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EMILIA ROMAGNA - NORTH ITALYEmilia-Romagna is one of Italy's largest region and situated in the heart of northern Italy. It's also one of Italy's most populous and most affluent regions but still not that populated by foreign buyers as many other north Italian regions. The regions is full of ancient cities, beautiful and varied countrysides and beaches.
The name Emilia-Romagna has roots in the Ancient Rome legacy in these lands. Emilia refers to via AEmilia, an important Roman way connecting Rome to the northern part of Italy. Romagna is a corruption of Romönia; when Ravenna was the capital of the Italian portion of the Byzantine Empire, the Lombards extended the official name of the Empire to the lands around Ravenna. Emilia-Romagna was part of the Etruscan world and in following was passed on to the Gauls and then the Romans, who built the Aemilian Way, for which the region was named. The coastal area of Emilia, which was ruled under the Byzantines from 540 to 751, became known as the separate region of Romagna. During the Middle Ages trading activities, culture and religion flourished thanks to the region's monasteries and the University of Bologna - the oldest university in Europe.
Emilia Romagna is a region that is very famous for its culinary delights, for example the pasta Tortellini and Tagliatelle are all from Bologna. Gramigna is another Bologna pasta, then there are Garganelli from Imola, Cappelletti and Passatelli from Reggio Emilia and Anolini from Parma. And as you all know, Bologna is famous for its Ragu` known in English as Bolognese sauce (which is *never* served on Spaghetti). Other very famous things are the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, made in a large part of Emilia starting with Bologna itself and ranging North and West through to Modena, Reggio Emilia and Parma, Aceto Balsamico from Modena, Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello etc. etc.
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