Pian di Venola and the valley of the Venola stream

Pian di Venola and the valley of the Venola stream. Like the whole territory of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines, small farms, extreme agriculture on the steep hills, capable of producing excellent food products. The Vénola is a stream in the Bolognese Apennines and a left tributary of the Reno river. It was born near Tolè, a hamlet of the municipality of Vergato, on the slopes of Monte Croce (808 m). It then follows a fairly regular and straight path to the east, which leads it to flow into the Reno at Pian di Venola (part of the municipality of Marzabotto) not far from the capital itself. From the opposite bank of the Rhine near the confluence with the Venola, there is an access to the Monte Sole historical regional park. The Venola valley, between those of Rio Groara (to the south) and Rio del Piantone (which passes through Marzabotto, to the north), belongs entirely to the municipality of Vergato. A beautiful valley but also historically important. This valley in 700 was part of the State of the Church (Legation of Bologna). At that time the Porrettana state road did not exist, the cartography of the State of the Church shows a road that connected Bologna to the border with the Tuscan duchy which substantially up to Sasso followed the current Porrettana state road. Doing the same route along the Reno meant ferrying between Sasso and Porretta at least five times (because there were no bridges) therefore the so-called "via di cresta" was preferred. After Sasso Marconi the indicated road climbs towards Medelana, then Venola, then Montasico. In the locality of Meladello the road crossed the stream and climbed towards Vedegheto and so on towards Porretta and the border. Tolè was instead the border with the Duchy of Modena and housed a Papal Customs. Doing the same route along the Reno meant ferrying between Sasso and Porretta at least five times, therefore the so-called "via di cresta" was preferred. https://youtu.be/DhHs03ndh0A