It is a beautiful and perfectly preserved medieval village in the province of Forlì-Cesena, situated on the summit of Mount Cesubeo on the first few hills of Romagna.
The local tales report that its name derives from an exclamation of Galla Placidia, daughter of Theodosius, that passing through this area, was served in a clay cup of wine and delighted by the excellent taste said "this cup is too poor for such a wine, it deserves a golden Berti (goblet)". The real origins of the name derives from the genitive of British monks, that lived here in "britannorum, amended to Bertinoro over the centuries.
Remains from the Iron Age, evidence the presence of settlements since ancient times. In the Middle Ages, with the advent of the Barbarian invasions, the "Castrum Cesubeum" was moved to the top of the hill and fortified with the construction of an impressive fortress surrounded by Ghibelline battlements, that in 1177, hosted Frederick Barbarossa and his court. Under the domain of Otto III, the settlement's name was then changed to "Castrum Brittinorum".
Worth of mention are the excellent food specialties and wines produced here, such as: the famous "Piadina" (flatbread), the "Squacquerone DOP" cheese and the fine wines "Sangiovese", "Albana DOCG", "Trebbiano" and "Cagnina".
Sites of Interest:
- the Colonna della Anella (the ringed column), symbol of the city, built by the will of Guido del Duca and Arrigo Mainardi, Lords of Bertinoro in the XIII century, with the intent to end the dispute between all the local noble families. Each of the twelve links engraved on it, correspond to one of the twelve noble families and the pilgrims that stopped in the town, would tie their horse to an empty one and would already know which of the families would be hosting him. This was also an important source of information to know what was happening in the rest of the known world;
- the Rock, a fortress built around year 1000, a defensive system complex that was surrounded by fortified walls and four corner towers. Today it houses the Museum of Sacred Art and the University Centre of Bertinoro;
- the Town Hall, erected in 1306 by Pino I Ordelaffi, Lord of Bertinoro. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city and proposes several rooms, open to visitors;
- the Baroque Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria, in the style of the artist Bramante. Inside it preserves a precious altarpiece of the mystical marriage of Saint, masterpiece of the art school of Bologna;
- the Pieve di San Donato, also cited by Carducci;
- Villa Norina, where Antonio Canova stayed during one of his visits;
- the SPA/Wellness Center of Fratta Terme, unique in Italy for such a wide range of mineral waters, with different curative properties.