Mercato Saraceno: Trails, History and Wine in the Savio Valley

Mercato Saraceno lies along the historic route through the Savio Valley, a natural connecting corridor between the Via Emilia and the Val Tiberina. The landscape combines cultivated hills, wooded areas and badlands with trails through canyons carved by mountain streams.

Trails through hills, forests and canyons

Several distinctive routes are available for days of hiking and cycling. The ascent to Barbotto begins at the bridge over the Savio in Mercato Saraceno, leads to Perticara and forms part of the famous Nove Colli cycle race. The Sentiero di Falcino is part of a section of the Cammino di San Vicinio. Around the Borgo di Linaro, the Sentieri del Tasso form a network of trails, while the Sentiero della Contessa leads to the remains of an ancient tower equipped with a prison and a trapdoor.

At Fosso Sassignolo, very dense vegetation and a rich, diverse birdlife shape the landscape experience. This allows active days to be organised in different ways: you can focus on a sporting route, trails through wooded landscapes shaped by watercourses, or observing nature. This choice is particularly helpful when travelling with several interests, as it allows you to define the focus of your holiday before looking for accommodation.

Historic Sites and Sacred Architecture

The area around the town centre also offers unusual historical points of interest. Monte Sasso lies about five kilometres from the town centre and is a small medieval rural village. Visible sections of the fortification wall of the castrum have been preserved there. The Pieve Santissimi Cosma e Damiano is located about 1 km from the historic centre and is considered the oldest church in the Mercato Saraceno area. It was built around the middle of the 9th century over the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Isis, dating from the 1st century.

The Pieve di Monte Sorbo can be dated to the 8th century. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims travelling to Rome visited it; an adjoining hospice offered them safe accommodation. Its rare Greek-cross floor plan is particularly noteworthy. Roman columns dating from the 1st century divide the building into three naves. In the town itself, the parish church of Chiesa di Santa Maria Nuova was founded by the Augustinians at the end of the 14th century and dominates Piazza Mazzini, the main square.

The Palazzo Dolcini provides another cultural highlight. It was built in 1927 to a design by architect Ugo Dolcini (1871–1927) in the Liberty and Art Deco styles. The Raccolta Museale di Arte Sacra is located in the old Borgo di Mezzo and displays, among other works, a painting of the Crucifixion of Christ by Lorenzo Ferri. The building housing the collection was constructed in 1642. The Ponte Vecchio has been mentioned since the 12th century; today, only the central pier remains in the riverbed.

Wine, Vineyards and Local Specialities

Mercato Saraceno can also be discovered through its wine landscape and regional specialities. By reservation, Tenuta Casali offers an e-bike tour on designated trails through the vineyards, including a glass of Mercato Saraceno DOC Famoso. In the historic hamlet of Monte Sasso, about 2 km from Mercato Saraceno, Castello Montesasso offers wine tastings and visits to the vineyards by reservation. Another local speciality is Dolce Porcospino, invented in Mercato Saraceno in the mid-20th century by the Manzelli sisters.

Which starting point suits your trip?

When searching for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can first decide whether your trip should focus more strongly on trails and landscapes, sacred architecture and local history, or wine and regional specialities. Mercato Saraceno itself offers proximity to the historic town centre, Piazza Mazzini and the route along the Savio. Monte Sasso provides a rural historical focus with visible fortification remains as well as the wine experiences mentioned above.

For further regional orientation, you can also explore Forlì, Gambettola, Sala, Montecchio, Montiano, Fiumana, Santa Sofia and Sogliano Al Rubicone.

To the main travel overview: Forlì-Cesena.