Via degli Asini
Raised medieval lane of arches
A raised, covered street of arches along the old defences, named for the donkeys that later carried gypsum down it from the quarries.
Centro storicoFreeUnique
Brisighella, Italy
Ideal: 1–2 daysBest: Apr–Jun, Sep–OctPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Brisighella in 60 seconds
Brisighella sits in the Lamone valley in the hills of Romagna, beneath three pinnacles of gypsum rock crowned by a fortress, a clock tower and a sanctuary. Its oddest street, the Via degli Asini, is a raised, covered lane once walked by donkeys hauling gypsum from the quarries. It is a village for slow days — the walk up to the three peaks, the olive oil the hills are known for, and long lunches — and an easy pairing with the ceramics of Faenza and the mosaics of Ravenna.
Villages
Best for
- Food
- Hidden gems
- History
Known for
- Via degli Asini
- The Rocca on its pinnacle
- Brisighella olive oil
Skip if
You need big sights. Brisighella is a slow village for walking, eating and the view, best combined with Ravenna or Bologna.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Brisighella fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Rocca Manfrediana
InexpensiveFortress on the first pinnacle
The lords of Faenza's castle, later strengthened by Venice, with the whole valley below its walls.
The three peaksClimbView
The three peaks walk
Rocca, clock tower & Monticino sanctuary
A short loop over all three pinnacles; go in the late afternoon when the gypsum catches the light.
The three peaksFreeWalk
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Vena del Gesso Romagnola
Gypsum ridge regional park
A long ridge of glittering gypsum with trails, sinkholes and caves, running east and west of the village.
Lamone valleyCavesHiking
Faenza ceramics
ModerateThe town that named faience
Ten minutes down the valley: the International Museum of Ceramics and workshops still firing majolica.
FaenzaMuseumWorkshops
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
The village
ModerateBelow the three peaks
Small hotels and rooms within a few minutes of the Via degli Asini and the station.
QuietWalkable
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Brisighella has a station on the Faenza–Florence line; Faenza is on the main line from Bologna.
- Getting around
- The village is walkable; a car helps for the park and the hill farms.
- Food
- The hills produce a protected olive oil; ask for it on bread, before anything else.
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- Middle Ages
The Manfredi lords of Faenza fortify the first pinnacle; Venice holds and strengthens the Rocca in the early 1500s.
- Later centuries
Carters' donkeys use the raised road along the old walls to bring gypsum down from the quarries, and it becomes the Via degli Asini.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Ravenna
Byzantine mosaics
The finest early Christian mosaics in the West, in eight UNESCO-listed monuments.
About 45 minutes by carFull dayUNESCO