Welcome to
Casola Valsenio
From
Jesse's Journeys in
Italy
Population: 2,844 (2004)
Official website:
Casola Valsenio
Wikipedia: n/a
Map:
MapQuest
This
article is from
Terre di Faenza
Casola
Valsenio
is a charming village in the upper Senio
Valley, near the part of the Province of
Florence that crosses the boundary on
the Adriatic side of the Apennines: the
so-named Romagna-Tuscany.
The area was settled at the beginning of
the year 1000 by the Benedictines who
built Valsenio Abbey, giving
considerable impetus to civil and
economic development. The first
settlement, on a hill next to the
“Chiesa di Sopra”, was taken by storm
and destroyed by the Faenza forces in
1216. The survivors, obliged to move
farther down the valley, founded the
present day village. But Casola
Valsenio’s vocation lies in medicinal
herbs.
At the beginning of the 20th century
they were collected in the wild, then
dried and sold. But in 1938 the young
Augusto Rinaldi Ceroni began
experimenting with growing them as
crops. The experiment grew to the extent
of becoming, in 1974, an actual
botanical garden specialised in
medicinal plants where, on an area of
more than 4 hectares, more than 400 herb
varieties were grown.
Today the “Augusto Rinaldi Ceroni” Herb
Garden is an important reference point
for the whole scientific world and for
those who use these plants in their work
or for pleasure. It is equipped with a
documentation centre, laboratories and
an olfactory unit and also offers
educational itineraries, guided tours
and highly qualified consultancy. You
can buy plants, seeds and products, or
simply stroll around the fine,
cultivated terraces and breathe a
magical, perfumed atmosphere.
The Lavender Road, which links
Brisighella with the Santerno Valley by
way of Casola Valsenio, crosses
fascinating landscapes and enchants with
its lilac blooms. The Road of the Plants
of Long Ago, which leads to the Rocca di
Monte Battaglia, preserves ancient
varieties of fruit plants. The “Cardello”,
formerly the guest quarters of Valsenio
Abbey and today a museum, was long the
favourite residence of the writer
Alfredo Oriani (1852-1909).
The events that enliven the village are
closely linked to the territory, its
products and its culture: Erbeinfiore
(Herbs in Bloom), the Evening Herb
Street Market and the Festival of
Forgotten Fruit. Immersed in the green
and a chosen spot for tourists who
appreciate environmental and natural
beauties, Casola Valsenio is a happy
oasis which has been capable of
transforming its onetime isolation into
a precious value for its inhabitants
that is also made available to guests in
a spirit of generosity and kindness.
By Vian Andrews, September 2, 2006 |
