Why this ride
From Bologna it runs 242 km to Bologna; allow about 3 h 41 of riding. It goes by way of Diamantina, Laghetto della Costa and back through Diamantina. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
The Porticoes of Bologna and Laghetto della Costa
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 242 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 41
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. The Porticoes of Bologna
Bologna is a city built for walking in the rain. More than forty kilometres of covered arcades line its streets, some medieval, some Renaissance, some modern, and the Porticoes of Bologna received UNESCO status in 2021 as a distinctive urban form. They began as a practical fix: the university, founded in the eleventh century and often called the oldest in the world, drew so many students that the city needed more living space, and builders were allowed to extend rooms outward over the street on timber beams. Later they were rebuilt in brick and stone and required by law, so that people could move along any main street without getting wet.
Read the complete The Porticoes of Bologna write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Porticoes of Bologna is where the day begins. Next is Diamantina.
2. Diamantina
The Este dukes of Ferrara loved their countryside retreats, the delizie, and they scattered them across the flat land around the city like jewels on a cloth. The Diamantina, near Vigarano Pieve west of Ferrara, was one of them, an estate of farmland, woods and buildings named after the diamond, a symbol of the Este family. The delizie are part of the UNESCO listing of Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta, which recognises the city's planned urban layout and the way the Este shaped the surrounding landscape, draining marshes and creating farms and hunting grounds.
Read the complete Diamantina write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Diamantina comes up about 57 km into the recorded legs. Next is Laghetto della Costa.
3. Laghetto della Costa
The Euganean Hills rise abruptly from the flat plain south-west of Padua, a cluster of volcanic cones covered in vineyards, chestnut woods and olive groves. Arquà Petrarca, a medieval village on the southern slopes, is where the poet Petrarch spent his last years and died in 1374; his house can still be visited. Close by, in a small hollow between the hills, lies the Laghetto della Costa, a tiny lake that hides a big secret.
Read the complete Laghetto della Costa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 122 km into the recorded legs you reach Laghetto della Costa. Next is back through Diamantina.
4. back through Diamantina
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Diamantina write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Diamantina, late in the day. Next is The Porticoes of Bologna.
5. The Porticoes of Bologna
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The Porticoes of Bologna write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at The Porticoes of Bologna. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
The Porticoes of Bologna to Diamantina
The Porticoes of Bologna → Diamantina is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Diamantina to Laghetto della Costa
Diamantina → Laghetto della Costa is 65 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Laghetto della Costa to back through Diamantina
Laghetto della Costa → back through Diamantina is 64 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Diamantina to The Porticoes of Bologna
back through Diamantina → The Porticoes of Bologna is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.