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Famous for its Hospitality. Famous for its wines. Borgo Autentico d'Italia

BERTINORO, dating from medieval times, is known as the Balcony of Romagna by reason of the sweeping view of the sea, the Romagna plain and the Apennine foothills enjoyed from anywhere in the town.

But, even more so, BERTINORO is the town of WINE and HOSPITALITY.

Bertinoro is one of the areas of the Romagna hills most ideally suited to grape growing. Around the town are about a thousand hectares of vineyards, mainly planted with Sangiovese and Albana, not to forget two other varieties, Refosco and Bombino bianco, which have gone native under the names of Cagnina and Pagadebit.

The limestone soils give the grapes a different character from that normally found in Romagna, producing wines with impressive structure, well suited to laying down, and in the many cellars visitors can taste and purchase wines of excellent quality, including the Sangiovese Riserva “Bertinoro”.

On the main square is the famous Ring Column, which dates from 1218 and is still the centre of celebrations in September every year, during the important Hospitality Festival, when the townspeople open their homes to guests who have come to Bertinoro on holiday, to study, or to visit friends... and offer them the wonderful lunch served in the area on special occasions.

Below the square are the Sapere di Vino (All About Wine) guided walk, the Riserva Storica dei Sangiovesi di Romagna and the Ca’ de Bè wine bar, proudly displaying the “Albana Bell”, made to celebrate the award of D.O.C.G. status to Albana di Romagna wine (1987).

At the top of the hill is the Castle: stunningly restored, it now houses the University Residential Centre and the Interfaith Museum.

Dante Alighieri himself enjoyed Bertinoro's hospitality: in the hills near the town is Polenta, native village of Guido da Polenta, Lord of Ravenna, who took in the exiled poet, who certainly stopped to pray at the ancient Lombard “pieve” church still splendidly conserved today.

Bertinoro is a member of Borghi Autentici d’Italia , an association of small and medium-sized towns working to create a sustainable development model which will safeguard places of character and keep local identities alive.