The Beauties of Dozza
Dozza, which boasts a place among the most beautiful towns in Italy and is certified Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club, is a wonderful treasure in which history, art, culture and evocative atmospheres blend together.
A city, nestled on the crest of the hill overlooking Sellustra valley, characterized by the alternation between gentle slopes of vineyards and gullies. The name Dozza derives from Ducia (or Dutia) so called in ancient times for the presence of an aqueduct and some pipes capable of conveying water into a cistern useful for supplying a large part of the territory.
A precious peculiarity as can also be seen from the representation of the municipal coat of arms on which the image of a griffin intent on drinking from a spring stands out. The historic center, with its singular spindle shape, is crossed by only two streets, the Contragrande and the Contrecina, which lead from the entrance gate of the Rivellino to the summit where the Rocca stands. A fortress that has always been associated with the historical deeds of Caterina Sforza but which boasts a complex centuries-old history. Built approximately around the middle of the 13th century, it has undergone numerous expansion works and functional adjustments. A castle inhabited until 1960 and for over four centuries marked by the passage on the local scene of the Bolognese senatorial families Campeggi and Malvezzi, with the figure of Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggi above all, who then merged into the single Malvezzi-Campeggi nucleus. Today the Rocca is part of the property of the municipality of Dozza as a splendid museum complex, open all year round, managed by the Dozza Città d’Arte Foundation and since 2006 recognized as a ‘Quality Museum’ by the Emilia-Romagna Region, Institute for Artistic, Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Since 1970, the cellars of the fortress have been home to the Regional Wine Shop of Emilia-Romagna. An extraordinary showcase for the wine production of the entire region with more than a thousand labels on display. Grape nectars are also the protagonists of the famous ‘Wine Trail’, a family-friendly walk that connects four wineries in the area.
The open-air museum of the Muro Dipinto (Painted Wall), to which Dozza owes its prestige and reputation in the world, does not need much introduction. Masterpieces of art created on the walls of the houses in the historic center during the events of the Painted Wall Biennial, which has seen top-class artists at work since 1960. A unique gallery in the world that attracts thousands of enthusiasts, visitors and tourists from every corner of the globe every year.
Among the ideas of certain interest is also Fantastika, a biennial of fantasy illustration alternating with the Painted Wall, born from the propulsive thrust of the activity of the Tana del Drago (Dragon’s Den), the first Italian study center dedicated to JRR Tolkien. A fairy-tale magic that has its strong point in the awakening of the dragon Fyrstan, a mythological creature that rests in the keep of the fortress.