Poggiolforato

The name means “drilled mountain” and refers to the canal, built by the Bolognese Senate presumably in 1333, which was supposed to transport construction timber straight to the city. In spite of the project not having yielded the expected results, the hamlet’s original structure can still be considered a valuable attraction.

Walking along the town’s streets, browsing between the buildings’ corners or looking at the chimneys, it is possible to spot some bizarre stone heads, locally called “mummies”, and believed to exert an apotropaic power for fertility. Their origin is unknown, perhaps a cultural heritage of the Celts, due to the geographical proximity to Frignano, home of the indigenous population of the Friniates, later assimilated by the Celts.

On site it’s also possible to visit Mulino del Capo (Cape Mill), one of the biggest mountain mills of the area; and to spot the nearby canal that provides water to the millpond. The place was used as location for the movie “Una Gita Scolastica” (A school outing) by Pupi Avati (the famous scene of Nick 900 playing the briscola card game).

In addition, here you can find some of the oldest veteran trees of the park, namely the Agrifoglio di Poggiolforato, which is certainly one of the most remarkable examples of the species in the entire region, and an enormous beech, registered by the Municipality and subject to regional law protection.

Then, a small bridge conceals a tiny, light and agreeable spring of sulphurous water

Still in Poggiolforato you can visit the Ethnography Museum “Giovanni Carpani” dedicated to the mountain culture, with an extensive exhibition of 3.000 items.