Ravenna
Consecrated in 1749, Ravenna's baroque cathedral was built atop the remains of a much earlier church. Artefacts from the original 5th-century cathedral…
Must-see attractions in Emilia-Romagna
Santuario di Santa Maria della Vita
Bologna
In the heart of the Quadrilatero, this 17th-century shrine is one of Bologna's most beautiful and important, not only for its 13th-century foundation by…
Modena
Construction began in 1634 on this massive palace, a baroque masterpiece that absolutely dominates the northeast end of Modena's historic centre. Today,…
Parma
Surrounded by the formal gardens of the Parco Ducale, this palace was originally built for the Farnese family in 1561. It now serves as headquarters of…
Bologna
Impressive in its breadth of coverage of historical eras, this museum displays well-documented Egyptian and Roman artefacts along with one of Italy's best…
Abbazia di San Pietro Apostolo
Modena
Reconstructed between 1475 and1518, the San Pietro Apostolo monastery is one of the city's most important Renaissance relics and notable for several…
Bologna
With all the Ferraris and Lamborghinis around, it's easy to overlook Motor Valley's two-wheeled contribution to world-class motorsports. Ducati sits right…
Rimini
Legendary Italian film director Federico Fellini's restored hometown theatre, where he watched films as a child and developed his passion for cinema, was…
Emilia-Romagna
Located in the village of Sant’Agata Bolognese (20km east of Modena and 35km northwest of Bologna), the museum formerly known as the Lamborghini Museum…
Bologna
The city's main art gallery has a powerful collection of works by Bolognese artists from the 14th century onwards, including a number of important…
Emilia-Romagna
Opened in 2012, this family-friendly museum – run by Carpigiani, Italy's most famous gelato-machine manufacturer – traces the history of frozen desserts…
Parma
Magnifico Pier Maria Rossi's impressive Torrechiara Castle is one of the most important examples of Italian castle architecture and is considered one of…
Bologna
Housed in Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, the fascinating 17th-century Teatro Anatomico is where public body dissections were held under the sinister gaze of…
Emilia-Romagna
Flanking the east side of Piazza dei Martiri, this muscular palace houses three museums. The Museo della Città has archaeological exhibits and an…
Rimini
Also known as the Rocca Malatestiana, Rimini's classic Renaissance castle was designed by the great military leader himself, Sigismondo Malatesta…
Modena
Legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti's final home is prettily perched in the Modenese countryside 8.5km southeast of the city. The building was turned into a…
Bologna
All roads lead to pivotal 13th-century Piazza Maggiore, flanked by Basilica di San Petronio, Europe's sixth-largest basilica, and a series of impressive…
Bologna
Walk in a historical neophyte and walk out an A-grade honours student in Bologna’s golden past. This magnificent interactive museum, opened in 2012 and…
Emilia-Romagna
This fascinating noble apartment inside Palazzo dei Pio is a treasure trove of renowned art and well-preserved Renaissance frescoes (including detached…
Modena
While Maranello’s Museo Ferrari focuses on the supersonic cars, this museum near Modena's train station, inaugurated in 2012, celebrates Signor Enzo…
Modena
Modena's oldest balsamic vinegar producer (since 1605) is also one of the best and most dependable to visit, with six one-hour English tours daily (9.30am…
Ferrara
This early Renaissance palace houses three museums: the Museo Giovanni Boldini, dedicated solely to Ferrara-born Giovanni Boldini; the Museo dell…
Emilia-Romagna
Located 1.6km west of town, this remarkable stone-and-brick church, the oldest in the Valle del Lamone, dates at least to the 10th century. It's perhaps…
Ferrara
The outstanding feature of the pink-and-white 12th-century cathedral is its three-tiered marble facade combining Romanesque and Gothic styles on the lower…
Modena
Maserati's sleek showroom displays a few oft-changing cars (historic and new), several engines and body frames, a scale-model of the brand's evolution and…
Ferrara
Linked to the castle by an elevated passageway, the 13th-century crenellated Palazzo Municipale was the Este family home until they moved next door to the…
Rimini
As the Latin inscription states, 'With citizens' money and the ingenuity of Luigi Poletti in 1857' Rimini's Teatro Galli was inaugurated in the 19th…
Ravenna
Ravenna's new city museum, located in an 1899 sugar-extraction plant just down the road from Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe, welcomes you with its…
Bologna
This exhibition space encased in a Renaissance mansion is frequently the site of blockbuster temporary art shows, which range in price from €6 to €14 …
Ricci Oddi Galleria d'Arte Moderna
Piacenza
Piacenza’s hidden secret is this modern art collection amassed by local aficionado Ricci Oddi in the early 20th century. Well lit and cleverly laid out…
Modena
Tucked down an alley along the left side of the cathedral, the duomo's side-by-side museums operate like two exhibitions within the same space. Musei del…
Ravenna
Historically and architecturally distinct from Ravenna's other Unesco sites (there are no mosaics here), this two-storey mausoleum was built in 520 for…
Parma
Looming over the manicured lawns and modern fountains of Piazza della Pace, this monumental palace is hard to miss. Supposedly named after the Spanish…
Emilia-Romagna
Verdi's 56-room villa, where he composed many of his major works, is 5km northwest of Busseto. Verdi lived and worked here from 1851 onwards and literally…
Ferrara
This palace was once owned by Giovanni Romei, a top administrator to the Este clan – and his importance shows in the architecture. The austere brick…
Parma
This 2018 addition to Parma's cultural landscape houses the relocated works of Amedeo Bocchi, a 20th-century Parma-born artist whose painting owes a debt…
Bologna
Basilica di San Petronio's new (and temporary) 54m-high panoramic terrace – reached from an entrance behind the basilica – doesn't hold a candle to the…
Ferrara
Ferrara's monumental cemetery, designed by Borso d’Este in 1461, is an off-the-beaten path gem in Ferrara. Two snaking, semi-circlular arcades frame the…
Emilia-Romagna
About 50km east of Ferrara, the Abbazia di Pomposa is one of Italy’s oldest Benedictine endowments. The monk Guido d’Arezzo reputedly invented the musical…
Ravenna
Roman ruins aside, this is Ravenna's oldest intact building, constructed over the site of a former Roman bathing complex in the late 4th century. Built in…
