Faenza Attractions
Faenza lies in the Po plain between Bologna and Rimini - about 45km/28mi southeast of Bologna and 55km/34mi northwest of Rimini.
Faenza is famous for the faience (majolica) which is named after the town. The great age of this ware was in the 15th and 16th century, and it is only in recent years that the craft has again been practiced and deliberately promoted. There are now at least 60 ceramic workshops in the town.
The town, still surrounded by its old town walls, suffered severe war damage, but this has been almost completely made good. The main street is the Corso Giuseppe Mazzini, at the east end of which are two elongated squares joining one another at right angles - the Piazza della Libertà to the north and the Piazza del Popolo to the south. In the Piazza della Libertà are the Torre dell'Orologio (Clock-Tower) and a beautiful fountain of 1621.
Faenza is famous for the faience (majolica) which is named after the town. The great age of this ware was in the 15th and 16th century, and it is only in recent years that the craft has again been practiced and deliberately promoted. There are now at least 60 ceramic workshops in the town.
The town, still surrounded by its old town walls, suffered severe war damage, but this has been almost completely made good. The main street is the Corso Giuseppe Mazzini, at the east end of which are two elongated squares joining one another at right angles - the Piazza della Libertà to the north and the Piazza del Popolo to the south. In the Piazza della Libertà are the Torre dell'Orologio (Clock-Tower) and a beautiful fountain of 1621.
Ceramic Museum
In Viale Baccarini we find the richly stocked Ceramic Museum (Museo delle Ceramiche), with majolica of the area and ceramics from all over the world.
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 |
| Close | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 |
| Close | 13:30 | 13:30 | 13:30 | 13:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Cathedral
A notable site in Faenza is the cathedral (1474-1513) in Early Renaissance style, with the tomb of St Savinus (by Benedetto da Maiano; 1476) to the left of the high altar.
Pinacoteca (Museo Civico)
In a palace in Via Santa Maria dell'Angelo are the Pinacoteca, with paintings by old masters of Emilia and Romagna (wooden statue of St Hieronymus by Donatello and his pupils) and the Museo Civico. A building in Corso Matteotti (No. 2) houses the modern department of the Museo Civico (Fattori, Signorini, Rodin, De Pisis, Morandi and others).
Town Hall
In the Piazza del Popolo are the Town Hall (left) and the Palazzo del Podestà (right; 1256), both with high arcades.
