photo of Domenico Bressan

Campana dell’Albana - Albana Bell

Bell of Good Omen for Bertinoro and Romagna

To celebrate the award of DOCG status to Albana wine, the Municipality of Bertinoro and the “Tribunato dei Vini di Romagna” wine promotion association commissioned the artist G. Bardeggia to make a bell.

On 3 September 1989 the bell was hung in the town bell tower (“Torre Civica”), but since it was such a beautiful piece, in November 1994 it was moved to a place where everyone could fully appreciate its qualities: the Balcony of Romagna where everybody can toll it to remind the Romagna region about its wine traditions. Once a year the tolling of the bell becomes for Bertinoro the announcement of the beginning of the grape harvest.

A beautiful legend about the origin of the name Bertinoro is also connected to Albana wine.

In 424 dC Galla Placidia, widow of the Emperor Costantius III and known throughout the world for the Mausoluem carrying her own name, managed to get the regency of the Roman Empire in the name of the only 6-year-old son Valentinian III. At the time Ravenna was the capital of ther Empire and Bertinoro laid under the direct supremacy of the great emperors.

Here begins the fairytale according to which, on a hot summer day, the Empress Galla Placidia would reach Bertinoro, eager to visit her possessions. She was thirsty and asked her entourage to look for refreshment. They happened to stop by a farmhouse, the farmer immediately brought her a plain terracotta crock where he poured fresh Albana wine. As Galla Placidia sipped the wine, she was so entranced by its aroma and flavour that she cried out «You are worth to be drunk in gold! (berti in oro)».These are the famous words that will give the town its name.

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