Monteleone di Roncofreddo

Monteleone di Roncofreddo, or as it is popularly known, Roncofreddo is a small town and comune located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the province of forli-Cesena. The town is located close to the cities of Forli and Bologna. Roncofreddo is quite a small town; it is spread over an area of 51 sq km and has a population of close to 3100.

The economy of the town is mainly based on agriculture and cattle breeding. Roncofreddo has managed to retain its medieval structure and because of its natural beauty, it is now attracting several tourists from Italy and other countries.

 

 

Getting to Monteleone di Roncofreddo

Monteleone di Roncofreddo is located close to the cities of Bologna and Forli so reaching the town is not very difficult. Those who are coming from other parts of Italy or from other countries can first reach Bologna by train or flight and then take a bus or taxi to Roncofreddo. Roncofreddo is located only 90 km from Bologna and 30 Km from Forli. Buses run regularly from these two cities as well as the other smaller towns of the province to Roncofreddo. Those who have their own cars can also easily drive down to the town; the surrounding landscapes are quite beautiful which makes the drive pleasant.

 

Moving Around the Town

Monteleone di Roncofreddo is a very small town, except for a few churches and one or two museum there aren’t many sight seeing attractions in town. The easiest thing to do is to walk around the town to visit all of the attractions. Visitors who are interested in exploring the surrounding regions and villages can also consider renting a moped or a car during their stay in the town. However, no vehicles would be needed within the town.

 

Attractions in Monteleone di Roncofreddo

Church St. Biagio

The church of Saint Biaggio is one of the most important religious places to visit in Roncofreddo. The church was built originally in 1703 and has been renovated a few times since then. The interior of the church has been beautifully decorated with several important art pieces. Of particular note is the beautiful wooden crucifix that is believed to be from the 17^th century. There are several beautiful ornamental decorations and frescoes inside the church.

 

Oratorio di S.Maria del Zotto

The oratorio di Santa Maria Del Zotto is also an important religious place in Monteleone di Roncofreddo. The oratorio was originally built in 1620 and has been renovated a few times since then; however, much of the façade seen today is still original. The interior of the building is simple and elegant. Although the façade of the building is quite simple and plain, the interior is decorated with many beautiful paintings and some frescoes done by artists from the region.

 

Museum of Sacred Art

The museum of sacred art is quite a small museum and has art pieces and objects from the various churches of Roncofreddo. In all, there are close to 100 objects in the museum, all of which are related to religion and history. Several of the objects that are in the museum were found in the ancient churches of Roncofreddo and from the surrounding towns and because of their valuable nature had been removed and placed in the museum. The museum would be interesting for those who have a keen interest in art.

 

Museum of the Face

The museum is located in an ancient wine cellar in the old section of the town which was originally used as a radio station during World War II and was made accessible to public due to the efforts of the local government. The museum has collected several different materials and art works from the Battle of Rubicon. The collection of the museum has been divided into nine segments, each accompanied with introudcutions and uniforms, documents, portraits and images that date back to that period. Most items have been collected from the battlefields in the region. The large photograph and video archive is also quite interesting. The museum is in fact quite large, and provides information on the history and life in the area during the war.

 

Stay and Accommodation

Monteleone di Roncofreddo is quite a small town and is mainly visited as a day excursion from the nearby cities of Forli and Bologna. Most visitors only spend a day in the town and prefer to stay in the bigger cities due to the number of options that are available there. However, Roncofreddo does have quite a lot of good options in terms of hotels and Bed & Breakfasts. There are also a few farm houses on the outskirts of the town which can be rented by tourists. Some of the best known hotels in town are hotel Delle Colline, Holiday Inn Express Hotel Cesena, Hotel Borgonovo, hotel Albergo Venturi, Hotel Allogiio al San Girolamo and Garden Sas Di Fabrizio Garoia.

 

Eating in Roncofreddo

Roncofreddo has numerous good restaurants to choose from. There are several good eateries, pizzerias, restaurants and cafes where visitors can find simple wholesome food at low rates. The older section of the town has various traditional restaurants where visitors can find authentic Italian dishes and regional specialties. Some of the best known restaurants in Roncofreddo are Ristoratne Quel Castello di Diegaro, Osteria Dei Frati Di Monacelli Fabrizio, L’Antica Osteria Di Pesa Resi Cristina, Ristorante Dei Cantoni, Ristorante Da Neri and Ristoratne pizzeria II Setaccio.

 

Shopping in Monteleone di Roncofreddo

Monteleone di Roncofreddo has only a few good places where visitors can shop. Most markets in the town are quite traditional in nature and are the ones where the locals do all their shopping. The weekly open markets are quite interesting and visitors can find some good local products in these markets at low prices. Pottery and handicrafts can be found in almost all the shops in the town, however, the best things to purchase in Roncofreddo are wines and olive oil. Olive oil can be found in almost food shops in Roncofreddo.