A truly rare relic of the past is the Palazzo dell’Abate, so named because it was the 13th-century abbot of Nonantola who had it built on the outskirts of what was then the village.
It was here that the people of Persiceto came to hand over their tithes from the harvest, thereby paying in kind the rent owed to the Abbey for the land granted to the community of Partecipanti. This unpleasant obligation gave rise to the derogatory nickname “Palazâz”, which is still used today to refer to the street and the building. It is the oldest building in the village, with a multi-storey masonry structure and a tall ‘fork-shaped’ portico, formed by oak beams resting on stone blocks to protect them from damp and the careless manoeuvres of the carters of yesteryear. With its imposing and austere appearance, it reminds us of the tireless and steadfast labour of the settlers who reclaimed and shaped the land.
A twenty-five-minute train journey from Bologna, eight kilometres from the Bologna-Modena motorway junction, on the Italian section of EuroVelo 7 for those arriving by bike.
San Giovanni in Persiceto station, Bologna–Verona line. Trains run every 30 minutes from Bologna Centrale; the journey takes 25 minutes.
A14 motorway, take the Borgo Panigale or Modena Nord exit, then the SS568. Free car parks near the city centre.
On the Ciclovia del Sole (EuroVelo 7), 25 kilometres from Bologna along the cycle path on the former railway line.
Save the attractions, plan your route, and follow the Cultural Metro lines.
