Points of Interest

• Rocca: this imposing defensive structure was built in 1378, at the behest of Bernardo di Bonnevalle, bishop of Bologna, as a brake on the ambitions of autonomy of the people of Cento. It was rebuilt and renovated over the centuries to meet the most modern standards of military architecture and to withstand repeated assaults by enemy troops. At the end of the 18th century, the structure, by then in decay, was turned into a prison, a function it had already sporadically performed since the 16th century. Today, the interiors are completely restored and feature rooms of artistic or historical interest, such as the fireplace room, the chapel, the triforium room, the embrasures, the dungeons.
• Piazza del Guercino: the beating heart of city life and a thermometer of popular moods, Guercino Square hosts the most important cultural, religious and folklore events in town. Two important porticoed buildings of great historical and artistic value, the Town Hall and the Governor’s Palace, form the backdrop to the square.
• The Art Gallery: after having been closed for more than ten years due to the earthquake that struck the Emilia region in 2012, the “il Guercino” Civic Art Gallery is now the main cultural venue in Cento. It houses the largest collection in the world of masterpieces by illustrious local artist Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as ‘il Guercino’ as well as his old workshop.
• Giant’s Park: the Giant’s Garden is a masterpiece of environmental art, set in a public green area in the municipality of Cento. Its story originated from the imagination of a little girl, and became reality thanks to the creativity of artist Marco Pellizzola, the collaboration of numerous students from the Academy of Fine Arts, and the contribution of various sponsors. The work features a 33-metre lizard stretched out on the lawn, a leaf measuring 5×12 metres rising towards the sky, a 13-metre blackbird perched on a small hill… and then shooting stars, small fish, flowers and water lilies, dozens and dozens of birds escaped from their cages, signs, symbols and fragments of dreamlike architecture inspired by the natural world, for a fast-paced sequence of shapes and images coloured by thousands of ceramic mosaic fragments.
• The Carnival of Cento: recognised as a National Historic Carnival by the Ministry of Culture and as a Regional Historic Carnival by the Emilia-Romagna Region. The undisputed protagonist is the parade of allegorical floats, enormous papier-mâché monuments up to 20 metres high, resulting from the long and skilful craftsmanship of the masters of the five Cento Carnival Associations. While the colourful costumed figures and characters accompany the parade, a rainbow of prizes and gifts is poured onto the public from the highest towers of the floats. The carnival concludes with the reading of the “Will of TASI”, the traditional mask of Cento, and the ritual burning of the straw and papier-mâché puppet that represents him.