The balcony of Romagna
On a hill between Forlì and Cesena, at about 250 metres, Bertinoro is known as the "Balcone della Romagna", the balcony of Romagna, for the splendid view that from its central square, Piazza della Libertà, sweeps over the whole plain of Romagna down to the Adriatic coast and, on clear days, to the Alps and the hills of Veneto. Its name, according to legend, comes from the princess Galla Placidia, who, offered a glass of the local wine in a rough cup, exclaimed that it deserved to be drunk "in gold" ("berti in oro"). The village is the capital of Albana, the white wine of Romagna, which in 1987 was the first Italian white wine to obtain the DOCG, the highest quality designation.
But Bertinoro is above all the "city of hospitality". In the square stands the Colonna delle Anelle, the Column of Rings, erected in the thirteenth century, with numerous iron rings, each belonging to a noble family of the village: according to tradition, when a traveller arrived, he would tie his horse to one of the rings, and the family to which it belonged would have the honour of hosting him, thus putting an end to the disputes between families who competed to welcome guests. Every year, on the first Sunday of September, the Festa dell'Ospitalità revives this tradition. At the top of the village, the Rocca, a fortress of the eleventh century, houses the Museo Interreligioso, dedicated to the dialogue between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Below the village, there are many wineries for tasting Albana and Sangiovese.
Tip: taste a glass of Albana in the square at sunset; in September, the Festa dell'Ospitalità fills the village with events.
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