Check the created places

The Civic Archaeological Museum, named after the Castel Franco-born artist Anton Celeste Simonini, was opened by the local council in 1999 to house the artefacts unearthed in the area since the mid-19th century, in collaboration with the Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage of Emilia-Romagna and the then Institute for Artistic, Cultural and Natural Heritage (IBC). Over the years, a number of changes were made to the museum’s exhibition layout, partly as a result of various archaeological excavations and research projects carried out both within and outside the town centre (mainly in Via Peschiera, Via Canale and Piazza Aldo Moro).

Between 2009 and 2011, the Museum was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Museum of Quality’ by the IBC, now the Cultural Heritage Service of the Emilia-Romagna Region.

Since 2021, the Museum has expanded the number of artefacts on display and completely reorganised the way they are exhibited: the current museum itinerary, organised chronologically and by geographical context, has been designed to enable visitors to trace the entire history of the settlement of the region whilst drawing their attention to the exhibits, thanks to the installation and use of new, state-of-the-art technological systems.

The new museum comprises four exhibition rooms, organised by historical period, and the main entrance hall, which features a timeline and a large video wall displaying animated footage of the archaeological sites of Madonna degli Angeli, the Roman mansio situated along the Via Emilia, the medieval town of Borgo Franco, the Etruscan sites of Forte Urbano and the Riolo ingot deposit ‘Aes Signatum’.

Situated south of the Via Emilia, between Via Zanasi and Via Tarozzi, the church of San Giacomo was, in ancient times, the second parish church of Castelfranco. The date of its construction is uncertain, although it appears to have existed since the founding of Borgo Franco; what is certain, however, is that the Church of San Giacomo was subordinate to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. By the end of the 13th century, Castelfranco was already divided into two parishes (Santa Maria to the north of the Via Emilia and San Giacomo to the south), each with its own cemetery. In 1527, the Landsknechts, led by the Duke of Bourbon, destroyed both the Church of San Giacomo and the Augustinian convent; the church was subsequently restored in 1568 by Guarnaschelli. It was not until 1923 that the Archbishop of Bologna decided to merge Santa Maria Assunta and San Giacomo into a single parish, that of Santa Maria Assunta.

The Church of St James has been extended and restored on several occasions; of particular note is the major restoration of the façade in 1910, funded by Monsignor Vincenzo Tarozzi. After the Second World War, however, due to extensive restoration work, the church remained closed until 1971. It houses a highly valuable organ (built in 1743 by Domenico Traeri and restored in 1987) which, together with the building’s remarkable acoustics, makes the church an ideal venue for musical concerts. Comprising a single nave, the church houses, amongst the works displayed on the side altars, a statue of Saint Nicholas by the sculptor Scandellari and a painting depicting the Blessed Virgin of Loreto by the painter Elisabetta Sirani. The Romanesque bell tower, with a square plan, retains its original structure intact.

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is the oldest church in Castelfranco, as well as the town’s main place of worship. Built between 1226 and 1232, when Pope Gregory IX authorised the relocation of the Church of Santa Maria di Ambliano within the walls of Borgo Franco – now known as Castelfranco – it was initially smaller and had a single nave; in 1692, the building, which had fallen into disrepair, was replaced by a new church, completed in 1704. During the late 19th-century renovation, the two side aisles were added, the apse was enlarged, the portico on the south side was demolished, and two new doors were opened in the façade, in line with the aisles.
The façade was redesigned by Edoardo Collamarini in 1914; the bell tower, built in the late 17th century, was rebuilt in 1921.

Inside the church, the second altar on the left-hand side of the nave is dedicated to the town’s patron saint, Saint Donnino, whose feast day is on 9 October; beneath the altar lie the remains of Saint Prospero, which were donated by Pope Benedict XIV in 1750 to the members of the Confraternity of Suffrage from Castel Franco during a pilgrimage to Rome.

Nella Chiesa sono presenti le seguenti opere dell'artista castelfranchese Angelo Tavoni: il bassorilievo in terracotta "Ultima cena", i bassorilievi in terracotta "Battesimo di Cristo" e "Resurrezione di Cristo" sopra la porta d’ingresso, e il bassorilievo in terracotta patinata "Consacrazione della Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta".

The Municipal Library, named after Lea Garofalo, is housed in the main building of the former Bini distillery, a wine-making establishment founded by the brothers Anselmo, Giovanni and Mario Bini in 1924.

In the post-war period, the Bini company made a decisive contribution to the economic development of Castelfranco Emilia, eventually employing up to two hundred staff; the family was also very active in the field of social welfare, in particular by funding the local orphanage. Industrial activity continued until the late 1960s.

In addition to the main building, the complex’s refrigeration plant and the imposing brick chimney are also still visible; taken as a whole, the buildings form a complex example of industrial heritage, in which the manor house, the administrative offices, the wine production and storage areas, and the imposing chimney are arranged in a line from west to east.

Today, the main building houses the Municipal Library: on entering, you can admire the original structure, which has been left exposed following the refurbishment works.

The Library is organised as an open-plan space, with the collection mainly housed on shelves in the central hall, and partly on mezzanine levels, designed to make the best use of the space, including vertically; the facilities are complemented by a conference room, an internal meeting room and a quiet study room, which is also designated for consultation. Part of the collection has been grouped into thematic areas to make searching for books more accessible and user-friendly.

On the first floor of the entrance block is housed the municipal photo library collection, comprising some 10,000 photographs dating from the late nineteenth century to the present day, divided into three collections: the historical collection, which is currently being catalogued; the modern collection, which documents life in the town from the mid-20th century onwards; and the ‘Anton Celeste Simonini’ collection, which preserves the photographs gathered by the artist during his time as a collector and enthusiast of local history.

The Library regularly updates its collection, and new additions are prominently displayed in all sections; the librarians are always on hand to help with anything you need!

A small square of egg pasta filled with pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella, Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper and salt has always been the symbol of Castelfranco’s culinary tradition. Here it is: the tortellino, carefully folded and twisted by the housewife’s hands, and eaten in broth as tradition dictates.

This little delicacy, as much admired as it is envied, has inspired and captivated not only discerning foodies and chefs from across the Atlantic, but also thirteen sculptors from Emilia who were commissioned to create a monument dedicated to this famous culinary speciality.

On 3 September 2005, in the Town Council Chamber, a special selection panel voted, by secret ballot and by a majority, in favour of the monument to the traditional tortellino of Castelfranco Emilia.

The committee, chaired by the mayor, Sergio Graziosi, expressed its preference for the work by Giovanni Ferrari from Pavullo.

The monument, made of patinated bronze, concrete and travertine, was funded by the La San Nicola Association and the Dotta Confraternita del Tortellino of Bologna and, thanks to the cooperation of the local council, has been erected in Piazza Aldo Moro.

📓 Former San Giovanni Canal flood retention basin, now a SCI/SPA area for wetland birds, amphibians, and mammals.

📓 Historic villa with a romantic 19th-century park, a unique example of a pre-industrial agricultural landscape in Emilia.

ex frigo bini

Ever since its foundation, Castelfranco Emilia – characterised by an urban layout consisting of identical blocks – had lacked a proper square. For many centuries, it was the Via Emilia that served as an open space, bounded as it was by buildings on either side. It was not until around 1780 that a space described as an ‘open square’ appeared, occupying half of what is now Piazza Garibaldi. The other half was occupied by the Oratory of St Joseph and the adjoining cemetery.
In 1796, with the arrival of Napoleon’s army in Castelfranco, the Oratory and the cemetery were closed to worship and subsequently demolished, allowing the square to be doubled in length at the start of the nineteenth century (approximately twenty metres by eighty).
In the centre of the square stands the public fountain known as the “Fonte Garibaldi”, built in 1886 to a design by the engineer Modoni.

In 1993, the then Superintendency for Archaeological Heritage of Emilia-Romagna carried out an investigation into a vast area adjacent to the ancient walls of the Borgo Franco, founded by the Municipality of Bologna in 1227, bringing to light a medieval settlement; On this occasion, numerous artefacts were also discovered in what is now Piazza Garibaldi, bearing witness to the urban development of the historic centre since its foundation. Among these, a fragment of a funerary stone, dated 1302, stands out, featuring inscriptions in Gothic script and a rampant lion. Many of the artefacts recovered during this excavation campaign are now housed at the ‘Anton Celeste Simonini’ Civic Archaeological Museum, situated a short distance from the square.

The building, known as the ‘Gothic house’, is an example of a dwelling from the early 15th century.

In 1699, the building was converted into a public bakery, a function it served until the 18th century, when it passed into the Reggianini family’s ownership and was once again used as a residence.

On the main façade, one can make out the remains of single-lancet windows with pointed arches and sawtooth-edged terracotta sills.

Created in 1641, the statue is the work of the sculptor Clemente Molli, commissioned by Archpriest Cristoforo Masini; erected on the column beside the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta, along the Via Emilia, it is one of the symbols of the town of Castelfranco and represents one of the most cherished symbols of popular devotion for the people of Castelfranco.

The name ‘Madonna del Voto’ derives from the fact that the monument was erected as a token of gratitude to the Virgin Mary, who had saved Castelfranco from the terrible plague of 1630.

In 1798, following the arrival of Napoleon’s army, the statue was temporarily removed from this site; in 1817, when the city was struck by a new epidemic, the vicar-archpriest Luigi Sanmaria decided to return it to this site in response to requests from the townspeople.

According to popular tradition, the Virgin Mary is said to have subsequently saved Castelfranco from the cholera epidemic of 1855 as well.