  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.
Interesting links:
Comune di Casola Valsenio:
www.comune.casolavalsenio.ra.it
Hotel Corona:
www.hotelanticacorona.com
I Casolari delle Erbe:
www.icasolaridelleerbe.com
Strada del Sangiovese – Strada dei Vini e dei
Sapori delle Colline di Faenza:
www.stradadelsangiovese.it
Il Giardino delle Erbe:
www.ilgiardinodelleerbe.it
Corolla delle Ginestre:
www.racine.ra.it
Ristorante Fava:
www.ristorantefava.it
Vena del Gesso:
www.venadelgesso.it
Comunità Montana dell'Appennino Faentino:
www.comunitamontana.ra.it
Provincia di Ravenna:
www.racine.ra.it
Camera di Commercio di Ravenna:
www.ra.camcom.it
Regione Emilia-Romagna:
www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it
Unione di Prodotto Città d'Arte:
www.cittadarte.emilia-romagna.it
Unione di Prodotto Appennino e Verde:
www.appenninoeverde.org
Unione di Prodotto Terme:
www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it APT
Emilia-Romagna:
www.apt.emilia-romagna.it
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