THREE MEDIAEVAL TOWNS IN THE HEART OF THE APPENNINES
	Brisighella, Casola Valsenio and Riolo Terme bear rich witness to their mediaeval and Renaissance past. The splendid Valsenio Abbey, founded perhaps in the 6th century and recently restored, tells its stories of peace and the monastic life while towers, fortresses and mediaeval and Renaissance castles, protecting and defending the valleys and small towns, speak of the bloody struggles of long ago between noble families and the Communes. One of the most interesting examples of a 15th century military fortress in the Rocca di Riolo, built by the Bolognesi family in 1388 and strengthened by Caterina Sforza towards the mid-15th century. The old Abbey guesthouse - the Cardello - is a fine example of the re-utilization of a mediaeval building. Transformed into a stately home and decorated in the eclectic taste of the late 19th century, for years it was the home of the writer Alfredo Oriani. The area is also rich in churches and sanctuaries containing the precious artistic heritage of various epochs. Among many we point out the beautiful Pieve del Tho, one of the oldest examples of Romanesque architecture in Romagna (9th century). The town centres are all characterized by mediaeval town-planning. The ancient Via del Borgo in Brisighella, raised and covered, retains all the fascination of an earlier age in which caravans of donkeys passed through on their way to the near by Chalk Vein.