DOZZA: the Sforza Castle and the Painted Wall

HALF DAY TOUR (2.5/3 hours)

• The Sforza Castle
• Regional Wine Cellar (Enoteca regionale dell’Emilia-Romagna)
• Church of Santa Maria Assunta
• The Painted Wall
• Rivellino

Among the gentle hills surrounding Imola there is one of the hundred most beautiful villages in Italy: Dozza, which dominates the green valley below with the Sforza Castle.

The visit to this splendid medieval hamlet starts from the Fortress. Caterina Sforza rebuilt this at the end of the 15th century on the ruins of previous fortresses of Bologna from the 11th century. Its last owners, the Malvezzi-Campeggi family, transformed it at the end of the 1500s from a military castle to a residential building and their descendants lived here until 1960.

The visit covers the entire itinerary, from the underground prisons and torture rooms, to the high walkways on the ramparts passing through the magnificent halls with the original furniture that reveals the stories of the families who lived here and the battles they where involved in.

In the cellars of the Castle you can visit the Regional Wine Shop that is based here. In addition to approximately 1000 selected wine labels, you will also find the most excellent wines of Emilia-Romagna as well as jams, preserves and typical liqueurs. On request it is possible to organize a tasting with a professional sommelier (not included in the cost of the guided tour).

The tour continues with a stroll along the picturesque and colorful streets. The frescoes that decorate the walls of the houses make Dozza an open-air museum. Since 1960 the village has hosted a Biennial art festival aimed at enriching the walls of its houses with wonderful frescoes by modern and contemporary artists. This is why Dozza is also called the city of the Painted Wall.

Walking along the streets we will stop to visit the the 12th century Romanesque church, Santa Maria Assunta, which houses a well preserved precious panel painted by Marco Palmezzano in 1492. The tour ends at the Rivellino gate, the main entrance to this picturesque medieval hamlet that still maintains its fortified structure.

Entrance ticket to the Castle: € 5 full / € 4 reduced for groups over 20 people / € 3 students / € 1 school groups.

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