La Villa: Church Art, Badlands and Historic Routes

La Villa is a small settlement center near the remains of the ancient church of Monte San Giovanni. It includes a 14th-century tower house whose façade displays a diverse range of architectural forms. As a result, the townscape combines the character of a small settlement with visible traces of different eras. If you would like to discover Italy beyond the major centers through specific townscapes, La Villa presents a historic setting that brings together a settlement center, church ruins and distinctive architecture.

Church Art in the Surrounding Area

The parish church of San Giovanni Battista is located in the surroundings of La Villa. It contains an altar made of carved and gilded wood, as well as a remarkable apse complex. There is also a still-functioning organ attributed to a member of the Cipri family and dating from the 16th to the 17th century. The church preserves artworks taken from an earlier religious building dating from the year 1300. For visitors interested in culture, sacred furnishings, music history and a connection reaching back to the year 1300 come together here in a single church setting.

Ospitale and Abbey

The Ospitale is also located in the surroundings of La Villa. It was founded in the 16th century as a place of accommodation and rest for pilgrims and travelers. In a different historical period stands the Abbey of Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano: it was built in the 12th century and provided accommodation for pilgrims on their way to Rome. The municipal library is the point of contact for visits to the abbey. If you are viewing religious buildings in connection with earlier travel movements, you will encounter two distinct points of reference here, different in time.

Badlands, Hills and Vineyards

The landscape around La Villa is characterized by several different features. In the surrounding area, the Ospitale stands before an impressive badlands landscape on a small hill crowned with cypresses. Monte San Giovanni is surrounded by hills, forests and vineyards. For your travel planning, this means not just a single setting, but an array of different landscape impressions: the badlands at the Ospitale, the cypress-covered hill and the surroundings enclosed by vineyards.

Hiking with a View of Monte San Michele

The Sentiero 07 offers a specific hiking perspective. In the surroundings of La Villa, the trail provides a view of the badlands of Monte San Michele. This connection is interesting if you compare destinations based on cultural impressions and opportunities to observe the landscape.

The Via dei Brentatori

The Via dei Brentatori, an old wine route, runs through the wider region around La Villa. Since its origins in the mid-13th century, it has served to transport wine and must safely from the surrounding area to the city of Bologna. It broadens the view from the small settlement center to a regional history of routes, wine and supply. Alongside churches, the abbey, the Ospitale and the landscape, the history of wine transport is therefore also part of La Villa’s regional surroundings.

Other Places

Salvaterra, Cerreto Alpi, Succiso Nuovo, Reggiolo, San Martino In Rio, Casalgrande, Sant'ilario D'enza, Fogliano

For the higher-level travel overview: Reggio Emilia.