Gambettola: Fellini’s Story, Craftsmanship and Hotels

Gambettola brings together cultural history, craftsmanship and recurring festivals. These themes offer different starting points for planning your trip: Federico Fellini’s childhood, a textile workshop opened in 1826, the history of a cement factory, or a stay timed around an event. If you’re looking for a hotel in Gambettola, first consider whether you’d like to plan your trip around culture, craftsmanship or a particular date.

Fellini connection and textile craftsmanship

Casa Fellini is the former residence of the Fellini family and the childhood home of director Federico Fellini. The Casa Fellini residency project offers a creative retreat for emerging and established talents and hosts cultural events and workshops on film, circus and theatre. This biographical connection and its artistic programmes offer a different perspective from Gambettola’s history of textiles and industry.

The Pascucci family opened their textile workshop, Stamperia Pascucci, in Gambettola in 1826. There, geometric patterns, flowers and animals are printed on linen fabrics using hand-carved wooden blocks. The tools, materials and motifs together shape this craft tradition. Tours of the Stamperia’s Bottega can be booked; confirm the booking details before your trip.

The SICLI cement factory and its repurposed spaces

The SICLI cement factory was built in 1910 and finally closed in 1989. Several repurposed spaces in its history now serve different cultural purposes: the Tunnel della fotografia became the venue for a photography exhibition about the factory’s history. The former Galleria delle colonne and former Sala dei sacchi were converted into exhibition spaces; the former Teatro e la sala dei filtri became a set-design workshop. Two factory kilns have been preserved at the Circolo dopolavoro. One of them was restored and converted into a wine cellar. The factory’s history can therefore be seen not only in its construction and closure dates, but also in the different ways its spaces have since been used.

The Stazione degli Artisti uses rooms in the former stationmaster’s house, which were converted into a centre for art and creativity. Together with the repurposed SICLI spaces, it represents another facet of the town: art and creativity are connected both with former industrial buildings and with former railway buildings.

Carnival, papier-mâché and seasonal dates

The Bottega del Carnevale has permanent spaces for building allegorical floats and for its papier-mâché school. The school offers ongoing workshops for children, teenagers and adults. The Carnevale di Gambettola traditionally includes two parades of allegorical floats: one on Easter Monday and another on the following Sunday. The workshops and parades offer different ways to explore the subject of Carnival—one through papier-mâché craftsmanship, the other through the floats in the parade. If you’d like to plan your trip around the parades, check the exact dates in advance.

Another seasonal occasion is the Antica Fiera della Canapa. It takes place every year in November and showcases hemp products and local specialities. Check the dates before your trip so you can factor this event period into your plans.

Culinary traditions

Gambettola’s culinary traditions include Sangiovese and freshly rolled Sfoglia. Dishes include Cappelletti, Tortelli and Tagliatelle with seasonal sauces. These pasta dishes bring the Sfoglia tradition to life in specific forms and complement the cultural and historical themes with a culinary perspective. When planning your stay, you can also explore the town’s food culture.

Discover more destinations: Selva-Ansaldo, Rocca San Casciano, Campigna, Camposonaldo, Sala, Castrocaro Terme, Bagno Di Romagna, Corniolo

For the wider travel overview: Forlì-Cesena.