Information
Borgo La Scola, located in the borough of Grizzana Morandi, is one of the best preserved medieval villages in the Bolognese Apennines.
The name, Scola probably comes from the Roman “Sculca” which means guard post in an elevated place. It started as a military fortification, built by the Exarchate to defend its borders, to prevent the Lombards from invading the village and to defend the monastic centre of Montovolo.
Walking through the narrow streets of the village, one notices how all the buildings date back to the medieval era (1300-1500), an example of Apennine architecture of the Grizzana area by the Comacini Masters.
There are also a dozen or so towers built into or extremely close to the buildings, which can be compared to fortified houses.
Together they form seven aggregates or “urban insulae”, three of which are linked to each other through hanging corridors, especially on the upper floors, which are now very impressive to see but once extremely useful in the event of attack or a siege.
The magnificent cypress tree in the village has a remarkable height of 25 metres and an estimated age of over 700 years, a true monument of nature.
Santuario di Montovolo
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By car:Exit the motorway at Casalecchio di Reno and take the Porrettana state road towards Virmignano.
Parking: Close to the hamlet there is an uphill grassy area where you can park your car free of charge.
Train + Bus: From Bologna Central Station, take the train to Porretta Terme and alight at Riola. From the station, take bus 808, towards Castiglione dei Pepoli. Alight at: Ponte di Verzuno. It is approximately a two kilometre walk from this stop.
