The best walks and hikes around Imola

This evocative square dedicated to Ayrton Senna is one of the symbolic spaces of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodrome area. The square is home to the MAICC – Checco Costa Imola Autodrome Multimedia Museum, whose façade features a large mural dedicated to Ayrton Senna, created in 2019 by Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra as part of the RestArt Urban Festival.

brisk walk

The Chiesa di Santa Maria in Valverde has a rich history dating back to the time of the Roman poet Marcus Valerius Martialis, whose house and gardens were located on this site. The church was built around 1300 and was originally dedicated to the Ascension of Jesus Christ. Over the years the church lost its parish functions, which it only regained in 1830. Next to the church was one of the oldest hospitals in the city, which was destroyed in 1448. The current church, built in the years 1518-1519, has a Doric-style portal, donated by the Calderini family in 1571.

Francesco Azzi (Naples, January 4, 1914 – Axum, December 26, 1935) was an Italian soldier who served as a lieutenant in the cavalry of the V Spahis Group during the Ethiopian War. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valor for his courageous actions during the First Battle of Tembien. During an attack on an enemy machine gun post, Azzi was mortally wounded and died the next day in a hospital in Axum. However, his statue in the Giardini di San Domenico is controversial because it recalls Italy's fascist colonial history. The local community, represented by the group "Imola Antifascista", emphasizes the importance of remembering and combating fascism and racism in today's society. They point out that the struggle for freedom and equality is not only a question of the past, but also of the present.

Very popular and inviting place on the edge of the Parco Tozzoni where you can enjoy a snack and a drink, at democratic prices. Even on a weekday afternoon it was quite busy and there was a good atmosphere..

This is a memorial monument of Ayrton Senna da Silva. It has been erected to commemorate life of the three times world champion in Formula 1, who lost his life in results of the accident that took place at the Tamburello bend on May 1st 1994. A place of the tragic accident is located almost on the opposite side of the bend.

The Mineral Water Park is the historic green lung of Imola. Mainly known for its recreational and sporting function, it also has an undoubted botanical and historical value. It is located a short distance from the city center and is nowadays entirely surrounded by the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” racetrack. It originated from the discovery of Dr. Gioacchino Cerchiari, which occurred in 1830, of the healing sulphurous water springs which made the place immediately popular. The first arrangement of the area into a real park dates back to 1871, with the creation of avenues and flowerbeds according to the so-called "English" model. Currently the park extends over 11 hectares and has a rich heritage of tree species, both native and exotic. Recent interventions have aimed to enhance this heritage by providing the park with two play areas and an educational path of a geological nature, and by redeveloping some historical areas: the area of the ancient springs (indicated by the restoration of the original cisterns), the monumental staircase that leads from Viale Atleti Azzurri d'Italia leads to the Belvedere, and the entrances to the park. In particular we highlight the one to the north, called 'Piazzetta della Fontana' from the ceramic work of the artist Mannes Laffi, and the one to the south, or Piazzetta delle Querce', characterized by paving in stone slabs and cubes which reflect the park logo : an oak leaf. (Source: https://visitareimola.it/vivere/tempo-libero/natura/parco-acque-minerali/ )

...the origins of the fortress of Imola date back to 1261, when the municipality decided to build a fortress to defend the city. ... The fortress then had a quadrangular perimeter with nine square towers, four at the corners and four at the center of each curtain wall, plus an entrance tower on the eastern side and a mighty central keep. In the second half of the 15th century, the transformation of the medieval fortress into a new structure capable of withstanding the destructive power of modern artillery began. ... Beginning in 1480, the square corner towers were incorporated into new, thicker circular towers capable of withstanding bombardment, and construction of an internal residence began. The crisis of the Riario-Sforza lordship and the siege of the fortress launched in 1499 by Cesare Borgia, known as Valentino, decreed the return of direct papal rule. ... With the definitive annexation of Imola to the Papal States, the fortress's use as a prison intensified, a situation that continued until 1958, when restoration work began and the Sforza monument was converted into a museum. (Source: https://imolamusei.it/rocca-sforzesca/ )