Discover Castel Maggiore: Villas, Culture and the Navile

Castel Maggiore combines villa history, cultural events and cycling along the Ciclovia del Navile. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay here, you can consider what you would like to focus on: should the trip be shaped more by historic sites, a cultural event or a route? The different themes give you concrete ideas for planning.

Villa Salina Malpighi: History and Events

Villa Salina Malpighi in Primo Maggio dates back to the 16th century. Its history is connected with Marcello Malpighi and the family of the Counts of Salina. This gives the villa a clear historical context and a specific connection to local history.

The second edition of “A spasso nel parco” featured guided walks in the villa’s park. These introduced visitors to aspects of nature and the landscape; theatrical performances complemented the tours. The event brought together exploring the park and cultural interpretation.

The villa is also associated with music and literary events. The Salotto Summer Festival is conceived as a recurring live music event; its second edition was announced for June 19–21 in the villa’s park. Held annually at the villa, “Condimenti – Festival di Cibo e della Letteratura” features book presentations, cooking workshops and street food. The events have different focuses: live music, literature, cooking and food. If you would like to plan your trip around a festival, check the dates for the edition taking place in your travel year.

Cultural Venues in Trebbo di Reno and Castel Maggiore

In Trebbo di Reno, the Centro di lettura “L’Isola del Tesoro” is run by volunteers. It promotes reading and lends books. The Church of San Giovanni Battista houses an altarpiece by Francesco Gessi, from the school of Guido Reni, depicting John the Baptist in the desert. The artist, artistic school and subject of the painting provide a clearly defined art-historical connection.

The Feast of Saint Andrew is also part of the annual events calendar: it takes place in Castel Maggiore every year on November 30. The third edition of a festival featuring international and Italian poets included discussions about the significance of poetry, book presentations and readings. Venues included the Teatro Biagi D’Antona, PAS – Parco del Sapere Ginzburg and the Centro di lettura “L’Isola del Tesoro”. The reading centre is therefore connected with cultural life both through its role in promoting reading and lending books and as one of the festival venues.

Ciclovia del Navile and Parkland

The Ciclovia del Navile follows a protected route from the Chiusa di Casalecchio, through central Bologna, to Bentivoglio. It passes through Castel Maggiore along the Navile Canal. Its route therefore connects several clearly identified places; it is a concrete option to consider if cycling is one of your travel interests.

Villa Zarri offers a different kind of landscape: it is surrounded by a three-hectare, centuries-old park. A large central lawn is lined with lime trees, plane trees and evergreens. While the route of the Ciclovia can be understood in terms of the places it passes, Villa Zarri stands out for the size of its park, its central lawn and the named tree species.

Discover more destinations: Monterenzio, San Giorgio Di Piano, Argelato, Porretta Terme, Castenaso, Noce, Borgo Tossignano, San Lazzaro Di Savena.

For the overview of the wider area: Bologna.