Sogliano al Rubicone

Small but "greatly loved town of Romagna" celebrated in the immortal rhymes of Giovanni Pascoli. Surrounded by green hills and butterfly paths, the village rises on the ridge of the ancient Via Montefeltro, in the area between the Savio and Rubicone rivers, in a series of panoramas that open in the direction of both the sea and the Apennines.

Rubicone is a place where the visitor finds the slow rhythms and flavours of the past, such as the local dessert cheese, matured for 100 days, from August to November, in the special cellars.

The first written record of its origins dates back to the 9th century. In the “Codice Bavarois” the town was appointed the title of  “fundus Sulliani", whilst in 1141 the village was listed among the possessions of the church in Rimini.

In the following years the castle belonged to the Malatesta of Sogliano family until 1640 and then became the direct domain of the Church. Artistic treasures and valuable buildings of different ages live harmoniously in the historic centre. Like the Butterfly Fountain, conceived by Tonino Guerra and inaugurated in 2003, the Piazza Matteotti, a testimony to the architecture under the fascist regime, the Suffrage church of 1679 with its works of art, the civic tower of 1867 and the Turroni Theatre. Also characteristic is the oratory of the Pietà of 1518, now called the church of Our Lady of Spasimo, built by Ramberto Malatesta and subsequently modified. In via Pascoli stands the monastery of the Agostinians, founded by Don Paolo Mariani and known for hosting the sisters of Giovanni Pascoli, Ida and Maria.

The emotional bond between Sogliano al Rubicone and the great poet is confirmed by the honorary citizenship granted to Pascoli in 1906 and the road that winds through the narrow streets of the village, touching the physical places that have hosted and inspired the writer. The Pascolian itinerary leads the visitor to the centre of the village, to Piazza Garibaldi, where there is the Palace of Culture (or Palazzo Ripa-Marcosanti), which houses three permanent exhibitions: the Veggiani Collection, the Arte Povera Collection and the Museo della Linea Christa.

There are other paths in the surrounding area, crossing the hills rich in woods and with ancient settlements of Strigara, Montegelli villages full of perfumes and flavours, Rontagnano, Barbotto, Savignano di Rigo and Pietra dell’Uso,  a rural nucleus perched on a rock by the creek. At Montetiffi, they make the pots for cooking the piadina. One can admire the remains of the Benedictine abbey of St. Leonard which dates back to the 10th century and the Romanesque bridge and church of St. Benedict in Vernano (XII century).

The culinary tradition revolves around the local dessert cheese, delicious to sample accompanied by honey and celebrated during a famous festival between November and December. The name comes from niches of medieval origin, dug into the peat for 100 days of maturing, the dairy product acquires a perfume and flavour that make it unmistakable.

In autumn, the "de savor" festival is organised in the village of Montegelli, dedicated to the most sought after typical flavours: a jam made from grape must, various varieties of fruit and oilseeds, Mastlaz which is a novel wine rich in sugars,, flavoured vinegar, lupins, officinal herbs, elderberries, figs, tomatoes and much more.