The tradition of the good local cuisine, simple and natural, is found in the numerous restaurants and trattorias where it is possible to enjoy excellent dishes. The basic products come from the land and the animals, so the local gastronomy is often known as "poor cuisine", with strong flavours compensating for the lack of expensive and refined ingredients. Here are some suggestions to the tourist who wants to taste the local cuisine and its typical products...

5 Gastronomic tours NOT to be missed:

1.  PARMIGIANO REGGIANO

This cheese, sometimes rightly called as the best in the world, has a century-long tradition. It probably derives from the moulds of hard cheese that the Romans transported from the Po River Plain to the port of Luni in order to carry it to the major cities of the empire or, more probably, from the agricultural expansion of the XII and XIII centuries which gave Padania a huge bovine increase. It was reportedly born in the Reggio Emilia area of Bibbiano, under Parma diocese until 1830: this is the reason of the name of Parmigiano, today commonly used. Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard-paste cheese, half-fat, cooked, long-aged, with a high proteine content (nearly 50%). The big moulds of Parmigiano Reggiano (about kg 30 each) age about two years, often in huge air-conditioned warehouses of the local banks that keep it in storage as pledge for the money paid in advance to the producers.

HOW TO VISIT A DAIRY

Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium gives the possibility of guided tours in the dairies of the province of Reggio Emilia, in search of a true "living myth", from its beginning, only once a day, to the long slow aging in the warehouses. During the tour it will be possible to see the whole production of Parmigiano Reggiano, from the milk to the mould. In the end, in the dairies with their own outlet, it will be possible to taste and buy the cheese. The guided tours are free and are in both Italian and English language.

Guided tours: all year by contacting (about 1-week advance request) the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano, by phone or e-mail (sezionere@parmigianoreggiano.it - phone 0039.0522.700256) or getting in touch with the dairy of your choice. The manufacturing process starts at 8.00 a.m. and lasts about 2 hours. Visit the Parmigiano Reggiano Dairies.

Dairy of Hills of Selvapiana and Canossa: at least 2-3-day advance reservation, by e-mail to info@collinedicanossa.it or by phone at the number 0039.0522.878512. The tour starts at 8.30 a.m. and lasts about 90 minutes. In the neighbourhood is an interesting territory: Canossa Castle, Rossena Castle, Rossenella tower, Votigno village and Petrarca Temple, as well as the numerous paths and castles of the area. For more information click here.

2.  LAMBRUSCO

It is the typical Emilia Romagna wine and the most widespread vine variety in the countryside from Parma to the east (including the areas of Reggio Emilia, Modena and Mantua). From these fragrant grapes comes an extremely pleasant sparkling wine, the most exported in the world. There are people who prefer the sweet or dry types. Emilia Romagna cuisine would not be the same without its typical sparkling wine. Famous are the sparkling toasts during Luciano Pavarotti's tours and Luciano Ligabue's irreverent coupling "Lambrusco and popcorns". In addition to Lambrusco, the white wines of the Hills of Scandiano and Canossa are also very appreciated. Wine producers often suggest wines obtained through the classic method, excellent raisined and biological wines.

HOW TO VISIT WINERIES IN LAMBRUSCO AREA

Guided tours: contact the Association Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori Colline di Scandiano e Canossa or Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori delle Corti Reggiane, or directly the wineries of Consorzio Tutela e Promozione dei Vini Reggiani D.O.P. Not to be missed is the annual event Open Wineries.

3. TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Reggio Emilia Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is obtained through a very long aging (minimum 12 years) of cooked must of local grapes, in a set of barrels of different woods in progressive sizes, with annual pourings. The result of such a patient work is a syrupy, dark brown liquid, with sharp smell and unique sweet and sour taste. Three labels: gold, silver and lobster respectively characterize the first, second and third quality of the vinegar, according to the ranking of the tasters' committee.  Reggio Emilia Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is sold in the typical 100-cc small bottles, whose shape looks like an overturned tulip, sealed on the cork with the Consortium's sealing wax as warranty for the contents quality. The balsamic vinegar is versatile by nature. It may be coupled with salads, possibly in addition to the common vinegar, and also with boiled meat or a sliver of Parmigiano Reggiano. It is also possible to drink a spoonful of balsamic vinegar as elixir or put some drops on the ice-cream.

HOW TO VISIT A VINEGAR FACTORY

Directly contact the vinegar cellars part of the Consortium of the Balsamic Vinegar to define how to visit and how to reserve it. Here you can find the updated list of the available vinegar cellars. Other polssibility is to contact the municipal vinegar cellars of Albinea and Novellara or fill in the online format at Borgo del Balsamico's website.

4. TYPICAL ReggianO

With “Typical Reggiano”, tourists and residents have a new instrument to know the traditional tours in the town, that is a project which, for the first time, focuses on the workshops, the restaurants and the shops offering typical local wine and food products in the town centre. In the website it is possible to find the map of the town centre of Reggio Emilia and the three routes corresponding to the places of the Typical Reggiano: restaurants, wine and food, and workshops.

5. REGGIO EMILIA FLAVOURS

first courses

Reggio Emilia cuisine's creativity is mainly famous for the first courses. First of all, the cappelletto in broth: it is unusual to find it in the restaurants as it needs the expensive presence of boiled meat. It is easier to find the tortelli: pumpkin tortelli, green tortelli with chard and spinach filling. There are also radicchio salad tortelli, artichoke tortelli and nettle tortelli. Other important main courses are: green lasagne (layered pasta dish), bomba di riso (rice pie) - a rare-to-find speciality that is also typical of Parma and Piacenza areas - , homemade tagliatelle, made in the mountains area with porcini mushrooms ragu (Italian meat sauce). Finally, a typical speciality of Reggio Emilia cuisine: the erbazzone (scarpazzòun), a baked spinach or chard paste with cipollotti (type of onion), lard and Parmigiano Reggiano, between two layers of a thin soft paste.

KING PIG

The production of cold cuts is wide and renowned, even if many of them are also widely spread in Parma and Modena areas. There are mortadellas (Italian sliced meat), typical salamis, cured hams, as well as boiled meat with lingua (pig's tongue), zampone (cooked pig's foot), cotechino (Italian pork dish), testina (pig's head) and green sauces. In most of all grocery shops is the bowl full of ciccioli (cracklings). In the local festivals it is possible to find the gnocco fritto (fried dumpling), a tasty dough swelling in contact with the very hot lard, that perfectly couples with the cold cuts.

SWEETS

Along the Po River, in Brescello, is produced one of the best Italian spongatas. The spongata is a century-long Christmas cake, hard-pastry, and composed of honey, nuts, pine nuts, raisin and various spices. A recent typical Christmas cake is the biscione, composed of national almonds, sugar, fresh eggs and candied fruit, with decorations and a meringue for the "snake's head". Another typical speciality is tortellini ripieni (stuffed tortellini), fried or baked, stuffed with a chestnut filling, jam, coffee, nuts, even if there is a different recipe in every home. Another traditional speciality is chizze, that are no sweets but puff pastry rolls stuffed with Parmigiano Reggiano, very good for snacks. Another typical speciality is the zuppa inglese (trifle), a dessert pudding.

- Recipes of the Tradition
- Typical Products

THE FLAVOURS OF REGGIO EMILIA is available in our Tourist Information Office.

Via della Costituzione, 39 - 42124 Reggio Emilia
0039 0522 273011
info@aterballetto.it
Fonderia

The Fonderia (Foundry) is the seat of Fondazione Nazionale della Danza Compagnia Aterballetto. Inaugurated in 2004, it was born from the excellent architectural renovation of a foundry, built in 1939, which was part of the industrial complex of Lombardini Motors, near the town centre of Reggio Emilia.
The big central nave, divided in two sections - the square and the large practice room - is 65 metres long, 16 metres wide and nearly 13 metres high.
In the lateral wings are two practice rooms, the changing rooms and a room for exhibitions, conferences and meetings.
The building's structure looks like a big Romanesque cathedral, where iron and glass are dominant.
The building has a double face: solar and bright during the day, mysterious and fascinating at night.
The names of the three practice rooms - Fucina (Forge), Fusione (Fusion) and Formatura (Moulding) - keep an ideal connection between the previous and the new destination of the building: also in choreography, the movements have to be forged, fused and "moulded" to create the dance.

Capacity

Fusion Room (sq. m 480) 
It can hosts up to 90 people
Practice room of Compagnia Aterballetto

Piazza (sq. m. 550)
It can hosts up to 350 people
Wide space for conferences and meetings that at night becomes a place for convivial meetings (dinner, cocktail and party)

Stecca (sq. m. 200)
It can hosts up to 100 people
For conferences and meetings

How to get there

Reggio Emilia

By car
From A1 Motorway - Reggio Emilia exit
Go along Via Maramotti to SS9 bypass in the direction of Parma.
At the roundabout turn right (second street), at the next roundabout turn right (second street) into Via XX Settembre.
At the third roundabout turn right (first street) into Via della Costituzione.

By bus
From Reggio Emilia Railway Station
Bus No. 9 - to Via Piemonte; get off at "Consorzio Agrario" stop, then go right into Via F.lli Manfredi to the roundabout, then turn left and, at the next roundabout, turn left into Via della Costituzione.
Fonderia is 20 metres on the left.

They are the shadow of something that has lost its body, yet keep knocking at the night of the mind. They are a memory that refuses to become past, a fear dressed as mystery, a presence made of absence. They dwell in the corridors of silence, live in the cracks of memory, and feed on what was left unsaid. At times they make us tremble; at others they shield us into forgetting.

They have no face, only a thousand masks. You can drive them off with the light of an idea, or listen to them to learn what they hunger for. Yet ghosts are not only a menace, they are latent presences, suspended potentials, ideas that never quite departed.

Ghosts of the Moment is an invitation to seek out the unseen and the invisible, pay attention to the whispers of what has been and what could be, revealing the silent stories that inform and guide our present while simultaneously opening up new paths for the imagination.

This edition of European Photography also explores the quiet endurance of memory: how memories fade yet refuse to vanish entirely. Each photograph holds its own echo, a spectral reminder that even as time slips away, it keeps its essence suspended. Here the past is not gone, it breathes softly within the now.

The maximum speed will be 21 kilometres per hour, but in the Pedestrian Areas it will be automatically reduced to 6 kilometres per hour. The area of use is the urban one, and it will be possible to park the vehicles in the same places where bicycles are left now.

Information or complaints

www.comune.re.it
0039 0522 456660
comune.informa@comune.re.it

Reporting for broken or damaged scooters must be made directly to the companies:

• Helbiz - 0039 02 30 45 3004
• Wind/Vento - 0039 011 19 62 2354 / cliente.it@wind.co
• Bird Rides - 0039 02 3045 0263
• Voi Technology - 0039 800 56 19 31
• E Factor - 0039 349 4713708
• Dott - 0039 02 8295 6852

How it works

In order to use the scooters, you have to download the Apps of the rental companies on your smartphone. The vehicles can be operated in the place closest to where you are and left parked once you reach your destination. The service is designed for short journeys, and the area where the service is active is marked with a purple contour (Wind) or a green area (Helbiz).

Prices:

The costs are now Euros 1.00 when unlocked, Euros 0.20 a minute and Euros 39.99 for the unlimited subscription (Helbiz), and a promotional cost of Euros 0,00 when unlocked and Euros 0.18 a minute (Wind).

Velopolis - Municipality of Reggio Emilia

Operational Headquarters
Viale Martiri della Libertà, 15 - 43121 Parma - phone 0039 0521 407889
Corso Garibaldi, 42 - 42121 Reggio Emilia - phone 0039 0522 444416
Corso Garibaldi, 50 - 29121 Piacenza

destinazione.emilia@regione.emilia-romagna.it
protocollo@postacert.provincia.parma.it
www.visitemilia.com

The Wide Area of Destinazione Turistica Emilia includes the territories of the provinces of Piacenza, Parma and Reggio Emilia, as per Regional Act dated March 25, 2016, No. 4.

In the Province of Reggio Emilia all Municipalities joined it.

Via Torre, 1 - 42014 Castellarano (RE)

Cenni storici

At the foot of the tower passed the pilgrims on their way to Rome, on a journey of a thousand unknowns but with strong existential connotations, and the merchants coming from Tuscany and usually headed to Ferrara.

It was also possible to control an activity that seems strange to us: navigation. In fact the Secchia river was often navigable by boats, similar to barges, which were exploited for the transport of goods, so much so that at the beginning of the XIV century the Municipality of Modena decided that the timber, sent to the town from the mountain, was transported on boat from Sassuolo downstream, to safeguard the bridges, put at risk by the transit of heavy goods. There was also a system of ferries connecting Castellarano to San Michele, which then belonged to the jurisdiction of Castellarano.

This activity was supposed to be very important as there is via Barcaroli in the town centre, probably the seat of families dedicated to this activity.

In the late XVII century the Tower hosted the prisons and a room for the caretaker on the ground floor. The element that characterizes the tower is the clock with single-hand dials placed on four sides and corresponding to the four cardinal points. The clock mechanism is regulated by a weight system that is still now perfectly functional, even if it dates back to the early XVII century.

BISCIONE

During the Christmas and Santo Stefano lunches, the Biscione was the master, a dessert from the past already known to Marco Gavio Apicius, the epicurean of the time of Tibero, author of the oldest treatise on Roman cuisine.

The biscione Reggiano is a typical product of the culinary art of the ancient pastry shops of the city. It is a typical Reggiano dessert of the Christmas period, in fact in Reggio Emilia it is also called Christmas Biscione.

It is made from simple ingredients such as almonds, sugar, eggs and candied fruit and is baked in the oven. It is produced in the form of a snake, or a dragon with open jaws and can also be very long, rolled over several levels of a cake pan. on the surface it is covered with meringue which must maintain its white color and crumbly consistency.

The biscione Reggiano is included in the list of traditional agri-food products of Emilia-Romagna, an IGP recognition is being investigated.

The Biscione is a typical product of the culinary art of the ancient pastry shops of the town. It is a typical local dessert of the Christmas time; in fact it is also called Christmas Biscione. It is made from simple ingredients such as almonds, sugar, eggs and candied fruit and is baked in the oven. It is produced in the form of a snake, or a dragon with open jaws and can also be very long, rolled over several levels of a cake pan. On the surface it is covered with meringue which must keep its white colour and crumbly consistency. The Biscione is included in the list of traditional agri-food products of Emilia-Romagna, and an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) recognition is being investigated.

 

BAKED AND FRIED TORTELLINI

At Christmas time, the Tortellini, fried or baked, make their appearance with their exquisite filling made of jams, chestnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, coffee powder, rum or anisette. It is another typical dessert of the local tradition, even deriving from Renaissance cuisine, characterized by the mixture of sour and sweet.

RECIPE

Dough: 500 g of flour, 150 g of sugar, 50 g of butter, 1 sachet of baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 small glass of anisette.

Custard: 6 spoonfuls of flour, 6 spoonfuls of sugar, 6 egg yolks, half a litre of milk, lemon peel or vanilla.

Preparation: prepare the dough by mixing all the ingredients on a pastry board. For the cream, in a saucepan, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the flour and, slowly, the milk, continuing to mix. Place the cream on a medium flame and, always stirring, let it thicken. In order to taste, flavour with vanilla or lemon peel, then you can prepare the Tortellini, using the special molds, and bake them, placed on a greased plate with breadcrumbs or fry them in boiling oil. Serve them sprinkled with plenty of icing sugar. The Christmas pesto is prepared by mixing various jams together with pine nuts, sultanas, pine nuts, cocoa, mustard, but it varies according to the cook.

 

TRIFLE

The trifle is an ancient spoon dessert. In the XIX century, the base was sponge cake, soaked in liqueurs such as alcherme and rosolio, filled with custard.

RECIPE

Ingredients: 5 egg yolks, 5 spoonfuls of sugar, 5 plentiful spoonfuls of flour, 5 scarce glasses of milk, 1 sachet of vanillin, lemon zest, 100 g of dark chocolate, 1 pack of Reggio Emilia ladyfingers, alchermes or a mixture for desserts.
Preparation: beat the egg yolks with the sugar to make the whole frothy and almost white. Slowly pour the flour then, slowly again, the milk; add the lemon zest and the vanillin. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon until the cream thickens without boiling. Previously you have prepared the mold by covering the inside with the ladyfingers, cut into two or three parts, and soaked in the liqueur. Lay a layer of yellow cream and cover it with other soaked ladyfingers. To the remaining yellow cream add the dark chocolate sprinkled in the mixer and pour it into the mold and complete with a layer of ladyfingers. The soup made in this way will be placed in the refrigerator. Before serving it you can sprinkle it again with alchermes or a mixture for desserts.

 

SPONGATA

It is an ancient dessert that someone even traces back to Roman times, to Tito Petronius Arbiter who, in the "Satyricon", describes a similar cake. It is a gem of Reggio Emilia cuisine that never fails at Christmas and New Year's Eve dinners. Its name seems to derive from "sponga" that is sponge, due to the appearance of the pinched surface that makes it look like a sponge.

RECIPE
The skill in preparing the spongata is expressed in the pesto: first of all you need the walnuts of the Emilian hills which must be processed as soon as they are picked up. The walnuts are opened and the kernel is extracted: about 100 quintals of kernels are needed for the Christmas production of spongata. Each ingredient must be wisely combined with precise processing times that have to be respected. On large tables the chopped walnuts are spread with honey, and kneading begins. Then add the almonds and raisins and knead again; the already hard pesto is turned, then the pine nuts - the most delicate, not to be broken - are to be added. The dough should be done with wooden shovels and with your hands. Finally, the mixture is sprinkled with spices, thirteen different types, which give flavour to the spongata.

0039 0522 590224-590206 - CEA (Environmental Education Centre) of Reggio Emilia Messinian Gypsies - Via Chierici, 2 - Borzano di Albinea
CEA of Albinea map

Route characteristics

Route length: km 16.5.
Travelling time: 3h 45'.
Heigth (m): ascent 347, descent 347.

Starting point: Borzano.
Borzano - Bellavista - S. Margherita - Giareto - M. Scaletta - C. Speranza - Bicocca - Borzano.

How to get there

Borzano

By car
From Reggio Emilia: A1 motorway exit; SS63 in the direction of Castelnovo né Monti, past about km 10 turn left in the direction of Scandiano-Albinea.

By bus
Seta bus service: Bus 1 in the direction of Albinea.

trail description

This trail enters a very rich area for biodiversity, having the EU-label SIC (European Interest Site - Sito di Importanza Comunitaria). Crossing the area, with long ups and downs and a gain of +430m, we will encounter rocky formation, such as Messinian Chalks formations, typical to this area and recently included into a UNESCO Natural Heritage Site. Due to this, it is unmissalbe a visit to Tana della Mussina, an important archeological site but also a mystical magical place, with legends and stories behind this place about the Mussina, a historical character halfway through a witch and a sorcerer.
Passing through Borzano, you cannot miss the Borzano Castle, with a story intertwined with the Manfredi, noble family in ancient times.

Continuing in Borzano, you can tantalise yourself with a visit to the many farms in this area, with productions of local wines, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar or Parmigiano Reggiano. The microclimate that we can find only here in Albinea, has given the quality to the town of Birthplace of Balsamic Vinegar.

0039 0522 482564; 0039 351 3302056 (WhatsApp)
ufficioturismo@comune.brescello.re.it
www.visitbrescello.it/en

OPENING TIMES

All days 10.00 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.; 2.30 - 6.00 p.m.

PRICES

Full: € 6.00
Reduced: € 4.00 (6-18 years; over 70; university students under 25; journalists.
Free: 0-5 years; disabled with helper; residents in Brescello; visitors on their birthday; school teachers.
Schools: 4.00 € per student.

As Giovannino Guareschi wrote, Brescello is a small village in a small area between the Po River and the Apennines. It is still the “little world” made of genuine people, good food and a marvellous landscape. Brescello is still the destination of thousands of people, who are curious to visit the town of Don Camillo and Peppone. One can start with the open-air film set in the town and then finish with the tour of the museums.

One can discover the ancient history and enjoy the typical landscape of the river. It is possible to purchase the tickets at the Tourist Office

Click here to know the entrance prices of the museums.

How to get there

By car
National Road SS62 (Mantua to Parma).

By train
From the Reggio Emilia Railway Station: train to Guastalla then train Suzzara-Parma.

By bus
From Reggio Emilia, Piazzale Europa: public transport bus No. 93.

Restaurant

The restaurant is presented with external and internal furnishings in warm and welcoming colours. The location arranged on three levels offers the opportunity to experience the evening in different environments and, in summer, in an expanse on the suggestive Piazza Fontanesi.

Opening period: all year
Closed on December, 24 - 25 - 26 and January, 1 - 2 - 3

Opening times

Weekdays: 6.00 p.m. - midnight
Sunday and Holidays: 6.00 p.m. - 1.00 a.m.

From October to May on Saturdays and Sundays also open for lunch from 12.30 to 2.30 p.m.

Holiday farm with accommodation

BioAgriturismo is located in the heart of the Rhone park, near the town centre, and can be reached by bus or by bicycle.
Breakfasts and tastings with organic farm products. Store open all year.
All rooms are equipped with bathroom and kitchenette.
There are also two apartments available: Sole and Aria.
The Sole apartment consists of: independent entrance, kitchen, two bedrooms (one single and one double) and bathroom.
The Aria apartment has a full kitchen, a reading corner, a staircase leading to the attic loft where are three rooms: one double, one single and one used as a study-living room.

Opening period: all year

A program built thanks to a broad network of collaborations, to enjoy the city's squares and streets together.

Yoga Radio Bruno Estate will also take place in Piazza della Vittoria June 24 at 9.00 p.m.

Bed & Breakfast

Opening times

Weekdays: open from 7.30 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.
Sunday and holidays: open from 7.30 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.

By car
When coming from Reggio Emilia, take National Road SS63 travelling in the direction of Castelnovo ne' Monti and Passo del Cerreto.

By bus
Publit transport service bus No. 44

Services and facilities

Free Wi-Fi
Free parking
Possibility to use a kitchen
Pets admitted