Comune di Massa Lombarda

Massa Lombarda is surrounded by fruit trees and has a very long tradition of hospitality. In 1251 the town gave shelter to eighty families that had escaped from the provinces of Brescia and Mantua, where they were oppressed; the families found refuge in what used to be a small village on the edge of the woods of Lugo.
Today Massa Lombarda is a flourishing and hospitable town, renown for its gastronomy and for its fruit farming tradition. Between the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, local farmers were the first pioneers of modern fruit farming techniques in Italy; they particularly focused on peaches and started to export their fruit to Europe.
In 1927 the town hosted the second national fruit farming exposition (“Seconda Esposizione Nazionale di Frutticoltura”). Fruit is still very important in Massa Lombarda’s present.
The town of Massa Lombarda originates from a small rural village on the edge of the woods of Lugo, therefore it’s hard to define the date of its foundation; however, it already existed in the 8th century.
After the start of the Second Millenium various rulers fought against each others for the control of the town; these included the church, large landowners, seigniories and municipalities. 1251 is an important year because the town gave shelter to several refugees from Lombardy; as a consequence of this the name Massa Sancti Paoli was ditched for Massa dei Lombardi, which later became Massa Lombarda.
In 1440 Pope Eugene IV sold the town to the House of Este, who held it till 1598; this was a flourishing period for Massa Lombarda, which also issued its own coins. After Napoleonic invasions, the town became part of the district of Rubicone and then returned to the Pope until 1859, when it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. Massa Lombarda gained the title of “città” in 1889. In the following decades the town pioneered modern fruit farming techniques and sugar beet cultivation.
During fascism, local citizens that opposed the regime suffered harsh repression; the most brutal event was the killing of the families Baffè and Foletti, on the 17th of October 1944. Today Massa Lombarda is a flourishing agricultural and industrial district.

During the course of the 20th century the town has always been considered a particularly favourable place for seducing women; there are several popular anecdotes about young men from near towns coming to visit Massa Lombarda in order to meet local girls. The historical explanation of this might be found in the emancipation that took place here since the 1930s when women started to work in the fruit industry. Another factor is the longstanding presence of clubs and the town’s thriving nightlife. The town of Conselice has often poked fun at the locals by saying that people from Massa Lombarda boast “to have double” (“A Massa ne hanno il doppio”); this is just an example of parochialism and local pride that can be found here.
Here there is still strong popular belief in relation to the warnings given by Saint Paul, the local patron saint; “segni di San Paolo” is a system of interpretation of the climate for the purpose of elaborating weather forecasts. In particular, the forecasts are based on the outcome of the weather of the first twenty-four days of the year, which are those preceding the celebration of the patron saint. Complex calculations determine precise forecasts for the entire year. The observation of the weather on the patron saint day gives a more general prediction of the year as a whole: the rain is a sign for plenty, the sun is a sign for famine, clouds predict an average year, wind indicates war and fog is the warning of an unhealthy year. The local patron saint celebration is called “San Pêval di Segn”; it celebrates this tradition and takes place at the end of January.

THINGS TO SEE

PIAZZA MATTEOTTI
This square is the heart of the town and is home to historical buildings such
as the ancient tower.

Torre dell’Orologio
The tower is the symbol of the town and is located on the western side of the square. It was designed in the 18th century by Cosimo Morelli and has a very elegant architecture with arcades and small balconies in the upper part; it features a clock and a small dome at the very top. Next to the tower lies
Palazzo Zaccaria Facchini, a beautiful palace which was also designed by Cosimo Morelli.

Palazzo Comunale
Piazza Matteotti, 16
The northern side of the square is occupied by the imposing town hall. The façade has a loggia with five arcades supported by rusticated columns with a smooth finishing and doric pilasters on the sides. The large windows of the façade have simple classical frames with semi-circular tympana on top;
the windows of the side of the building present a late-baroque architectural style.

CHIESA ARCIPRETALE DELLA CONVERSIONE DI SAN PAOLO
Via Vittorio Veneto
The 16th century church is on the main street of the town centre; it was built on the ruins of an older church which was orientated in the opposite direction. The building has three naves and a beautiful and sober Romanesque architectural design; the church houses precious canvases and a remarkable 18th century wooden choir.

CHIESA DI SANTA MARIA DEL CARMINE
Via Rustici
The main street is enriched by two more churches: the small late 18th century church of San Salvatore and the one dedicated to Santa Maria del Carmine; the latter was rebuilt in 1640 with a baroque style on the ruins of an older church which had perished in an earthquake. The church includes a
convent and a cloister; it is one of the most beautiful baroque churches built by the Carmelites and is currently used as a venue for cultural events.

CENTRO CULTURALE CARLO VENTURINI
Viale Zaganelli, 2 – Open every day – Free admission Tel. +39 0545 81388; e-mail venturini@sbn.provincia.ra.it
The town’s cultural centre is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau palace which has only one floor. The early 20th century building was originally created to host the nursery school Pueris Sacrum; it was recently restored and reopened in 2007 as a cultural centre. The venue is named after Carlo
Venturini, a local 19th century physician and diplomat who donated his rich collection to the town; the collection includes antiquities, minerals, books, ceramics and various other works of art. The centre hosts a special display of this collection, alongside a painting gallery boasting artwork by Garofalo,
Bastianino, Giambattista Bassi and Angelo Torchi; the centre also includes the municipal library and the old library archive which features around 8,000 volumes.

MUSEO DELLA FRUTTICOLTURA ADOLFO BONVICINI
Viale Amendola, 40 – Free admission Tel. +39 0545 985831; e-mail cultura@comune massalombarda.ra.it
The museum is dedicated to the modern history of local agriculture, in particular fruit farming; it was opened in 1983 and it’s located in a rural house which is known as Cà Rossa. The museum is named after Adolfo Bonvicini, a local businessman who was the pioneer in Italy of modern fruit farming. The collection has an ethnographic section about rural life and a display documenting the technological and economic progress of fruit farming which started in Massa Lombarda between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Today this rural house is actually inside the town, due to the urban expansion that happened over recent decades; in summer the courtyard of the museum hosts cultural events.

SANTUARIO DELLA BEATA VERGINE DELLA CONSOLAZIONE
Via Cimitero
This sanctuary is one of the oldest worship places in Massa Lombarda; it is
located about 1 km from the town and is surrounded by peach trees. It was
built between 1749 and 1813 with a typical neoclassical style; next to it lies the town’s monumental cemetery, which ranks amongst the best preserved
ones in the region. Both the sanctuary and the cemetery are definitely worth a visit for their striking architecture.

SANTUARIO DELLA MADONNA DEL TREBEGHINO
Via Trebeghino – Tel. +39 0545 81897
This pretty 15th century sanctuary is a simple and small rural church surrounded by fruit trees; it is located just outside the town. It is also known
as “Chiesa dell’Oppio” and has been recently restored. Legend has it that a farmer who was ploughing accidentally found the small image with the Madonna and child; he picked it up, carefully cleaned it and placed it on a large maple tree (known as “oppio” in the local dialect) that used to be on the spot where the church is. The legend maintains that the farmer found the field miraculously ploughed when he went back to work.

MAIN EVENTS
Dates are subject to change. For information please visit the website www.romagnadeste.it

2nd HALF OF JANUARY – San Pêval di Segn – Celebration of the patron saint: exhibitions, cultural, social and sport events and the gourmet fair “Sagra del Sabadone”
FEBRUARY / APRIL – All’Improvvisa in Spazi Insoliti Festival of the art of “commedia all’italiana”
MARCH / APRIL – Crossroads – International jazz festival
APRIL – MassaSonora – National meeting of improvisation and experimental music
JUNE / SEPTEMBER – Massa Estate – More than sixty summer events, including shows, film screenings and street markets
MID JULY – Riot Fest – The youth festival of Bassa Romagna: concerts and shows with guests of national relevance Tel. +39 0545 985831 / +39 340 2555174 – www.riotfest.it
END OF AUGUST / EARLY SEPTEMBER – La Sagra delle Sfogline – Impromptu pasta-making competition Tel. +39 0545 985890
SEPTEMBER – Festa della Ripresa Estense and Palio del Timone
NOVEMBER – Rassegna Corale “Città di Massa Lombarda” Choir music event – Tel. +39 0545 985831

General enquiry office for the public and Tourist Information Centre
Via Saffi, 2 – Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 09:00 – 13:00; Tuesday and Thursday, 09:00 – 12:00 and 15:00 – 17:00; Saturday, 09:00 – 11:30
Tel. +39 0545 985890; fax +39 0545 985888
e-mail comunicazioneascolto@comune.massalombarda.ra.it
www.comune.massalombarda.ra.it
www.romagnadeste.it