Travel To Emilia Romagna Without Leaving Home

FORBES

by Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner

Make yourself a big plate of pasta topped with parmigiano reggiano, drizzle some chunks of cheese with balsamic vinegar and sit down with a generous pour of fizzy lambrusco, because you’re going on a trip to Emilia Romagna without leaving home. Known as Italy’s food valley, this Northern region outside of Milan exports dozens of products American eaters are familiar with, and is also a major cultural hub for European and international tourists alike.

While international travel plans to Italy are on hold indefinitely, Emilia Romagna has curated a list of digital experiences from a variety of Italian cultural institutions, for Italophiles to enjoy, no passport or suitcase packing required.

Ferrara, Bologna, Reggio Emilia and more cities in Northern Italy are on your itinerary, so put on your pasta-eating pants and get ready to embark on a virtual journey. Buon viaggio!

Explore Italian art collections and exhibits

Transport yourself to the Reggiane Urban Gallery in Reggio Emilia, an industrial complex covered in street art. Visit the MAST, a mixed-use cultural hub in Bologna, and take a virtual guided tour of the UNIFORM – INTO THE WORK / OUT OF THE WORK exhibition accompanied by curator Urs Stahel. Afterwards, immerse yourself in the mind of a creative thanks to video meetings with the artists.

Google Arts & Culture has also archived collections from several important museums in Emilia Romagna: Piacenza’s Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese, Reggio Emilia’s Musei Civici, Bologna’s Accademia di Belle Arti, Ferrara’s Museo Archeologico Nazionale and more.

Learn more about Italian history

Discover the Jewish Ferrara exhibition at the MEIS – National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah, which tells of the relationship between the Jewish people and the city of Ferrara.

Virtually visit the Abbey of San Colombano in Bobbio. Admire the spectacular mosaic floor and browse the Mazzolini Collection Museum.

Festival Verdi Immersive 360° offers at-home audiences the emotion of feeling right at the center of the stage, together with the artists, thanks to a special audio and video panoramic recording technique by the University of Parma.

Immerse yourself in the world of one of Italy’s greatest filmmakers

Honor iconic director Federico Fellini by taking a virtual tour of the exhibition Fellini 100. Immortal Genius in Castel Sismondo, celebrating the centenary of the auteur’s birth in his hometown, Rimini.

Explore the Italian car collections of Emilia Romagna’s “Motor Valley”

Virtually visit the collections of some of the most esteemed automotive brands in Italy’s so-called “Motor Valley”: The Ducati Museum (Borgo Panigale), Lamborghini Museum MUDETEC (Sant’Agata Bolognese) and Enzo Ferrari Museum (Modena).

Listen to Italian musical performances

Tune in to the Facebook page of the Giovanile Luigi Cherubini Orchestra (founded by maestro conductor Riccardo Muti) for daily performances from up-and-coming musicians.

Watch filmed concerts every Friday and Sunday from Jazz a Domicilio, accessible on the Bologna Jazz Festival’s Facebook page.

Share Italy with kids

Younger history buffs can enjoy Romagna Empire’s online historical stories, sharing tales from Caesar to Galla Placidia in an approachable way.