Walk in the Old Town.
Welcome to Sogliano al Rubicone, a town suspended between the sea and the Apennines! Before Starting the walk, we invite you to park (if you come by car or motorcycle) in the panoramic parking lot located in Via Roma (car) or in Via XX Settembre (motorcycle) both adjacent to the Historic Center.
From here we invite you to head to Matteotti Square via Cavour Street where stands the Church of San Lorenzo Martire, rebuilt in the years 1789 to 1819 on the remains of an older church dating from 1144. It preserves the epigraphs of two illustrious people from Sogliano: the poet Lorenzo Frizzolio (1532-1597) and Bishop Michele Rubertini (1885-1978).
In Matteotti Square we note the former Casa del Fascio built in 1941 by the austere but imposing architectural structure and the Butterfly Fountain, one of the symbols of Sogliano designed by Tonino Guerra and inaugurated in 2003. Descending toward Piazza Mazzini, one is faced with thehe Municipal Theater “Elisabetta Turroni” built in 1867 and inaugurated in 1997; to the left the Church of the Suffrage dating back to 1679, which can be visited free of charge during normal opening hours; at its side stands the Civic Tower inaugurated in 1867.
The interior of the Suffrage Church houses valuable works of art: “The Holy Family with the Purgatory Souls,” an oil painting dating back to the mid-18th century, enclosed by a gilded wooden frame; altarpiece the “Madonna of the Vineyards,” dated 1575; the “Madonna of the Spasimo,” a painting from before the year 1520; and polychrome scagliola altar frontal depicting the souls of purgatory, dated 1713.
From Mazzini Square one arrives at Republic Square where they stand, facing each other, Palazzo Mariani and Palazzo David, now both used as the Town Hall. Inside Palazzo Mariani are preserved some tombstones of considerable historical interest and a large marble work depicting the Lion of St. Mark, which was commissioned by Ramberto Malatesta early 16th century. Palazzo David, dating back to the 18th century, has always been home to the David family, related to the poet Giovanni Pascoli. Sogliano al Rubicone has deep ties to Pascoli (1855-1912), who was granted honorary citizenship in 1906. From Sogliano was the poet’s maternal grandmother, Olimpia Allocatelli; maternal aunt Rita Vincenzi married Placido David from Sogliano; sisters Ida and Maria were educande in the Augustinian nuns’ monastery from 1874 to 1882. Various of Pascoli’s lyrics were composed in Sogliano; others found inspiration here.
Near Palazzo David, at no. 26 is the Mining Museum, which preserves the ancient history of the mines of Sogliano al Rubicone, particularly the coal mines of Montegelli, Montetiffi and Capannaccio, active between 1780 and 1942. Continuing toward Piazzetta Garibaldi we encounter the “San Francesco di Paola” oratory (a fine example of 18th-century religious architecture) and PalazzoNardini where we point out the new ‘
MUSO. Museum of the Underground ‘; thanks to an articulated system of multimedia devices, it is possible to discover while having fun the millenary relationship between Sogliano and its subsoil. Still in Piazzetta Garibaldi, one lands at the 19th-century Palazzo della Cultura (Ripa Marcosanti), which has 2 entrances: the first from the side of Piazza Garibaldi gives access to the Museo del Disco d’Epoca, the Museo di Arte Povera, the “Venanzio Reali” Municipal Library and the Veggiani collection, while the second entrance to the Palazzo della Cultura is on Via XX Settembre where one can access the Linea ChristaMuseum and the Leonardo da Vinci and Romagna Museum.
In particular, the Museum of Arte Povera, the Museum of Vintage Records are among the few Italian museums included in the “Google Arts & Culture” circuit that can be visited virtually through “Google Street View”
La Malatestian gate overlooks the street named after G. Pascoli where you can visit the Church of the Madonna dello Spasimo which belongs to the adjoining Monastery founded by Augustinian nuns in 1824. For lovers of typical flavors and food and wine in the historic center of Sogliano there are spaces dedicated to “Taste” such as the “Museum of Fossa DOP Cheese” (included by the Emilia Romagna region among the “Museums of Taste”) and the locations of the pits where it is possible to taste and discover the art of production and aging of the Fossa cheese of Sogliano al Rubicone DOP. There are several itineraries set up for hikers and bicycle tourists with departure from the Historic Center and the Le Greppe Park in particular the section known as “la cioca,” with its 18 hairpin bends, dear to Marco Pantani and called “the climb of the pirate” at the end of which there is a monument in his honor where many cyclists take a souvenir photo of their passage.
Have a good walk!
All mentioned museums are visitable (booking information on individual museum pages )
