Romagna is a land that is proud of its peasant roots. A nature that resists not only in agritourism or in DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) excellences, but also in the tradition of rust printing, a technique that dates back to the 17th century, safeguarded by a dozen artisans in their printing shops scattered around Forlì-Cesena, Ravenna and Rimini, most of them united in the Stampatori Tele Romagnole association. Tablecloths, napkins, aprons, bedspreads and many other home textiles that are created, rigorously hand-beaten by those who have chosen not to deviate from the traditional method, from the blending of hemp, linen or cotton fabrics, pear wood moulds, colours obtained from rust or other "poor" minerals and traditional drawings such as ivy leaves, spikes of grain, cockerels, vine shoots, bunches of grapes, rustic mugs and the caveje, the pins connecting the yoke of the oxen and the cart.
This is a journey through the workshops: prepare yourself for the melody of the 3-or 4-kilo mallets hitting a wooden mould placed on the canvas and the unmistakable scent of the wine vinegar that is mixed with the soft iron and flour to create the typical rust colour – but don’t ask the proportions of this mixture, every craftsman has his own secret one!
The first stop is Santarcangelo di Romagna, in the province of Rimini. Walking amidst restaurants and shops along the streets of the ancient hamlet that is in fact the gateway to the Valmarecchia, it is a must to visit the Antica Stamperia Marchi, active since 1633, where the ancient mangle is still used to follare – that is, to iron – fabrics, and where you can find more than 2 thousand moulds. A place that is much more than a simple shop and laboratory: it is also a museum, open to guided tours for groups or for individuals upon request.
The history of the Rocca Malatestiana in Santarcangelo is also closely linked to that of Romagna prints: thanks to the noblewoman and entrepreneur from Ravenna, Eugenia Rasponi Murat, who at the beginning of the 20th century bought the castle and transformed it into a furniture factory to decorate with the printed canvases she loved so dearly, so much so that she adorned all the walls of the fortress with them.
Before saying goodbye to Santarcangelo, perhaps after a piadina or a dish of tagliatelle with meat sauce, a visit to the MET, the Museum of the uses and customs of the People of Romagna, is highly recommended, with its heritage of experiences and knowledge, not just objects.
From Santarcangelo, our journey from canvas to canvas can continue up the two-thousand-year-old Via Emilia: the first stop is Gambettola, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, where imagination and creativity go hand in hand, between a visit to Casa Fellini, the family home where the great director spent many of his childhood summers with his grandparents, and the workshops of the papier-mâché School, where the masks and floats for the historic local carnival, one of the most important in Romagna, are also created.
In Gambettola, there are two craftsmen’s workshops that produce Romagna canvases. One is the Stamperia Pascucci, which is approaching 200 years of activity and has seen seven generations pass down the secrets of the trade. The other is the Stamperia Bertozzi, which has been open for over a century: in the 1930s, the founder, Luigi, was among the first to try to make Romagna prints known to the world, bringing them to the Triennale in Milan.
When planning a visit, it may be helpful to remember that every year in autumn Gambettola hosts the Ancient Hemp Fair, with rust-printed canvases, photographic exhibitions, hemp products, costumed figures and a travelling market of fabrics and objects as well as peasant culture.
A rustic tradition with a view of the sea: the history of rust prints and seaside tourism are more often intertwined than one might think, from the first beach tents on the Riviera, which was fast becoming the capital of tourism, produced by Pascucci in Gambettola, to the present day, with painted fabrics that are now the souvenir par excellence of a holiday in Romagna.
And so, a stop on our tour of some of Romagna's most authentic print shops can also take place a stone's throw from the beach, but not before making a few scenic detours. From Gambettola you go to Meldola, in the province of Forlì-Cesena: characterised by its imposing medieval fortress, this town at the mouth of the Bidente River Valley is home to Bottega Visini, which has been operating since 1895. The next stop is Santa Sofia, also in the Forlì area, a village that is the gateway to the Casentino Forests, where you will find Peromatto, the workshop of two young people who have realised their dream of pursuing the fascinations of traditional craftsmanship; from here, it is back to the plains, first to Forlì, for a visit to Il Guado, a workshop in the historic town centre, then to San Zaccaria, a hamlet of Ravenna, where master dyer Egidio Miserocchi has his workshop.
And here at last is the sea. You will be spoilt for choice: in Cervia the C'era una volta print shop, in Cesenatico the Stamperia Braghittoni, in Bellaria-Igea Marina, Casadei Stampe awaits you, and finally in the centre of Rimini, Stamperia Ruggine. All the more reason for a trip to the Riviera, whether during the height of the season or to enjoy the sea in winter.