A great example of a medieval castrum, Bagnara di Romagna preserves a charming historic center, completely surrounded by fifteenth-century walls, featuring an entrance tower and five small bastions.
The emblem of the small town is undoubtedly the Rocca Sforzesca, along with the atmosphere of distant eras that can still be felt. Today, the Rocca houses the Museum of the Castle, whose archaeological section tells the story of the territory from the Bronze Age to the Roman period and the Middle Ages, including the important archaeological site of Prati di Sant’Andrea (Meadows of Saint Andrew), a fundamental part of Bagnara's original settlement.
In front of the Rocca stands the Archpriest Church of Santi Giovanni e Andre, dating back to the fifteenth century, which preserves valuable works including the Madonna del Pubblico Voto (Madonna of the Public Vow) in terracotta, the baptismal font, a fifteenth-century tabernacle, and a seventeenth-century organ. The rectory hosts two museum collections: the Parish Museum of Sacred Art, which preserves a precious sixteenth-century altarpiece by Innocenzo da Imola, a wooden crucifix from the school of Donatello, and a notable collection of devotional ceramics; and the Pietro Mascagni Museum, which houses memorabilia and relics of the famous composer, donated by the choir singer Anna Lolli, a native of Bagnara. A few kilometers from the historic center stands the Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso (Sanctuary of Our Lady of Succor), designed by Cosimo Morelli in 1770.
Every year at the end of June, the Popoli Pop Cult Festival enlivens the ancient village, turning it into a crossroads of cultures with dances, flavors, and exhibitions from around the world.