Casalecchio

Casalecchio is not the result of grown of the town of Bologna, Casalecchio has its own history. In Tizzano area has been found some archaeological findings from Paleolitic (10.000 b.C.), we have traces of the Villanovian civilization (800 b.C.) and some rests of an Etruscan city.
Casalecchio is situated in a strategical position as it lays to the entrance of the most important valley for the connection between North and South of the peninsula. That's why Casalecchio has been the center of great battles, until being nearly completely destroyed in the last world war.

But this is not the real reason for the fame of Casalecchio, it is always been loved as a lovley place for holiday.

You have to go back to 1883, when it was connected to Bologna from the first steam "tramvia" of all the area . The comfort of the travel, the attraction of the river and the beautifull hills, made Casalecchio the best place for short trips.

The river Reno has always been into the center of Casalecchio history as it cuts the town in two main parts.
Since 1191, a wood dam was constructed in order to control waters and use it for mills activity. In the 1289 it was constructed the first dam in stone and lime.
The dam is still active with the task to share waters between the river and the channel (that goes in Bologna center) and in autumn 1997, all Casalecchio ihabitantes had a party to inaugurate the great nocturnal lighting system of the dam.

Along all the right side of the river, you cannot find any goup of houses because it is all considered a natural park. It's called the PARCO DELLA CHIUSA (dam park) or PARCO TALON from the name of the family who possessed it. Unfortunately it remains a little of the villa as it has being destroyed during last war, but we still have the splendid garden, the tree-lined avenues and the grasslands. The park is bigger than the garden area, so you can walk for kilometres up the hill or along the river till you arrive to the opposite side of Palazzo de' Rossi. But pay attention if you decide to cross the river: the waters goes up without warning being susceptible to the openings of the river basin of Suviana.

6 December 1990 is the sadder day after world-war: an Air Force airplane, during a training fly, falls on the branch on the Technical Institute "Salvemini". The airplane abandoned from the pilot, crashes in the 2A classroom. 12 students aged 16 die, the others 4 and teacher are seriously hurt. All the building is on fire causing a dramatic result: 12 victims and 84 ricoverated for poisoning, ustions and fractures. They will be 72 people to have permanent invalidities.
I live in this town, I work near this school and that day I was near all these guys, so I want to remember:
Deborah, Laura, Sara, Laura, Tiziana, Antonella, Alessandra, Dario, Elisabetta, Elena, Carmen e Alessandra.

From Casalecchio I can suggest You three nice trips:

BAZZANO

MONTEVEGLIO

PORRETTANA (a long way that goes from Casalecchio to mountains)

BAZZANO
You may arrive to Bazzano following the Bazzanese way from Bologna for 23 km. Is is a nice village dominated from its great "Rocca" owned to Matilde di Canossa in the 1038. Destroyed during communal wars, it was reconstructed from the Bentivoglio family in the 1473. Today you may visit the rocca and the archaeological museum: "Arsenio Crespellani".
Remember that Bazzano is in the heart of the production area of "Colli Bolognesi" wines. So you may taste wine to the Social Cellar or to cellars of other wine producers of the Consortium. The king of "Bologna hills" is Pignoletto (here is an area of white wines), but have to try also Pinot, Sauvignon, Montuni and the red ones: Barbera and Merlot.

MONTEVEGLIO
Monteveglio is near Bazzano (26 km from Bologna). You may see the great fortified Village owned to Matilde di Canossa of the area. All the medieval center is miraculously intact and preserve the Abbey of Santa Maria Assunta (1092).

PORRETTANA

From Casalecchio follow the Porrettana way. The first stop, is in Pontecchio Marconi in order visit the home ot the great scientist Guglielmo Marconi. The villa was built in 1600 and is called Villa Griffone. During the 800s was the residence of Marconi family and in 1895 it was the place where the scientist made his first experiments.
In the mausoleo you may leave a flower to Guglielmo Marconi and his wife, while in the villa you may find a Museum.

Along Porrettana you have to go on for a short and turn left toward River Reno, and you'll find Palazzo de' Rossi (XV century) one of the beautifulst villas of Bologna area (restored in 1909) with a great natural park.

Now you arrive to Sasso Marconi, village under the "Sasso di Glosina", to the confluence between Reno and Setta from where it starts the Toman aqueduct who keep the drinkable water to Bologna.

Finally, you arrive to Marzabotto, gold medal to military valor, as i has been victim of an atrocious massacre during II world war: the population were decimated from nazists (1830 people killed).

To 24 km from Bologna, a little after the center of Marzabotto, you will find the Etruscan city of Pian di Misano a commercial center for the caravans that used to pass the Appennino to go to the Etruscan area of Tuscany.
You may admire the city structure and its quarters, streets from four main roads, the necropoli, etc. There, you can find the Archaeological Museum: Museo Archeologico "POMPEO ARIA" who takes its name form the one who owned the area and yielded it to the State in 1930. The Museum was destructed during wars, but now you may see what remains of the old collections and the results of the more recent research.

If you decide to continue, from Marzabotto you arrive to Vergato and than choose if you want to go to the nice town of Porretta Terme or to the regional park of Corno alle Scale.