Brisighella: The Borgo of Three Hills, Passatelli and DOP Olive Oil

Three hills, three monuments, endless surprises

Brisighella is one of those borghi that imprint themselves on the memory at first sight. Nestled among the hills of Romagna faentina, at the foot of the Tuscan-Romagnol Apennines, this small town is dominated by three gypsum hills crowned with as many monuments: the Rocca Manfrediana, the Clock Tower and the sanctuary of the Monticino. The view, especially at sunset when the stone turns pink, is among the finest in the entire region.

But Brisighella is more than scenery: it is a living borgo with an exceptional gastronomic tradition, celebrated thermal baths and a community that has known how to value its heritage without selling it to mass tourism.

What to see in Brisighella

The Via degli Asini

Brisighella's emblem is Via del Borgo, better known as Via degli Asini. This ancient covered and elevated road was built in the twelfth century as a defensive walkway, then used by carters who transported gypsum from the quarries by donkey. The arched windows, each different from the next, open onto the street below, creating a play of light and shadow beloved by photographers. Today the street is lined with artisan shops and wine cellars where you can taste local products.

The Clock Tower

On the summit of the second hill, the Clock Tower rises like a sentinel over the valley. Built in the thirteenth century as a watchtower, it was converted into a civic tower in the eighteenth century when the clock was installed — it still strikes the hours of the borgo today. The climb is short but steep, and from the top the panorama embraces the entire Lamone valley up to the first Apennine ridges.

The Rocca Manfrediana

On the highest hill, the Rocca Manfrediana commands Brisighella with its imposing bulk. Built in the fourteenth century by the Manfredi family, lords of Faenza, it was later extended by the Venetians and finally by the popes. Today it houses a museum dedicated to the history of the territory and offers from its terrace one of the most spectacular panoramas in hilly Romagna.

The Tanaccia cave

A few kilometres from the borgo, the Tanaccia cave is a site of great archaeological interest: a natural cavity in the gypsum that was used as a burial place from the Bronze Age. The finds are displayed in the Civic Museum of Faenza, but the cave is open to visitors and makes for an easy, evocative excursion in the Parco Regionale della Vena del Gesso Romagnola.

The thermal baths

Brisighella also boasts a small thermal establishment with sulphurous and sal-bromo-iodic waters, known since Roman times. The baths are a perfect complement to a day's visit to the borgo, especially in the shoulder seasons.

The flavours of Brisighella

Brisighello DOP olive oil

Brisighella is one of the very few localities in Emilia-Romagna to produce high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. The Brisighello DOP, obtained from the Nostrana di Brisighella cultivar, is a delicate oil with notes of artichoke and almond that has garnered international awards. Several producers offer visits and tastings among the terraced olive groves surrounding the borgo.

The Romagnol table

- Passatelli in brodo — the emblematic dish: a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmigiano and eggs pressed through a potato ricer directly into boiling broth

- Cappelletti — the Romagnol version of tortellini, filled with cheese and served strictly in broth

- Carciofo moretto — a local variety, small and violet-tinged, the star of a deeply felt spring festival

- Romagnol piadina — thin and crispy as per the hill tradition, filled with squacquerone cheese and rocket

The wines are those of Romagna: Sangiovese Superiore (the Brisighella subzone is among the most admired), Albana DOCG and Trebbiano.

How to get there

Brisighella is easily reached from Faenza (13 km) and has its own railway station on the Faenza–Florence line, making it one of the most accessible destinations on this list without a car. From Bologna you arrive in just over an hour by train with a change at Faenza. By car, the motorway exit is Faenza on the A14, then a provincial road to Brisighella.

When to go

April and May are perfect: the moretto artichoke is in season, temperatures are mild and the borgo is still quiet. June offers long, luminous days. September and October bring the harvest season, the first autumn colours and the olive picking. The Sagra del Carciofo Moretto (May) and the Fiera dell'Olivo e dell'Olio (November–December) are the most distinctive local events.

Brisighella is proof that Romagna is not only beaches and nightclubs: climb just a few kilometres inland and you find an Italy completely unlike any other.