Bobbio

Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia

TrebbiaBobbio - Piacenza - Val Trebbia CC BY-SA 3.0
TrebbiaBobbio panorama2 big CC BY-SA 3.0
Luigi ChiesaBobbio veduta CC BY-SA 3.0
Vid PogacnikMeandri di San Salvatore CC BY-SA 4.0
Raffaele paganiPonte Vecchio o ponte gobbo (o ponte del diavolo) - Bobbio (Piacenza)CC BY-SA 4.0
Torsolo (uploader at en.wiki: Attilios)Basilica di San Colombano - Bobbio CC BY-SA 3.0
Harrie GielenBobbio abbey gallery CC BY-SA 3.0
Herbert Ortner, Vienna, Austria (Wikimedia Commons user)Bobbio bridge CC BY 2.5
HierakaresBobbio view from Monte Penice CC BY 3.0
Davide PapaliniBobbio-abbazia di san colombano-esterno1 CC BY-SA 3.0
Davide PapaliniBobbio-abbazia di san colombano-esterno3 CC BY-SA 3.0
Davide PapaliniBobbio-abbazia di san colombano-esterno6 CC BY-SA 3.0

Bobbio's story begins in 614, when the Irish monk Columbanus founded an abbey whose scriptorium and library made it one of the great seats of learning in medieval Italy, and partly inspired the monastery in Eco's The Name of the Rose. The medieval town lies on the Trebbia at the foot of Monte Penice, beside the Ponte Gobbo, an old stone bridge of eleven uneven arches.

Highlights

The Abbey of San Colombano, founded in 614 by the Irish monk Columbanus
The Ponte Gobbo, or Devil's Bridge, crossing the Trebbia on eleven irregular arches
Swimming, canoeing and fishing in the clear Trebbia, with small summer beaches
The shrine on the summit of Monte Penice, and winter skiing at the pass
The Contrada del Castellaro, an early medieval quarter with a 9th-century portico

Text adapted from Wikipedia (Bobbio (IT), Bobbio (EN)), Wikivoyage (Bobbio). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Population: 3,408

Things to see

Events through the year

Carnevale Bobbiese Seasonal · Last Sunday of Carnival, repeated for the Ambrosian riteFloats and masked groups parade, ending with the Pentolaccia in Piazza Duomo
Fuiè ad San Giusèp Seasonal · 19 MarchBig bonfire by the Bobbio stream burns an old-woman puppet; food shared
Procession of the Madonna dell'Aiuto Religious · 31 MayStatue carried from the sanctuary over flower designs and candlelit streets
Palio delle Contrade Historical · Last weekend of JuneFive contrade compete in games of skill after a Saturday historical parade
Bobbio Film Festival Music and arts · JulyMarco Bellocchio's festival in the cloister of Saint Columbanus; Golden Hunchback award
Irlanda in musica Music and arts · Three days in JulyEvening concerts of Celtic and Irish music with food stands
Feast of the Assumption Religious · 15 AugustFeast of the patron and cathedral, with fireworks at Ponte Gobbo
Grape festival and mushroom and truffle show Food and wine · October
Festa di San Colombano Religious · 23 NovemberEve procession with thousands of candles; giant Saint Columbanus bread shared
Snail sagra Food and wine · DecemberBobbio-style snails, also eaten on Christmas Eve

Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.

Adapted from Wikipedia (Bobbio (IT), Bobbio (EN)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Local food & wine

Maccheroni bobbiesiBread and pastaHand-made pasta shaped on a knitting needle, served with beef stew sauce
Bobbio snailsDishChristmas Eve dish of snails with vegetables and white wine
Pin da LesaDishMade with flour, potato, ricotta, spinach, eggs and Grana Padano
Almond cakeSweetBaked in three types: crisp, full and soft
Piacenza PDO cured meatsCured meatSalami, coppa and pancetta
PAOLO.ILL82Gutturnio piacentino CC BY-SA 4.0
Gutturnio (IT)WineDOC wine of the Colli Piacentini, where Bobbio lies

Adapted from Wikipedia (Bobbio). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to sleep

7 places to stay within 3 km

Hotels 3
Campsites 2
B&Bs and guest houses 1
Hostels 1

Thermal baths nearby

Thermal spa: Terme di Rivanazzano · ~54 min by car

Nearby member villages

Zavattarello · 14 km
Varzi · 16 km
Golferenzo · 22 km
Fortunago · 23 km
Garbagna · 31 km