Mercato Saraceno: Trails and Heritage

Mercato Saraceno lies along the historic route through the Savio Valley, a natural corridor connecting the Via Emilia and the Val Tiberina. The area encompasses cultivated hills, woodland, and badlands. Walking and mountain biking trails run through canyons carved by streams. This landscape provides a setting for exploring the town and its surroundings in a variety of ways.

Trails, Cycling, and Nature

The Sentieri del Tasso form a network of trails around the Borgo di Linaro. The Sentiero di Falcino is part of a section of the Cammino di San Vicinio. Another historic route is the Sentiero della Contessa, which leads to the remains of an ancient tower equipped with a prison and a trapdoor. The three names represent different connections to the routes—a local trail network, a pilgrimage route, and a destination with a medieval history.

For cyclists, the climb to Barbotto is a notable landmark. It begins at the bridge over the Savio in Mercato Saraceno, leads to Perticara, and is part of the Nove Colli cycling race. Dense vegetation and a rich, diverse birdlife shape the landscape at Fosso Sassignolo.

A vineyard tour is another option: by reservation, Tenuta Casali offers an e-bike tour along designated routes through its vineyards. The tour includes a glass of Mercato Saraceno DOC Famoso. Before your trip, check whether the tour can be booked for your chosen date.

Churches, Buildings, and Local History

Pieve Santissimi Cosma e Damiano lies about one kilometre from the historic centre and is considered the oldest church in the Mercato Saraceno area. It was built around the middle of the 9th century over the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Isis in the 1st century. The site’s history therefore reaches back to an earlier religious building.

Pieve di Monte Sorbo dates back to the 8th century. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims travelling to Rome visited the church; an adjoining hospice offered them safe accommodation. Its rare Greek-cross floor plan is particularly notable. Roman columns dating from the 1st century divide the interior into three naves.

Palazzo Dolcini adds a different architectural accent to the townscape. The building was constructed in 1927 to a design by architect Ugo Dolcini (1871–1927), in the Liberty and Art Deco styles. The parish church of Chiesa di Santa Maria Nuova was founded by the Augustinians at the end of the 14th century and gives character to Piazza Mazzini, the town’s main square.

The Raccolta Museale di Arte Sacra is located in the old Borgo di Mezzo. Works displayed there include a painting of the Crucifixion of Christ by Lorenzo Ferri; the building was constructed in 1642. Ponte Vecchio has been documented since the 12th century; today, only its central pier remains in the riverbed.

Monte Sasso, a small medieval rural village, lies about five kilometres from the town centre. Visible sections of the castrum’s fortification wall have survived. Local food culture has its own history, too: Dolce Porcospino was invented in Mercato Saraceno by the Manzelli sisters in the mid-20th century.

Discover more destinations: Verghereto, Corniolo, Civitella Di Romagna, Tredozio, Savignano Sul Rubicone, Campigna, Santa Sofia, Predappio

See the regional travel guide: Forlì-Cesena.