visitCastelvetro

The Via Romea Nonantolana is the rediscovered historic route that links the Po Valley with the Tuscan–Emilian Apennines. From the high Middle Ages and for many centuries it was travelled by merchants, pilgrims, armies and wanderers from northern Europe heading to Rome, the capital of Christianity.

Today, as in those times, this ancient road continues to attract modern travellers who want to discover the hamlets, churches, castles and all the precious traces that history has left us. The itinerary we have chosen starts in Nonantola, the home of an important Benedictine Abbey and follows the River Panaro valley to the border with Tuscany. There are two directions: one to the east and another to the west, which meet in Fanano after having intersected the Bologna road known as the "Little Cassia". The Via Romea Nonantolana is now again viable for those who wants to discover and understand, walking or riding, the spirit that animated our ancestors.

Along its total length, the path is signalled by yellow direction indicators (variant of the route–Panaro right side) and a table with metallic red and white direction arrows indicating the travel times (historical route–Panaro left side). The path is also viable by mountain bike but a few parts are suggested only to expert cyclists.

How to reach the Via Romea Nonantolana
Nonantola is 10 km away from Modena. Leaving the A1 motorway from Modena Sud exit, follow the indications to Modena and then to Nonantola (highway 225). Nonantola is also 40 km away from Bologna and 60 km away from Ferrara. It is possible to leave the car in Rubbiara or at Villa Sorra: the first is reached deviating on the right, before arriving in Nonantola; instead, Villa Sorra is reached deviating on the left in Via Emilia, before arriving in Castelfranco Emilia.

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