Discover Emilia-Romagna: 10 good reasons to visit the wonderful town of Reggio Emilia

Discover Emilia-Romagna: 10 good reasons to visit the wonderful town of Reggio Emilia

Charming cloisters, squares full of life, old craft stores, good food and great works of industrial architecture: if you don’t know what to see in Reggio Emilia, small gem 50 Km from Parma, here are 10 tips to discover it!

1. Everybody’s city
   

   Reggio Emilia is the city where everyone is welcome, from the typical Reggio Emilia approach: a kind, welcoming city, open to contemporaneity, that lets itself be discovered and knows how to surprise.
   Have we intrigued and made you want to discover this little gem?
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2. The tricolor’s city
   

   Did you know that Reggio Emilia is the birthplace of the Italian flag? It was born on January 7, 1797 inside the Municipal Palace and the three colors symbolically represented the green of our meadows, the white of the our mountain snow and the red of the bloodshed in battle.
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3. Il Palazzo dei Musei (The Palace of Museums)
   

   Inside the Palazzo dei Musei in Reggio Emilia it is possible to take a journey through the centuries, with the protagonists and excellences of our territory: from the consul and founder Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, to the poet Ludovico Ariosto. The whole museum itinerary is characterized by spaces of comparison and contamination that create new starting points.
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4. La Ghiara, the city’s baroque treasure chest
   

   Among the many beautiful churches in the city, the Basilica della Ghiara is an authentic treasure rich in art and history: it was built at the end of the 1500s, thanks to the offerings of the faithful of Reggio Emilia. Inside you can admire an extraordinary cycle of frescoes and altarpieces executed by by the best 17th-century artists from Emilia.
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5. The contemporary between art and photography
   

   In addition to hosting the “Fotografia Europea” Festival – exhibition dedicated to contemporary photography among the most important and expected international events – Reggio Emilia is a true open-air museum with four contemporary artworks designed for specific places in the city by artists Luciano Fabro, Sol Lewitt, Eliseo Mattiacci, and Robert Morris.
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6. Non only for fashion addicted: Collezione Maramotti
   

   With free admission but reservations are required, you can gain access to the interior of the wonderful Collezione Maramotti, the first production site of Max Mara, a famous fashion house in Reggio Emilia, converted into a private gallery of contemporary art with more than 200 works, including installations, paintings and sculptures covering the main Italian and international art trends from 1945 to the present day.
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7. Santiago Calatrava’s Waves and Sails
   

   The Spanish architect’s move to Reggio Emilia has definitively consecrated the city to contemporaneity. Adding to its marvelous bridges is the Mediopadana High-Speed Station, made entirely of glass and white-painted steel, almost one and a half times as heavy as the Eiffel Tower. The station was listed by Domus magazine as one of the most beautiful in the world!
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8. From Italy’s first mural to street art park
   

   In a small side street on Via Roma (Vicolo Venezia) one can still read a faded writing on the wall “The Right People want snow.” It is thought to date back to the 1940s and may be the first Italian mural.
   As for contemporary street art, you can visit Europe’s largest street art workshop at Innovation Park!
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9. His majesty, the Erbazzone!
   

   Good Food… what else? Lasagne, tortellini, Parma Ham… everywhere at any time. Not Only. At breakfast, lunch or dinner, after a walk or quietly sitting and chatting with friends, you cannot fail to taste the absolute typicality of Reggio Emilia: Erbazzone. A savory pie rich in flavor because it is made with spinach, Swiss chard, ricotta cheese, onions and the ever-present Parmigiano Reggiano.
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10. The city of bicycles
    

    To end with a beng, Reggio Emilia is the city of bicycles: the flat terrain and short distances make the routes easy and fun even for family travelers. You can rent one at the Central Station and ride the more than 250 km of bicycle paths that surround the city or the 25 km of greenways that run alongside the Rodano, Crostolo and Modolena river parks.

If you pass through this small town, don’t forget to tag us in your Instagram stories!