Originally from Ravenna, Guido del Duca arrived in Bertinoro in 1202 as a judge, during a period marked by violence among noble families. In order to ensure peace and order, he decided together with Arrigo Mainardi, a local nobleman, to erect a stone column with twelve bronze rings, one for each noble family: any pilgrim who tied his staff or horse to one of the rings would be hosted by the corresponding family.

This gesture, which established the principle of Bertinoro’s hospitality, is remembered by Dante in Purgatorio, Canto XIV, verses 81–126, and represents an example of civic spirit and of welcoming strangers as an opportunity for peace within the community.

Guido del Duca is credited with the famous Column of Hospitality, the symbol of Bertinoro and the focal point of the Rite of Hospitality, celebrated every year on the first Sunday of September.