that celebrates soul and rhythm and blues music (see box opposite).
The Porretta Soul Festival
Born in 1988 from an idea of the founder and artistic director Graziano Uliani, the Porretta Soul Festival over the years it has become one of the most prestigious European events with particular reference to the music of Memphis, the school of the great Otis Redding to whom the event is dedicated. The next edition, scheduled from 24 to 27 July, will see the presence of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band Revue directed by Kurt Clayton. Among the band's guests, in a European exclusive, the finalists of prestigious talent shows such as American Idol. Worth mentioning is the return of Andrew Strong, star of the cult film The Commitments, and of John Nemeth, also nominated for the 2025 Blues Awards. Not only foreign artists: 21 Italian groups will also be present and will offer free concerts. The festival preview is scheduled for 9nd June with the 66 members of theUnited Voices of Chicago.
Marzabotto
Back at the helm, bow towards Marzabotto (which we talked about here), about thirty kilometers north of Porretta Terme, whose name is sadly linked to the Nazi massacre of 1944. Archaeology enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the remains of Kainua, “new city”, founded around 500 BC and considered one of the most important city-states of Etruria. In the settlement, in addition to the primitive huts built on the Misano plateau and on the Misanello hill, there also seem to have been temples, a necropolis, a system that channeled water and a foundry. The nearby Pompeo Aria National Etruscan Museum (Via Porrettana Sud 13, tel. 051 932353) preserves numerous finds discovered in the area.
A short distance from Marzabotto, the Pliocene Buttress Nature Reserve (Via Badolo 48, tel. 051 6702811), a real open-air geological museum: the fossil shells found testify that during the Pliocene the territory was submerged by sea waters. The area is also interesting for the presence of some rare botanical and avifauna species. In the area it is possible to organize excursions on foot, following specific marked itineraries.
Sasso Marconi
The tour ends with a final stop at Sasso Marconi, in a strategic position between Bologna, Modena and Florence. Another name that brings to mind an illustrious figure: Guglielmo Marconi, the scientist – winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909 – who invented the radio and developed wireless communication. The town owes its name to him and to the rock, called “il Sasso”, which dominates the Reno valleys. Visit the Marconi Museum.
The Way of the Gods
Sasso Marconi it is a stage of the Via degli Dei path which connects Bologna and Florence: along this popular walking route you also pass in front of Palazzo de' Rossi a Marconi Bridge, a castle whose history is linked to an important family from Parma. You cross the suspension bridge of Vizzano, on the ancient road that connected Rome, Florence and Bologna. And you cross theSan Gherardo Nature Oasis.
After having taken a tour of the town you cannot leave without having visited the Marconi Museum set up in the scholar's paternal home in Villa Griffone.
Worth seeing are the first laboratory set up in the attic, the machine room, the great hall, the large park and the mausoleum where the remains of Guglielmo Marconi and Maria Bezzi Scali, his second wife, rest. Sasso Marconi is the ideal place for those travelling by camper in the Bologna area for the views that the area offers and for the exuberant nature. The area is also suitable for a stop in a restaurant to taste typical dishes such as Colli Bolognesi Doc wine, il truffle and chestnuts. One last, unmissable experience before we head back home.
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Camper stop near Bologna
- Porretta Terme Camper Parking Casio Group in Via Managlia, tel. 333 7337235; camper area managed by the campers of the Casio Group. It has pitches equipped with electricity, waste well and drinking water connection. During the Porretta Soul Festival period, given the large turnout, the adjacent parking lot is annexed (for reservations, starting from March, call or send a WhatsApp message to the number 333 7337235). Suviana Camping del Lago, Via Lungo Lago 12 Località Castel di Casio, tel. 328 5822862; offers shaded grassy pitches, hot and cold showers, internal parking, night lighting, columns for electricity connection, toilets.
- Sasso Marconi Old House; conference center with attached restaurant with typical local cuisine. It has a rest area open all year round with 12 pitches equipped with lighting, waste collection, a well for discharging grey and black water, drinking water loading and connection to the electricity network.
Where to eat
- Porretta Terme Tuscan Restaurant, Piazza della Libertà 7, tel. 0534 22208. The menu of this historic family restaurant features local recipes and traditional dishes; La Pace Restaurant, Via Mazzini 26, tel. 0534 22216. Traditional cuisine of the Emilian Apennines. Homemade pasta, typical mountain dishes such as zampanelle, fried gnocco, crescentine, polenta.
- Sambuca Pistoia Cheese Shop Due Ponti, Località Pavana, tel. 0573 892520, . On the border between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, a family-run restaurant where you can taste typical dishes from both regions. A curiosity: it is located not far from the house of the singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini, a frequent visitor of the restaurant.
- Sasso Marconi Sani's Inn. Umbrian and Emilia-Romagna cuisine: specialities include mushrooms and truffle dishes; Mazzucchelli House; contemporary, innovative and authentic. The refined gastronomic cuisine of chef Aurora Mazzucchelli merges with the white art and the world of bakery.
Camper in the surroundings of Bologna: useful addresses
- Upper Rhine Terme Tourist Information and Reception Office
- Sasso Marconi Tourist Information and Reception Office
- Emilia Romagna Tourism
Text by Erika Mariniello
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