Fantini's Route

Fantini's Route is a cultural itinerary, accessible on foot and soon to be reached also by bicycle (about 50 km), which starts in San Lazzaro di Savena and gets to San Benedetto del Querceto after crossing the whole Zena Valley and joining several places of interest. It all starts at the Luigi Donini Museum of Prehistory, whose exhibits are closely related to the area of the Parco dei Gessi e Calanchi dell'Abbadessa, the park  you will pass through on the first stage and beyond. Don't miss the Park Dinosaurs in Flesh and Bone , an attraction for adults and children alike.

The Parco di Gessi includes a karstic area of extreme importance for its geological, speleological and paleontological aspects, as well as several dolines and caves open to visitors, among them the Grotta della Spipola and the Grotta del Farneto.

Luigi Fantini's birthplace now hosts the main office of the Park, where he began his adventure as a researcher, living in close contact with the rich nature of the valley. Thanks to his discoveries and his story, the Park will come to life. 

The Zena Valley opens up from here in its wildest section with dolines, splendid gullies, gentle hills and seasonal ever-changing landscapes with their own special charm.

Around the Botteghino di Zocca, make sure you stop off at the historical sites destroyed by the war, such as Casola Canina and Gorgognano, surrounded by picturesque spots where the Parco Museale della Val di Zena association, creator of the Fantini's Route, is involved in recovering and safeguarding historical memory through a number of art installations.

Immediately after Zena, in a scenic position, stands the Zena Castle, dating back to 1100 and once part of the Matildic estates. A little further up, the enchanting Torre dell'Erede, perhaps the castle's watchtower, stands out with its picturesque presence as far as Cà di Pippo.

Don't forget to stop at Tazzola and visit Luigi Fantini's Botroids Museum, a small geological-paleontological exhibition of peculiar and suggestive interest, and ask Lamberto Monti and Pino Rivalta, its creators and custodians, to show you around. 

The trail continues towards Monte delle Formiche, winding its way through the woods and then coming out with stupendous views of the Pliocene Foothills up to the top of the church, from where you can admire the landscape stretching from the Zena to the Idice Valleys. 

We descend and then climb back up to Monte Bibele through a beautiful wide valley, among fields, woods and old stone rural houses. Monte Bibele is in an extremely interesting archaeological-naturalistic area, with excavations and reconstructions of Etruscan-Celtic huts, the finds of which are now displayed in the Luigi Fantini Archaeological Museum in nearby Monterenzio. The last stretch through the woods will take you as far as San Benedetto del Querceto, as well as to Monterenzio and Bologna, where you will find buses. 

Fantini's Route i is not a long one, but it is full of treasures to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, where everyone will find their own fascination.