Bobbio is a small town of 3500 inhabitants in Emilia-Romagna, within the Apennine area of the province of Piacenza and is famous for its medieval appearance and for the long Devil’s Bridge over the Trebbia river.
It is a magical place, which for its ancient charm has won the title of Borgo dei Borghi 2019.
The history of this small town is lost in the mists of time, in fact, the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but has become an important center since the Roman colonization when the portion of the bridge now known as the Hunchback Bridge, to become in the early Middle Ages one of the most important centers of Western monasticism.
To get to the city center you have to pass the first famous attraction of Bobbio, the long Devil’s Bridge, which crosses the Trebbia river and connects the city with the road that leads to Piacenza. This bridge, of Roman origin, is formed by 11 long irregular arches that give it an original and suggestive appearance.
Once you enter the historic center of Bobbio you will find a network of narrow cobblestone streets and ancient buildings.
The first stop on a walk through Bobbio can only be the Monastery of San Colombano, founded in 614 by the homonymous Irish monk who came down to Italy to get to Rome.
The Cathedral of Bobbio is a perfect example of Emilian art and architecture of the fifteenth century, with very interesting frescoes that have recently been rediscovered under a layer of lime spread a few centuries later.
A very suggestive destination to visit in the historic center of Bobbio is the mighty Malaspina Castle, built during the fourteenth century and which was the stronghold of the Guelphs during the struggles with the Ghibellines of Piacenza.
Another important attraction of the area are the thermal establishments, in fact since ancient times Bobbio was famous for the thermal water springs that gushed from many points around the city.
The most famous are the Terme di Sant’Ambrogio in Piancasale, used by the monks of San Colombano to produce salt, the Thermal baths of San Martino, which can boast a new structure and water rich in hydrogen sulfide, bromine and lithium and, finally, the Thermal baths of Rio Foino freely accessible and free of charge just outside the urban center of Bobbio.
