CYCLE TOURIST ROUTES |
Lucrezia' s lands |
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From Ferrara to Cento - km 42 approx.
From the Castello Estense of Ferrara, through the suburb of San Luca and along the course of the ancient Po di Primaro, you penetrate into rich and cultivated countryside, in which many names recall the times in which the marsh prevailed, such as Torre Fossa, where there was a fortification, which has now disappeared, for watching over internal navigation. At Torre Fossa you turn towards San Martino where, once you have passed the elegant eighteenth century parish church, you come to a fork in the road: take the road on the left, cross the A-255 road and go along Via Navigazione.
On the right, through the orchards and beyond the farmhouses you can see the thirteenth century Torre dell'Uccellino, guard post of the ancient border between Ferrara and Bologna. Turn right along Via Imperiale, a very long, almost straight road that follows a border established in an agreement between the Senate of Bologna and Duke Ercole I d'Este at the beginning of the 1500's, and shortly you will arrive at Poggio Renatico, whose main square is dominated by the imposing neo-gothic church of San Michele, built in 1907. A short distance away is the Lambertini Castle (15th – 17th cent.), which formerly belonged to the local feudatories and is now the seat of the council.
Towards San Carlo you cross countryside dotted with farmhouses in the "Bologna" style, square with arcaded hay barns. On the left the green wall of the embankments of the River Reno is visible. After a few kilometres you turn left towards Chiesa Nuova and then to the right towards Sant'Agostino. Those who want to can continue to the river embankment. The top of the embankment dominates neatly cultivated countryside on one side and richly wooded flood bed areas on the other. Because the embankment is not equipped for bicycle travel, it can be a little difficult; so this alternative route is recommended to those who have suitable equipment.
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The village of Sant'Agostino is dominated by the tall bell tower of the parish church, which marks out time with both a clock and a sundial. A short distance away is the large flood bed area of the Bosco della Panfilia, famous for its white truffles. In the nearby village of Dosso car enthusiasts can visit the Centro Polifunzionale Lamborghini, which displays cars of the famous marque. Continuing in the direction of Buonacompra and Cento, you enter into the lands that have remained tied to the name of Lucrezia Borgia, because she brought them in dowry to her third husband, Alfonso I d'Este. Going towards Pilastrello you penetrate into the countryside on the border between Ferrara and Modena.
Once you have passed the ruins of Torre Spada, an ancient high-class dwelling, you reach the A-road around Corporeno, whose parish church houses some valuable works. From here you reach Cento, an important historical town on the border of three provinces. In this area the "Partecipanza Agraria", a system for dividing up the land and rotating it amongst families, which came about in Medieval times, still survives. Cento is the homeland of Giovan Francesco Barbieri, known as "il Guercino", one of the masters of 17th century Italian painting.
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