What is Brisighella known for?

Extra virgin olive oil from the Nostrana di Brisighella variety, granted Protected Designation of Origin status by the European Union in 1996. Three selenite outcrops carrying the Rocca Manfrediana, the Torre dell'Orologio and the Monticino sanctuary above the town. Fourteenth-century covered street running through the centro storico, named for the donkeys that once carried gypsum from the quarries.

Where is Brisighella?

Brisighella is a comune in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, about 35 kilometers from Forlì.

Emilia-Romagna · Ravenna

Brisighella

A Lamone-valley borgounder three selenite hills crowned by a fortress, a clock tower, and a sanctuary.

35 km / 22 mi

Nearest hub (Forlì)

7,186

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Brisighella sits in the Lamone valley, forty-five kilometers southeast of Bologna, on the Apennine slope where Romagna meets the gypsum vein the UNESCO list added in 2023. Three selenite hills rise above the rooftops, each carrying a building: the Rocca Manfrediana, built in 1310 by Francesco Manfredi and reinforced by the Venetians after 1503; the Torre dell'Orologio, rebuilt in 1850 with a six-hour dial instead of twelve; and the Santuario del Monticino above the town. The Via degli Asini runs through the centro storico as a covered elevated street, originally a fourteenth-century patrol walkway, later excavated into stables for the donkeys that hauled gypsum down from the quarries. The Nostrana di Brisighella olive, grown on the same hills, makes the Brisighello DOP oil that has carried European protection since 1996. The town holds four institutional signals at once: Borghi più belli, Bandiera Arancione, Cittaslow, Città dell'Olio.

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Gallery

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Known for

Rocca Manfrediana
Hilltop fortress begun in 1310 by Francesco Manfredi of Faenza, reinforced by Astorgio II in the 1460s and held by Venice after 1503.
Torre dell'Orologio
Clock tower rebuilt in 1850 on an earlier defensive structure, with a dial that marks six hours rather than the usual twelve.
Santuario del Monticino
Eighteenth-century sanctuary on the third selenite hill, overlooking the town and the Lamone valley below.
Via degli Asini
Covered elevated street through the centro storico, built in the fourteenth century as a patrol walkway and later cut into donkey stables.
Vena del Gesso Romagnola
Gypsum ridge running along the eastern Apennines, holding over 900 karst caves and inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2023.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through October are the working months in Brisighella. The hills around the Lamone valley turn green in spring and gold in autumn; the olive harvest in November fills the frantoi along the road to Faenza. July and August touch thirty-five degrees and the centro storico empties between two and five. Winter is quiet, with most restaurants on Via Naviglio closed Monday to Wednesday. The November Sagra del Tartufo and the early-December olive festival are the events that bring locals down from the surrounding frazioni; outside those weekends the borgo belongs to the residents and the cats on the Via degli Asini.