The ring around the Enza

A bike ride between Monticelli and Mamiano

by Silvia Ugolotti

Equilibrium and a desire for freedom, two wheels are the conscientious and silent engine of those who like to move slowly, a light way of traveling.
“It is by riding a bicycle that you best learn the contours of a country, for you have to sweat on the hills and freewheel down the slopes,” wrote Hemingway.
Increasingly efficient bikeways and themed tours, Emilia Romagna is a land of great cyclists and beautiful routes.
A loop route that runs along the Enza River in sections starts from Terme di Monticelli.
Thirty-seven kilometers long it forms 8 on the map and combines interesting and very different sites.
Simple with a few ups and downs, it is partly on a bicycle path and partly on minor roads and river spiste.
It was designed and described by Claudio Peroni in the first volume “Guide to the most beautiful cycleways and paths in Emilia Romagna” (Ediciclo Editore).

From hot springs to art

From the spa center of Monticelli via Monte you reach Piazza and then the Court of Mamiano di Traversetolo following the former state road 513 (quite busy) and via Sbarra.
This is where the Magnani-Rocca Foundation the villa of masterpieces is located: surrounded by a park with century-old trees and peacocks, it houses works of art and antiques collected by Luigi Magnani, a great intellectual, passionate collector and man of art.
The house museum combines paintings by the great masters of the past such as Francisco Goya Albrecht Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck and Tiepolo.
But also sculpture masterpieces by Antonio Canova and Manzù.
The diverse and eclectic collection reflects Luigi Magnani’s approach to works of art: barrier-free, with interests in every historical period and in artists who were able to recreate formal purity: Giorgio Morandi most of all, his painter friend whose works are displayed on the upper floor along with canvases by Monet, Cézanne and Renoir.
Throughout the year, temporary exhibitions enrich the itinerary.
The calendar is on the website (magnanirocca.it).
Returning to Piazza, continue to the Basilicagoiano junction and arrive at the imposing banks of the Enza: a small detour leads to Montecchio Emilia.

History and landscapes

Small and cozy, the town of Montecchio Emilia can be visited in a couple of hours.
It has small, cobbled streets, well-kept houses and the Rocca, which was the scene of bitter battles, besieged and conquered several times before coming under Este rule, starting in the 17th century.
To enter the Rocca is to breathe in the medieval atmosphere.
Take the left bank of the river again on a dirt road, passing under the first arch of the provincial road bridge and skirting the gallop to reach Montechiarugolo.
A climb leads to the castle.
It is open to the public with paid guided tours from March to November, and in the remaining months by reservation.
The tour includes a visit to the state apartment (Salone delle feste, Camera di Mezzo, delle Sirene, and dei Gatti), the 15th-century loggia on the Enza, the Camera Picta del Baglione, and the patrol walkway on the terraces(castellodimontechiarugolo.it).
A gourmet stop is a must atOsteria Pecora Nera(osteriadellacapra.it).
Experimentation in the use of local products combines with the study of the history and culture of the Emilian lands to bring their authenticity to the table.
Try the balsamic braised pork cheeks.
From here continue to Basilicagoiano and then Monticelli Terme.