Villanova
Villanova di Castenaso is a beautiful hamlet located 4.56 km from the municipal capital, Bologna. The area is famous for the Iron Age necropolis, the important discovery of the Villanovan civilization, the oldest phase of Etruscan civilization.
Monuments and places of interest
Villa Gozzadini and the Etruscan necropolis
Villa Gozzadini is an elegant structure, known for being the center of archaeological excavations of the illustrious Count Giovanni Gozzadini. In 1853, he and his team unearthed vast Iron Age burial grounds, whose main artifacts were preserved in three museums: the Civico Archeological Museum of Bologna, the Luigi Donini Prehistory Museum of San Lazzaro di Savena and the Civico Archeological Paleo-environmental Museum of Budrio. Unfortunately, the villa is currently abandoned.
Villa Manaresi
Villa Manaresi is a late sixteenth-century building that belonged to the Ariosto family, the same family as the poet Ludovico Ariosto. In the eighteenth century, it was purchased by the Pederzani family, who renovated it, adding a theater that was destroyed during World War II, and having it frescoed by various artists with scenes from The Liberated Jerusalem, The Furious Orlando and The Metamorphoses of Ovid. In 1820, the villa was purchased by the Silvani family and used as a country residence until 1944, when it was occupied by the German occupying forces and bombed by the Allies. In 1981, the Manaresi family purchased and brilliantly restored the villa. Today, it is possible to admire the frescoes and the restored and reconstructed building.
Sant'Ambrogio Church
The parish of Villanova is dedicated to Sant'Ambrogio. According to legend, the famous Milanese saint stopped here during his visit to Bologna.
Oratory of San Matteo della Pederzana
The Oratory of San Matteo della Pederzana is another architectural testimony of the seventeenth century. The building is simple, rectangular, and has a sail bell tower. On the front is a terracotta tile depicting Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. This oratory was built in 1658 and was part of the Silvani-Manaresi villa's annexes.
Culture
Museums
The area boasts an important museum, the MUV - Museum of Villanovan civilization. Count Giovanni Gozzadini also headed the so-called ''predio of Casa Sant'Anna,'' a rural complex consisting of a series of buildings, including a barn and a oven-poultry, built in the early twentieth century, now owned by Castenaso.
If you are interested in archeology or the arts, in Villanova di Castenaso, you can admire some architectural testimonies of rare historical and artistic value, including the treasures of the necropolis, Villa Gozzadini, Villa Manaresi, Sant'Ambrogio Church, and the Oratory of San Matteo della Pederzana. Come and discover these gems of Italy!
