The Medieval Village of Dozza: Discovering the Town of Painted Walls
Magnetic, striking and gloriously colourful, Dozza stands proudly on the crest of a hill in Emilia-Romagna, just a few minutes from Imola, looking out over the surrounding countryside with the austere elegance of its Sforza Castle, the ancient stronghold that has guarded the village for centuries. It is a rare gem: once you step through its walls, you’ll fall head over heels for it.
The Sforza Castle of Dozza: history and legend
The mighty fortress, with its imposing towers and high walls, whisks you straight back to an age of sword-wielding knights, minstrels recounting heroic deeds and ladies weaving plots and secrets. Built around 1250 and fortified at the end of the fifteenth century on the orders of Caterina Sforza, this medieval residence still holds its period furnishings, historic kitchens and bedchambers intact. Rooms that, according to local lore, are said to be home to a ghost. Many people claim to have seen the castle’s beautiful and ruthless mistress still wandering its halls to this day.
The Painted Wall Biennial: an open-air museum
As soon as you leave the castle, the house fronts erupt into an unexpected riot of colour, covered with surreal, abstract and figurative imagery. It all began in 1960, when the Painted Wall Biennial (Biennale del Muro Dipinto) was conceived. Ever since, every two years, internationally renowned painters and sculptors (among them Sebastian Matta, Bruno Saetti, Concetto Pozzati and Ennio Calabria) have been invited to create their work live, in front of the public, turning an old wall or façade into a work of art. Each artist brings their own technique and style: you’ll find frescoes, acrylic paintings, murals, bas-reliefs and even ceramic inlays.
The village is rewritten through fairy-tale scenes, portraits of animals that seem to step straight out of the stone, bold clashes of colour, and windows and balconies that don’t actually exist, opening the houses onto imaginary horizons.
Widely known as the “village of painted walls”, Dozza boasts more than a hundred works adorning its lanes and squares. It is officially one of Italy’s most beautiful villages (I Borghi più belli d’Italia) and flies the Italian Touring Club’s Orange Flag: a permanent, free-to-enter exhibition that is forever gaining new surprises.
The Emilia-Romagna Regional Wine Cellar in the castle vaults
After this immersion in colour, we head back to the castle, this time down to its cellars, where a labyrinth of underground passages once used for defence is now home to the Emilia-Romagna Regional Wine Cellar (Enoteca Regionale). Far more than a simple shop, it is a showcase for the region’s entire wine production, guiding visitors through everything from the history of wine to the character of the different denominations, with more than 1,000 labels from carefully selected producers.
The Dozza Wine Trail
The Regional Wine Cellar is also the starting point of the Dozza Wine Trail, a route of roughly 6.5 km (about four miles) that can be walked or cycled, winding between vineyards and local wineries as it reveals the scenic beauty of the countryside.
When to visit Dozza: events not to miss
If you’re thinking of visiting Dozza, our tip is to book for May and the traditional Wine Festival (Festa del Vino) (an unmissable date for food and wine lovers) or for September 2027, when the next edition of the Painted Wall Biennial is due to take place and you can discover which new works will grace these historic walls.
Read also: if you’re looking for more to fill your stay, discover all the events in Imola in 2026 and the summer evenings of Imola di Mercoledì in the old town.
Where to stay near Dozza: Podere Zampiera Vecchia
Fancy losing yourself in the medieval charm of the painted village? If you’re looking for a peaceful, welcoming agriturismo in the Imola countryside, just a few minutes from Dozza, come and stay with us at Podere Zampiera Vecchia: we’d be delighted to host you and make your stay a truly memorable one. Book now!
