Categoria: Emilia Romagna Articoli

Have you ever wondered what kind of tourist you are?

Maybe if you knew it would be easier to find the right itinerary for you and your expectations would be better rewarded.

Before the tourists were divided into a few categories, there was mass tourism, or the wilder and decidedly less standard; today many other tourism channels have opened and therefore there are more types of tourists / travelers, let’s see the main ones together:

1. THE COMFY TOURIST – is the one who wants the maximum comfort and does not expect more than what he saw from the catalog, so the Cruise or the Village will be suitable where everything is schematically organized to ensure that no time of day is discovered; this category does not necessarily mean that the excursion is not suitable, but the organizer will have to make a commitment not to forget any service, to facilitate the experience and to reduce the effort to a minimum.
2. THE CULTURAL TOURIST – in this case we open a wider scenario, in fact when we talk about Culture we mean everything and nothing, every aspect that makes up the tradition of a country is culture, from food to religion, from what may seem more boring and composed of the most eccentric and unique aspects of the territory, the top of the itinerary is to connect in a balanced way an experience with the locals and through a typical day, to involve the tourist in a family lunch or a folkloristic occasion of the village.
3. SPORT AND NATURE – the sports-loving subject is usually also attracted by the nature of the territory he is visiting, also because he lives in the first person, so in this case I suggest every activity that small associations and excursion guides propose, of course let’s not forget about propose a good meal with typical local products.
4. THE TRAVELER AT ALL ROUND – it is not easy to fall into this category, to really get the badge of Traveler it is necessary to have a strong imagination and desire to dream, when we are in a foreign country (it is also enough to be in another region of the own country) we adapt and for a few days that will be our home and the only desire will be to discover as many secrets as possible, the only way to amaze these travelers is to open windows that few know and let them live an experience in all round.

I could not say with absolute certainty that I belong only to one group, in fact here is my profile:

COMFY TOURIST 1%

CULTURAL TOURIST 45%

SPORT AND NATURE 10%

ALL ROUND 44%

Which group do you feel you belong to?

The market is the symbol of the most primordial system of commerce born on the Earth and since Roman times it is still the place of the most lively city and that best represents the traditions, therefore it becomes the mirror of the population itself and can be counted of different nature, from food to flowers, or to those that bring antique pieces to light ready to be sold or exchanged.

The law of the market is that of the highest bidder, everything can be negotiated and if you are quite shrewd you always arrive at a compromise by subtracting the deal from others; around the world there are places that have become famous for the practices and traditions that take place on time, such as the Tokyo fish market with its exciting tuna auction that sees huge checks flown over even before the sun rises.

The market is just that, it’s the start of the day and of life in urban centers, where every now and then the curious tourist happens to see the folklore of the city he is visiting.

In Emilia Romagna there are splendid examples of covered or square markets, some very old and that continue to sell the freshest and most cultivated km 0 there is, so try to skip the mall for once and visit the nearest market to you, you could see another aspect of the city, the most authentic one.

MARKETS FOR EMILIA ROMAGNA NOT TO BE MISSED

In any city of Emilia Romagna you will find yourself, from Piacenza to Ravenna, you will find its weekly market usually in the main square ready to show its merchandise to those in search of business, while if you are looking for a bit of history or of ancient structures then mark these places:

• In Reggio Emilia the old covered market has been transformed into a modern store, but it is still possible to see its original structure in the upper part and on the wall’s old signs, even if modernity sometimes takes away the charm of history, it is understandable that this place was an important social center for the city.
• The Albinelli market in Modena is still a very lively point of commerce that sees and makes you feel the best techniques to attract customers, both habitual and occasional, during your visit you will be pleasantly struck by a world composed of smells, colors and real-life noises.
• Bologna has a wonderful and ancient quadrilateral composed of ‘Botteghe’ that look out on narrow streets, you will have to be careful not to get lost if you are not good hounds; I advise you to stop at the middle market for lunch, in fact it offers every type of culinary choice and satisfies every type of request or specific diet.
• A real treasure is enclosed in the ancient market of Comacchio that between brick roads and those made of water creates an interesting labyrinth in which to get lost and then take a break to taste eel and anchovies.
• An ancient fish market that today is home to expanses of flowers is the old Roman market of Rimini which overlooks Piazza Cavour and which still has an almost intact structure, in the evening this place becomes the meeting point for university students and for all those who they want to spend an evening in the company of a glass of Sangiovese or a cold beer.

The markets bring with them centuries of traditions, styles and trends, try to think that in the squares where we walk today people of all kinds have passed, from the brigand always ready to be the smartest to survive, to the leader who brought back peace in the city and put an end to a battle.

The markets never realized too much about what was happening around them, the important thing was to arrive at the end of the day, rest a bit and then start again at dawn the next day, but the markets are the best school to learn how to sell and retain customers and do so without newsletters or loyalty cards, but only with the experience and skillful communicative art.

Modena is interesting on a gloomy day too and if you arrive by train you will have to ponder how to begin your visit, in fact from the station there is the possibility to walk to the Enzo Ferrari House, the Ducal Gardens or the wonderful center.

I’ll tell you about my day of exploration starting from the Gallery of Statues, discovered by chance and that marked the beginning of my day in the best way; the gallery is home to the Venturi Art Institute and from outside it will be possible to see young hands shape terracotta, stucco and ceramics.

The marvelous Piazza Roma is waiting to be crossed with a visit to the atrium of the Military Academy, the pride of this city for the memory of those killed in the war, but also to emphasize military life as hard and necessary for our country.

Once you get out, put the building behind you and start the real exploration, go straight to an attraction that will leave you pleasantly open-mouthed and full then … while you walk the streets of Modena you won’t know where to turn your head, because from the floors to the ceilings of the arcades, everything is testimony to centuries of history or bold modern style tests.

When you will be in front of the Albinelli Market take a moment to light up all your senses and have a typical and traditional experience, it will immediately be your sense of smell to react because in the proximity of the market and a little in all the streets of the city from the morning you will smell the scent of ‘soffritto’ and freshly baked bread, to follow your hearing will make you understand the ancient and good manners of making traders and how they spoke to the mother of a family as children, but like her children, she never gets fooled, finally the vista will make your head spin in the bright colors of fruit and vegetables, beautiful pieces of meat ready to cook, the red of genuine wines and the perfection of sweets made as works of art.

After you have tested your watering, move to the Piazza Grande and feed your spirit of art with the historical rooms of the town hall, climbing the tower Ghirlandina and entering the Duomo; this concentrated circuit of palaces, history and art will make you postpone lunch for an hour, to feed the view again with examples of sculpture and architecture beautifully placed in harmony, you will also find curiosities and interesting stories that come from the past, such as that of Secchia or of the strange mythological animals that make up the outer sides of the Duomo, but I leave you to reveal these mysteries.

A passage that I found very nice is the Artistic Craft Market which on the Via Emilia for 6 months a year is the meeting place for artisans from all over Italy who sell unique pieces for material and workmanship and which show the potential of Italian creativity as well as remember the preciousness of objects made by slow and careful hands.

When it is finally time to have lunch you will be spoiled for choice and you will be free to lose yourself between aperitifs in the bars, eat in the market delis or stop in a traditional trattoria; my choice was the Trattoria Aldina which is located on the 1st floor of a condominium and just like a friend’s house hosts you, I highly recommend to book, or to have the patience to wait for a free table, guaranteeing that it’s worth it , feeling at home is the most beautiful experience, feeling like an Italian home is even better.

One thing that I often see are “solitary tourists” who with their beautiful guide try to discover the classic myths of the city or are more curious and go where not even we inhabitants go; there is no single style to visit a city and the best is always the casual one that sometimes leads you to discover by chance the most beautiful wonders.

The first impression that leaves the city of Reggio Emilia is that every street, building or monument makes the past chapters of history tangible and reminds us who passed through this land and what it left to enrich it so much.

The Via Emilia is the emblematic witness of the Roman Empire, but in the Parco del Popolo you will also find a funeral enclosure, there is the Porta di Santa croce from the medieval period, there are signs of French art, the Cloisters of San Pietro and Prospero, the embellishments of the lordships like the Este family and the fascist era, in short, every ideal passed here left something we can admire today.

If will happen to visit it on a warm summer day or mild spring, you will find the beautiful Piazza della Vittoria waiting for you with a modern fountain with Italian colors, also the name suggests that you are in the house of patriots and proud people, so weigh the words before pronouncing them; this will be only the first of the many squares that you will encounter and that serve as a forum for markets and walks on Sundays, one of these, in particular, will have to guard it by red marble lions and the Basilica of San Prospero with its baroque style.

In the exact center of the city there is a building that has changed its shape, name, use and property, but it has never changed its position which it maintains as if it were the navel of the world, or at least of Reggio; this marvel of history is dated to construction 1272 while as a receptive activity it begins in 1515, today it is called Hotel Posta and deserves to be visited; if you are an unconventional tourist then you will be curious to enter its small bar and admire the liberty style of Reggio in its full splendor; if you want the complete experience instead, as guests you will have the opportunity to stay in unique rooms that are unique in style and all different and take advantage of its services such as a visit to its own farm with vinegar production and a traditional restaurant, as well as an innovative offer electric car rental for those who want to explore beyond the city.

Here there is a great boast that inflates the chest: here was born the republican flag of Italy and in the ‘Museo del Tricolore’ as well as display cases, paintings and old newspaper sheets, you can visit the room where the principle of freedom was validated brought by the French, but made real only by the will of free people.

The people of Reggio Emilia are described for a unique characteristic, they are said to have a square head and this is because, as anticipated above, they are not soft people, but very proud and with edges that are not easy to file; don’t be intimidated by this, stubbornness is a very common sin in Italian lands, but a Cappelletti dish will never be denied to anyone, because even if there is no propensity to hugs, one more place at the table is always found .