Also
the medieval abbey of Monteveglio is a place full of history,
the scene of the long political struggle between the countess Matilde
di Canossa and Emperor Enrico IV. The small village inside the wall
hosts a medieval festival with street performances and sacred musical
concerts held inside the beautiful Romanesque church every year in June.
Moving
east, towards Romagna, the medieval village of Dozza
deserves a visit, not only to the Enoteca inside the Fortress, but also
for the interesting painted walls. There are many Renaissance fortresses
and castles in these parts, above all the large and well-preserved fortress
of Imola, built by Caterina Sforza. In Medicina, instead, every year
in September, a huge medieval celebration with a historical procession
in costumes takes place in memory of the arrival of Federico Barbarossa
to the city. Legend has it that Federico, upon arriving to Medicina,
fell ill and was cured by a potion containing a snake. Healed, the emperor
would have granted numerous benefits to the city, which from then on
would bear the name Medicina. In reality, the name, like the
city, is much more ancient and even dates back to the Roman Age.
