In the Stables of the City of Painted Walls: a Day in Dozza Imolese

A blue sky with clouds, a knight from other times, carts, but also a quick-stepping jester and the sensual face of a woman: these are just some of the images from the more than ninety frescoes that make Dozza, at the gates of Imola, a true open-air museum. In this wonderful artistic village, every two years it is possible to see renowned artists at work, all together intent on frescoing the walls of the town. Starting from 1960, when the Pro Loco organised the first edition of the Biennial of the Painted Wall, the characteristic streets of the centre have been enriched with the works of over two hundred artists, including Aligi Sassu, Bruno Saetti, Domenico Purificato and Alberto Sughi. Our walk in this town, whose medieval structure has remained intact, and where every corner offers new artistic suggestions, begins by crossing the ancient gate, itself painted too.

A fairy-tale village that in antiquity was even considered an oasis: indeed, while in the surrounding territories there was frequent water shortage, in Dozza there was an aqueduct coming from the Monte del Re, which collected the water in a cistern. Recalling this historical fact are the place name, whose meaning is shower, and the griffin depicted in the town coat of arms drinking from a conduit. Following the main road, we arrive at the splendid Rocca Sforzesca, erected in 1250, and fortified in the 15th century at the wish of Caterina Sforza, in particular with the addition of the evocative Torresino. Today the Rocca is the historical memory of the village, and houses a museum where it is possible to admire some frescoes created for the Biennial, detached and transferred into the fortress.

Although Dozza carries water in its name, it is in reality wine that is the liquid that makes it famous: indeed, for centuries the municipality has made quality wine its flag, and we can realise this by visiting the spectacular cellar of the Enoteca Regionale Emiliana inside the Rocca, containing a vast selection of quality labels from the territory. We stay in the historic heart of the village for dinner too, stopping at the Ristorante La Scuderia, located right in front of the Rocca, where in the Middle Ages the knights' stables stood. An evocative and familiar place, where we are welcomed with great kindness and cheerfulness by the owners Daniele and Roberto Preti. 'The place has belonged to our family since 1977, the year our father started it.

We children grew up in here, lending a hand since we were boys, I right from the start waiting at tables and my brother Roberto after a few years,' Mr Daniele tells us. From our table, set among the old dividers for the horses, kept during the renovation, we admire the rustic setting where every detail recalls the charm of the past: the rural furniture, the horse troughs, and even the pitchfork on the wall that bears witness to the times when there was a hayloft on the upper floor. 'Our strong bond with the territory is evident also in the kitchen, where we always use only fresh produce, locally produced, sought with particular attention to quality,' the owners explain, and we have confirmation as soon as we begin our dinner in the name of typical flavours: we taste the piadina and fried crescentine with cold cuts and squacquerone, a soft cheese of these lands.

We also very much like the chicken breast cooked and marinated in balsamic vinegar, then sliced thinly and dressed with aromatic oil. We continue with an exquisite trio of classic first courses, of homemade pasta: tagliatelle with meat ragu, garganelli made on the comb and ricotta tortelloni, but also filled with potatoes and ham, dressed with porcini mushrooms. We don't even give up tasting the bigoli dressed with Romagna shallot, cherry tomatoes and guanciale. We go on with a rich mixed grill of meat, whose flavour is made unmistakable and very good by the wood embers. There are, in fact, two fireplaces in the kitchen: one to produce the wood embers for the grill and the other for cooking the meats, among which we taste the buffalo rib, very digestible and low in fat, scented with Cervia salt and rosemary.

Some of us instead opt for roast suckling pig ribs and for the Wagyulem tartare, made with tasty and very tender Kobe-type meat, served with various little sauces. We don't even resist the excellent beef tagliata with taggiasca olives and cherry tomatoes. Finally, we abandon ourselves to the pleasure of the homemade desserts, including the baked cream, a kind of creme brulee cooked for several hours and presented in slices, and a slice of ricotta cassata with candied orange slices. Together with the coffee we are served exquisite herb-based liqueurs, prepared by Mr Daniele's parents-in-law, and together they offer us delicious little pieces of homemade ciambella. It will certainly be a pleasure to come back here soon, to dine in the veranda overlooking the Rocca, perhaps even on the occasion of the next Biennial of the Painted Wall, in September.

Text: Francesca Bertha Consultancy and photographs: Valeria Balbiano

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante La Scuderia Via XX Settembre, 53 Dozza (BO) Tel.: 0542/678103