The Via degli Asini and the three hills
In the valley of the Lamone river, in the Romagna Apennines south of Faenza, Brisighella is one of the most picturesque villages in Emilia-Romagna, one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", nestled at the foot of three steep rocky pinnacles of selenite, a shiny crystalline gypsum, each crowned by a building: the Rocca Manfrediana, a fortress built by the Manfredi lords of Faenza and later strengthened by the Venetians; the Torre dell'Orologio, the clock tower, rebuilt in the nineteenth century on an old fortified tower; and the Santuario del Monticino, an eighteenth century sanctuary. The three hills are linked by paths and offer splendid views of the red roofs of the village and the green hills.
The most curious feature of the village is the Via degli Asini, the "Donkeys' Road", an elevated, covered street dating back to the Middle Ages, which runs along the side of the houses, lit by irregular arched openings: it was once used by the carters and their donkeys, who transported the gypsum extracted from the nearby quarries, and the stables were on the ground floor. Brisighella is surrounded by the Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola, a ridge of gypsum with caves, sinkholes and karst phenomena, recognised as part of a UNESCO site in 2023 for the evaporite karst of the northern Apennines. The area produces an excellent extra virgin olive oil, the Brisighella DOP, one of the most northerly olive oils in Italy, and in autumn the village hosts food festivals.
Tip: climb to the Rocca and the Torre dell'Orologio in the late afternoon; visit the Tanaccia cave with a guide in the gypsum park.
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