A restaurant becomes a museum: at La Sangiovesa, you can explore Romagna with an audio guide

A blend of history and cuisine: 45 minutes immersed in the heart and soul of Romagna

Inside Palazzo Nadiani, in Santarcangelo di Romagna, every room has always had a story to tell, set against a backdrop of caves carved into the rock and walls lined with period artefacts. Today, you can actually hear this story for yourself, as the La Sangiovesa tavern has opened its doors to a museum tour that runs alongside its dining area.

It is called the ‘La Sangiovesa Museum’ and is an audio-guided tour lasting around 45 minutes, designed to give visitors the freedom to enter whenever they like, without the time constraints of a traditional guided tour. Room by room, each hall of the Palazzo — which dates back to the 18th century and once hosted counts and noble families before becoming the tavern it is today — explores a different theme.

There is the underground grotto with its collection of dovecotes, conceived by Tonino Guerra, a poet and screenwriter born in Santarcangelo itself and a lifelong friend of the Maggioli family, who own the venue. There are two rooms featuring paintings by Guido Cagnacci, a 17th-century painter from Santarcangelo with an unmistakable style. And then there is the room dedicated to the tradition of village fairs, the one focusing on Teresa Franchini’s theatrical career, and the room that tells the story of Pope Ganganelli. A journey where food is just one of the languages: architecture, poetry, art and the rural heritage of Romagna are all interwoven.

Visitors can explore the museum from Tuesday to Friday, with admission from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 5 pm; on Sundays from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 3 pm to 5.30 pm. Before or after your visit, you can stay for dinner in the very same rooms you have just walked through.

For information and bookings: La Sangiovesa, Piazza Beato Simone Balacchi 14, Santarcangelo di Romagna — tel. +39 0541 620710, email sangiovesa@sangiovesa.it