The Church of Santa Maria and San Valentino della Grada owes its name to the iron “grada” — still visible today — through which the Reno Canal flows into the historic center and which was used to prevent enemies from entering the city. The nearby building, called the “Opificio della Grada”, is an ancient hydraulic workshop built between 1681 and 1683 as a tannery. Today it houses the so-called “Opificio delle Acque”, a space dedicated to cultural, exhibition, and educational initiatives organized within the framework of the permanent project “Bologna Città d’Acque.”

Following the occupation of the city by Napoleonic troops in 1801, the Certosa di San Girolamo was converted into a cemetery. The current structure stands on the remains of an ancient Etruscan necropolis and is considered one of the oldest monumental cemeteries in Italy. The Certosa was founded in the 14th century next to the Church of San Girolamo, consecrated in 1359, and still preserves a remarkable collection of artworks.

After the conversion of the religious complex into a cemetery, with several interventions carried out respecting the characteristics of the pre-existing buildings, the land surrounding the Renaissance cloisters was used to expand the burial area, creating a layout of spaces that is both striking and of significant monumental value.

Of particular interest is Cloister Number Seven, which houses the tomb of the Marconi family and artworks such as the “Montanari” Monument by Diego Sarti, the portrait of the blacksmith Gaetano Simoli by Tullo Golfarelli, and the monuments dedicated to the ceramist Angelo Minghetti and the publisher Nicola Zanichelli. Also noteworthy are the monuments dedicated to Raffaele Bisteghi by Enrico Barberi, and near the entrance of the Certosa (Via della Certosa), the tombs of Giosuè Carducci, Giorgio Morandi, and Lucio Dalla.

The Hermitage of Tizzano was built by the Camaldolese monks between 1655 and 1741. The church, dedicated to Saint Benedict, features a simple yet elegant Bolognese Baroque style. The interior consists of a single, tall, and luminous nave, surrounded by six side chapels connected by narrow passages, housing remarkable paintings. Also noteworthy are the beautiful 16th-century olive-wood crucifix and the reliquary containing fragments of the True Cross and other relics attesting to the Passion of Christ.

Above, on the left side of the building, rises the bell tower, built in 1724, which once housed the Prior. The large meadow at the back still preserves the ruins of two of the seventeen cells of the Hermit Monks, as well as access to a secondary church—a kind of consecrated cellar—used as a shelter during World War II.

This trail is named after the ancient miners, known as the “gessaroli.” For centuries, they manually extracted and processed gypsum used for construction purposes in a rugged yet fascinating landscape. The trail is about 1 km long and starts from the Borgo dei Gessi (where the gypsum miners lived), continuing through the area of gypsum outcrops at Monte Rocca, Monte Castello, and Monte Capra.

The trail features several rest areas for visitors, equipped with tables and benches, as well as informational panels covering topics related to gypsum karst and other characteristic natural phenomena.

The first construction of the Pieve of San Lorenzo in Collina dates back to between the 4th and 6th centuries AD, eventually administering a vast territory that by the 1300s included as many as 22 churches, scattered across the area between the Via Emilia and the upper Apennines, bounded by the Lavino stream to the east and the Samoggia to the west.

The current simple gable-style architecture dates to 1474, when, following the disappearance of the pieve system, San Lorenzo fell into decline. Pope Sixtus IV granted its patronage to the Grassi counts, who preserved the building (along with the presbytery) from the risk of collapse and built a Renaissance cloister. By 1780, it was renovated in Baroque style, with the removal of the internal frescoes depicting the life of San Lorenzo.

The Monteveglio Abbey Regional Park was established to protect the most picturesque part of the Samoggia Valley, crowned by the millenary Pieve, the Abbey of Santa Maria di Monteveglio, located in an elevated position within the ancient medieval fortified village.

The hilly landscape is characterized by forests, valleys, and gullies, alternating with meadows, cultivated fields, vineyards, and historic rural settlements that once belonged to local convents. The protected area contains numerous geological and natural treasures, which are well presented at the Park Visitor Center, housed in the main building of the San Teodoro rural courtyard, at the foot of the hill, just outside the town of Monteveglio.

Additionally, a nature trail accessible to visually impaired visitors and people with disabilities has been created in the surrounding area. For many years, the park has been actively engaged in environmental education in schools, using innovative systems and content. The territory, also known for its food and wine traditions, is home to the Colli Bolognesi Wine Consortium, established to promote and protect the unique qualities of local wines.