L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano FRANCESCA BEZZONE I taly is all beautiful, but it's undeniable that outside national borders some regions are more popular than others: topping the world's preferences are usually Tuscany, Sicily and Umbria, fol- lowed by the regions where our most famous cities are: Campania for Naples, Lazio for Rome and Veneto for Venice. If undeniably home to some of the most amaz- ing places in the country, these are far from being the only beauti- ful regions in the peninsula. As an Alpine born Piedmontese, I obvi- ously have a soft spot for my own birth region, but each and every one of the twenty has something special, wonderful and unique. So I was happy to see the beauty of our country celebrated with a bit of - so to speak - cre- ativity, by popular tourist guide publisher Lonely Planet, which chose Emilia Romagna as the number one destination in Europe for the year. Of course, Italians and Italy lovers know Emilia Romagna is a jewel, home to some of our best cities, most notorious food and incredible artists (Ludovico Ariosto and Giuseppe Verdi, just mention two like that, off the top of my head). One of the main reasons cited by Lonely Planet for its choice is, of course, food: it mentions ragù, Bologna's own favored meat sauce, prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar from Modena, also home to über trendy and three Michelin starred Osteria Francescana. It reminds us that Emilia Romagna is also the birth- place of Parmigiano Reggiano and that FICO, a unique food themed park, has recently opened its doors in Bologna. But there is so much more: this is the region of tortellini, the most creative of pasta because filled with so many different things and of mortadella, that humble yet delicious cold, quintessential soul of this region: simple, traditional and inimitable. And speaking of mortadella, how can we forget the best of all street food, piadina? The simplicity of this flavorsome flatbread that Giovanni Pascoli - alas, another artist of the region - called "il pane dei Romagnoli," the bread of Romagna's people, is perfect to exalt the delicious aroma of mortadella, of course, but also of prosciutto crudo, culatello or squaquerone, a cheese typical of the region. But Emilia Romagna is also culture and art: Lonely Planet mentions Ferrara's National Museum of Italian Judaism and Shoah, and the recently restored Cinema Fulgor in Rimini, which will soon be home to a museum dedicated to the city's most famous child, Federico Fellini. Yet again, just as in the case of food, there is so much more: the famous towers of Bologna and the Basilica of San Petronio with its 22 chapels, are only some of the things you can see in the region capital. Then there is Ravenna, for a time head of the Roman Empire, with its Basilica of San Vitale, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna, the Mausoleum of Theodoric and also the grave of Il Poeta, Dante Alighieri. Not far from here is Faenza, a quaint town of about 60.000, known for its majestic cathedral, its medieval streets and beautiful majolicas, famous all over the world. So much so, in fact, that here you'll find the International Museum of Ceramics, where local works are exhibited along with pieces by great artists such as Chagall and Picasso. Parma, capital of Italian cul- ture for the year 2020, is another incredible location which adds, to its many architectural sites of interests, the fact of being the home of Giuseppe Verdi: to him, the Teatro Regio di Parma dedi- cates a full festival every Fall. A little more out of the ordi- nary, certainly dear to all literature and cinema lovers, but also to the most nostalgic among us, is the little town of Brescello, some 16 miles away from Reggio Emilia and about 50 from Bologna. Here, Italian writer Giovannino Guareschi set his Don Camillo novels, and always here Gino Cervi and Fernandel brought his characters to life for the silver screen. A small, typically Emilian country village, Brescello is not only a go to destination for Don Camillo and Peppone aficionados, but also for those longing for a lit- tle slice of old style Italy. Nature, not only art, reigns above Emilia Romagna: the region is where the Po, king of Italian rivers, becomes one with the Adriatic Sea, creating an envi- ronment so incredibly unique in its kind to be protected: the Valli di Comacchio are 13 thousand hectares of mirror-like lakes, home to an incredibly rich variety of wild birds and presenting some of the most unique landscapes of the region. From the deepest side of Pianura Padana to the gentle slopes of Appennino Modenese, an area where the region discov- ers its love for mountains inhabit- ed by wild boards and roes, deers and foxes, sparrow hawks and tawny owls, colored and scented by rhododendron and columbine. And one can't say Emilia Romagna without saying Riviera Adriatica: Rimini, Riccione, Cesenatico, Milano Marittima are synonym with holidays, sea and with a longing for the swinging '60s of our parents, when boys rode Lambrettas and girls danced the twist. Last but not least, let's not forget Emilia Romagna is also home to one of the symbols of Italian excellence in the world: Ferrari. Maranello, home to la Rossa, is in the province of Mode- na and Modena has, indeed, dedi- cated a museum to Enzo Ferrari and his work. Emilia Romagna topping a list of best places to visit in Europe is really not that surprising: the region is rich, varied and beauti- ful, its people known for their hospitality and good heart. Some- how one wonders how such a jewel of a place is not more popu- lar among tourists, especially out- side of Italy: it's not far at all from its better known cousin, Tuscany, and has certainly a couple of good things to show for herself, as the people at Lonely Planet told us. A place to add to our to-visit list. Ferrara, a must see of the Emilia Romagna region Ravenna, Emilia Romagna, Italy: landscape of the wetland in the nature reserve Po Delta Park with small boats and fishing huts in the river Ferrara, a must see of the Emilia Romagna region Tuscany, Umbria and Sicily! But don't forget about Emilia Romagna ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

• Cover