A leisurely stroll in the lovely countryside of rural Romagna. The video was filmed along the ridge that separates the thermal town of Fratta from the medieval town of Bertinoro, on a Sunday marked by a chill wintry haze and a mild sun.
The two mounts that I turn to several times in the video are Monte Maggio (on the right, with the receiver on top) and Bertinoro (on the left, farther away). The first mountain is known in the Romagnol language as “Mónt d’i Capuzén”, the mountain of the Capuchin friars, probably due to the presence of a monastery on top of it during the middle ages. The current name means “Mount May”, or perhaps “Mount of the Flowering Bough”.
The town of Bertinoro is a lovely borgo (fortified town), with great medieval architecture and a castle, surrounded by a park. The hillsides and the surrounding country are characterised by rolling hills covered by vineyards, which produce some varieties of fine wine Bertinoro is renowned for. The town is relatively small but has always had some importance in the history and culture of Romagna, even to this day. The name of this town comes from Latin “Castrum Brittinori”, the castle of the Britons. In fact, during the Middle Ages, pilgrims coming from the British Isles and headed to Rome stopped there along their way and had an important station in the town, which eventually took its name from them.
Here is just a glimpse of the surrounding countryside on a cold and quiet afternoon, accompanied by cawing crows, magpies and songbirds, ending by a vineyard which is situated along the “Strada del vino e dei sapori”, the way of wine and tastes. Though just a snippet, I hope this video can give a feel of what this lovely region is like. I’ve wanted to make some vids about Romagna for quite some time now and I hope I’ll keep uploading them (perhaps trying to make them a little less shaky!). Meanwhile, enjoy this short glimpse of a Romagnolo winter.