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La Via Emilia: Modena, Bologna, Imola, Faenza

Frank Gerace

10+ Posts
La Via Emilia: Modena, Bologna, Imola, Faenza

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Map from the complete, humorous, erudite “Bologna & Emilia Romagna” by Dana Facaros & Michael Pauls, Cadogan Guides

The Via Emilia road traces a straight line across the top of the Italian boot. Some of the cities strung along its 200 mile run were Roman colonies built on pre-existing towns. The road was crucial to the Romans in handling the area just recently won from the Gauls. It is roughly bounded on the south by the foothills of the Apennine Mountains. This is the area on the Italian side of the Alps that is called for this reason Cisalpine Gaul, the area from where Julius Caesar left to reenter Italy when he passed the Rubicon, saying “the die is cast”.

After 476 A.D. with the effective end of the Roman Empire in Italy and the arrival of the “barbarian” Goths, the cities of the region only slowly regained their importance in the Middle Ages. Every one possesses imposing medieval cathedrals and also palaces and fortifications of the local strongmen.

The cities of the Via Emilia no longer are at war with each other. They now peacefully are part of the Regione Emilia-Romagna and share much of the same customs and food, even though sometimes the names change. Good Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiana cheese will be on the tables of all of the cities of the region not just in Parma.

I got to visit the cities and to eat in four of them.

Modena

Modena was callled Mutina by the Boii, a Celtic people, and was subdued by the Romans about 218 B.C., becoming a Roman colony on the Via Aemilia in 183 B.C. It was attacked and sacked by the Huns and by the Lombards and was restored only at the end of the 9th century. Modena was the scene of violent conflicts between the papal and imperial factions until it passed to the house of Este in 1288 and remained under their influence until 1860 when it became part of the new Kingdom of Italy.

Unesco in 1997 proclaimed the complex of the following three sites a World Heritage Site.

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The cathedral, begun in 1099 in Romanesque style on the site of earlier structures.


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The bell tower is the symbol of the city.

The final member of the trio is the ducal palace (begun 1634), now a military academy.

But Modena is not only a museum city. It is also the capital of food and wine. The stars are traditional balsamic vinegar, Lambrusco and typical cured meats.

While waiting for my wife’s friend Elvira (after 50 years when they last saw each other in their home town, Reyes, in the Bolivian Amazon), we walked around the cathedral square where a food fair was going on.

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The famous Gnocco Fritto, a square of pasta fried in lard until it blows up to look like a pillow.

We also sampled the balsamic vinegar, the exclusive product of Modena for hundreds of years. The vinegar ranges from a young one used for salad dressing to a thick syrupy 35-year-old product, sweet enough to be used on ice cream. We bought a few bottles of the more affordable ones to give to friends and family.

We had the best meal of all our stops in the best restaurants of the Via Emilia in Elvira’s kitchen. She made us a simple pasta dish made with a sauce of the mushrooms that her husband forages for around their home in the mountains outside of Modena. After the secondo piatto of braised veal, a bottle of Lambrusco was perfect to send us away happy, for the reunion and the good food.


Bologna

Bologna is the largest city of the group. It was already important in prehistoric times as attested by archaeological records and then later as an Etruscan settlement before it became solidly Roman. Even after the end of effective Roman rule in 476 A.D., Bologna never really had its Dark Ages. It was adorned by its leading citizens with hundreds of towers which were family residences, forts, and jails. Today, only a handful remain, notably the two Due Torri which dominate the view of the city.

Bologna is the site of the oldest university in Europe. The University still affects Bologna’s life with a whole sector of the city full of academic buildings and students. Throughout the city the walls are adorned with statements and snatches of poetry, surely largely work of the students. The history and presence of the University is one of the reasons for the nickname Bologna la Dotta, (Scholarly Bologna).

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On the other side of the clouds, it never rains.

There is another informal title for Bologna, that of Bologna la Rossa (Red Bologna) which honors its battles in the 1920s with strikes and the foundation of cooperatives against the surrounding rural poverty. Bologna was also a focus of the partisan resistance against the Nazis in the mid-1940s. The “red” nature persisted as local socialist parties ran the city for years and continue to influence modern-day centrist governments.

The third nickname and the one which is of interest to us in this note is that of Bologna la Grassa (Fat Bologna) which honors the cities gastronomic fame. Bologna gets fresh produce and meats from the surrounding areas which supply the many formal restaurants and popular osterias and trattorias. Most of the year these small havens overflow the sidewalks filled with convivial guests, among them happy tourists.

I ate at the Trattoria Da Me at 50 Via S. Felice 9 (www.trattoriadame.it) which is consistently highly regarded among Bologna’s eating establishments. It was declared the best restaurant in Bologna in 2018 and received three more awards in 2019.

It is a bright pleasant restaurant that has been run by the same family for 82 years. The present boss is Elisa, a strong determined defender of Bolognese tradition and culture. It is solidly modern but not brash stainless steel and Formica. The service is polite, quiet and efficient. The menu has the traditional Bolognese cuisine, some dishes with a slightly new twist but nothing is “reinvented”.

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Here you can find the most emblematic Bolognese pasta dishes, all made with egg pasta. The tagliatelle with ragú is not a chopped meat “spaghetti Bolognese” of a typical “red sauce” restaurant elsewhere! The agnolotti were stuffed with a complex meat filling. The tortellini is served in a delicate clear chicken broth.

The varied appetizers range from beef tartare from selected local cattle to codfish balls.

The pasta courses are the house specialty which has its own handmade pasta shop next door where the various kinds of pasta are made from the best flour and eggs. Among these many shapes of pasta, the tagliatelle and the lasagna are most often served with the famous Ragú Bolognese, a complicated sauce made of chopped (not ground) beef and pork stewed together with selected vegetables and spices. The Lasagna alla Bolognese is a specialty of the house served according to local tradition only on Sundays for lunch.

The other pastas have different shapes dictated by local history. There are long pieces such as tagliatelle, short pieces such as penne; some editions are for soup and others are meant to be filled. Each class has many members made with imaginative shapes and names.

We were fortunate enough to have a sampling of the most traditional Bolognese pasta dishes. You could taste the complex ingredients of the sauce in the tagliatelle with ragú. The agnolotti stuffed with a complex meat filling were a delicious discovery. The tortellini in broth were perfect; the flavors sang out in a delicate clean chicken broth.

For the secondo piatto, you have to have the Cotoletta in Bologna. The veal cutlet with a slice of crispy prosciutto covered with a parmigiana cheese sauce is the famous Cotoletta alla Bolognesa.

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The trattoria has a curated wine list of regional, other Italian and imported wines.

Desserts often include the traditional soft cheese mascarpone, fruit sorbets, Zuppa Inglese (trifle), Tiramisu, Macedonia (fruit salad), and other creative options.

This stop on our Via Emilia trip was well rewarded in Bologna with outstanding food, a pleasant environment, and friendly people.


Imola
Imola is solidly Romagnola with the determination of a border city to decide on its own identity. Although Emilia-Romagna is one administrative Regione, Imola is the entrance to Romagna the Eastern part of the region.

Imola was the site of the marriage between Ataulf, the King of the Visigoths and Gallia Placidia, daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great. As Roman influence declined after the end of the fifth century A.D., the following centuries saw constant wars in the region. Imola passed from hand to hand of the local strongmen and their families.

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The Sforzas built the impressive Rocca Sforzesca, principal attraction of Imola since it was restored in the 1960s and opened to the public in 1973. This massive “Rock of the Sforza Family” was started around 1261 and was an active fort in the 1400s, a witness to the days when money, power, and religion were linked. But this brief note is not meant to be about ancient history.

A more peaceful institution can be viewed in the Farmacia dell’ospedale. Here in the middle of town at 95 Via Emilia, there is a fantastic array of 457 ceramic jars made in Imola in 1765. Every jar is labeled with the contents used in those days. The collection is housed in its original site next to a functioning modern pharmacy and is open to the public.

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For many, Imola’s most famous modern attraction is the Autodromo. It is the home of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack. The city fills up with racing enthusiasts when there are races.

There may be fast cars in Imola but there is no fast food. Like all of Emilia-Romagna, Imola is a paradise of good food. It may be true that you can eat well in all of Italy but it is a small mystery why this region pays so much attention to food. Maybe it’s the water. Maybe it’s the air. It can’t be because Celtic tribes settled in Romagna in the fifth century B.C. The local food is much better than Irish fare. This writer thinks it may be the centuries passed as part of the Papal States. Those Cardinals always ate well.

The gastronomic tradition continues today with the international street food Festival that meets in Imola. Although the food served at the festival is legitimate Romagnola food, there is an analogy with the music you hear from the rock groups that accompany the festival. You can only hear one group and one selection at a time. It is the same as the individual plates you’ll get off the food trucks.

To really appreciate Romagnola food you have to experience the Symphony of the menu of a good restaurant. You will see a page of antipasti (appetizers), a page of dishes for the primo course (usually pasta), the secondo (usually meat or fish), the contorni (side dishes) and the dolci (desserts).

Imola is home to the welcoming Hostaria 900 (www.hostaria900.it) located on a quiet street at 20 Viale Dante Alighieri, lined with towering chestnut trees. La Hostaria 900 is an elegant place that provides a full menu of meat or fish.

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Orazio Galanti the owner, has spent his life among his family’s kitchens and vineyards. He is a lover and promoter of the region and its food. He was so friendly and eager to please and inform us that he just assumed that my wife understood Italian. He told us about his history, philosophy, suppliers, food, and wine. Luckily, she understood about 25% of what he said.

The wine list is a tour de force including all the reds and whites of Emilia-Romagna and of other parts of Italy and the world. Orazio gave me an example of his gifts as a sommelier. With a few questions, he decided on a wine for me: Red or white? Heavy or light? Still or bubbly? His selection of an Emiliano red scored 100% with me.

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The menu is extraordinary and is designed by Orazio himself as chef with the dishes of his mother, Giorgia. It is traditional yet creative including local beef, pork, mutton, and wild boar, as well as an extensive selection of local cheeses and the expert combination of mushrooms, chestnuts, pistachios, and fruit with the many manifestations of handmade pasta, many of which are filled.

The full appetizer list includes local tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, asparagus, ricotta-filled pumpkin flowers, carpaccio of local beef, and even the unexpected combinations such as artichoke soup with slices of rosemary-scented octopus.

The first course includes all of the dishes with the pasta shapes developed hundreds of years ago in the region before being adopted all over Italy. The tagliatelle, tortelli, tortellini, tortelloni, pacheri, garganelli, cappelletti, and myriad others all enter into a kaleidoscopic combination with broths and sources, with butter and olive oil.

The second course offers local breed beef and pork prepared as braised, fried or in the oven, as well as fish and mushrooms.

The dessert course presents the local cheeses alone or with fruits and vegetables as well as exceptional versions of the old favorites of trifle, crème brûlée, gelati, tiramisu, sorbet, as well as chestnut specialties.

The menu is traditional Romagnolo.

My wife started with an appetizer of the ricotta-filled squash flowers. She could hardly contain herself with joy. I had a large scallop gratiné with white truffles.

For the pasta dish, she had a risotto with shrimp in a citrus-based sauce, which was a totally new experience that she swore she would try to replicate in her kitchen. I had tortelloni with butter and sage, as always understatedly sweet and opulent.

And for our secondo, the meat dish, my wife had sliced steak with arugula while I had the mixed grill with beef, pork, and lamb. You could taste the result of Orazio’s demanding quality in his meat procurement.

Finally, among the typical Romagnolo desserts, the calorie champion is crème brûlée made with a MINIMUM of 8 egg yolks (sic!) to a liter of milk.

For our dolci, the dessert course, we shared the chestnut cake and the mascarpone.


We left more than satisfied. The stop at Imola was a great success as it must have been for the long haul Roman teamsters. However, I am sure that our stop was better than theirs unless they met a similarly gracious Orazio in their century.


Faenza
Another interesting city of the Via is Faenza. Although it is a city of Roman origin, after the weakening of the Roman Empire in Italy in the sixth century A.D., only a few important architectural structures of the early medieval period remain. The structure of the two main squares with the fountain, the clock tower, the loggias and the portico of the wings of the buildings of the Municipality and of the Podestà are from the Baroque period (late 16th to the early 18th century). For example, The Piazza del Popolo is the nerve center of Faenza public life, still hosting fairs and markets.

It is delimited by two elegant and harmonious porticoes, despite having been built, remade and modified, during a very long period of time, from 1470 to 1932. The Palazzo del Podestà, originally the Palazzo Comunale, stretches alongside the Clock Tower.

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Faenza shared the medieval wars of its neighbors but distinguished itself with something else in the 16th century: its distinctive work with ceramics. Its production was popular all over Europe, so much so that the name for the special glazed product took on the name of the city and is called faience in French and English.

Pieces of broken faience ceramics have been found in 17th-century shipwrecks in colonial America, surely from the staterooms of some British nobleman officer.

An important piece of life in Faenza is the International Ceramics Museum, one of the most important museums dedicated to ceramics in the world. Among the corridors and the large rooms of the Museum, you can retrace the history of ceramics from the pre-Columbian age to the present day. Beautiful 18th and 19th-century pieces from China, Japan, and Europe enchant the visitor.

The collections are divided into three large sections (Italian ceramics, Civilizations and continents, Contemporary ceramics), which together make up an encyclopedia of ceramic art from its rise to the flourishing of the various Italian and foreign schools, and to the most modern expressions of the art of our day. There are many modern pieces by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, and Cocteau. Picasso's "Four Seasons", a set of four vases, is an often visited holding of the museum. His “Dove” is also a favorite of the museum’s patrons.

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The museum is laid out well in a modern attractive building. Getting around is helped by a free audio guide. The staff and volunteers are very helpful all of which makes for a pleasant visit.

People in Faenza are proud of their heritage and history but not to the level of their pride for their food. Their cuisine is dominated by fresh pasta, with which excellent dishes are prepared. The dough of Romagnolo pasta must be strictly home-made and must be made only of flour and eggs, without water.

We ate at an intimate little trattoria, Marianaza ( www.marianaza.com ), on 21 Via E. Torricelli, with timbered rafters and full of certificates of excellence. It is presided over by Natasha Cucchi. The decor falls somewhere between rustic and homey. Natasha’s family has been running the trattoria for 50 years. However, a large plaque written in Romagnolo on the wall over the massive wood-burning grill on which the food is prepared records an even earlier original founding.

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Along with grilled meats and vegetables, pasta is eaten in Romagna, although the word itself is not present in the Romagnolo language. Cappelletti are a popular pasta, even if they differ from area to area in size and shape and filling. In the central area of Romagna, particularly in the Faenza area, they are filled entirely with soft cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Moving around you will find several changes: sometimes they contain ricotta, sometimes partly meat, sometimes totally meat. Around these versions, there are strong feelings and loyalties. But everyone agrees that Passatelli are made with egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan and nutmeg, and cooked in meat broth.

Pork is at the center of the Romagnolo diet: it ranges from all types of cold cuts, sausage, salami, and ham, maybe made with suckling pig. Also, Faenza is close enough to the Adriatic to have a seafood tradition. Risotto, spaghetti with clams and squid are common. There is also the homemade fish stew, the robust, rich in tomato, vinegar and quite peppery brodetto. Sardines are grilled with olive oil, garlic, and parsley.

The menu is traditional Romagnolo with no updating or relabeling. The portions are generous. The appetizer plate of prosciutto and insaccati (salamis and sausages) was impressive.

My wife started with an appetizer of the fried polenta with Squacquerone cheese. The crispiness of the polenta with the fresh cream cheese was a perfect pairing. My appetizer was a huge platter of cool tasty bresaola with fresh arugula parmigiana cheese shavings.

For our pasta dish, she had tagliatelle with ragú and peas; I had tortelloni with butter and sage.

And for our secondo, the meat dish, my wife had sliced steak with arugula while I had the mixed grill with beef, pork, and lamb. It was not only delicious, but it was also so much I couldn’t finish the last sausage.

Finally, among the typical Romagnolo desserts, the calorie champion is crème brûlée made with a MINIMUM of 8 egg yolks (sic!) to a liter of milk.

For our dolci, desert course, we went for broke with dairy calories ordering panna cotta and mascarpone.

All in all, la trattoria Marianaza was a pleasant interlude on a quiet street in Faenza. We discovered that there is more to Faenza than Ferraris and ceramics.
 
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