Discover what to do in Sanguinetto: the castle of Sanguinetto, the ancient Rofioi festival, the church of San Giorgio Martire. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Sanguinetto?
The municipality of Sanguinetto borders to the north with Concamarise, to the northeast with Cerea, to the northwest with Salizzole, to the south and east with Casaleone, to the west with Nogara and Gazzo Veronese.
The castle of Sanguinetto
Located in Via Dietro Castello, the majestic exposed-brick fortification was built in the second half of the 14th century at the behest of the powerful Scaliger family to protect their fiefdom.
Arranged around a porticoed cloister punctuated by wide round arches, the quadrangular architectural complex is defended by imposing towers with swallowtail merlons and a keep adorned with machicolations, surrounded by magnolias, cedars, and cypresses.
If you’re wondering what to do in Sanguinetto and wish to immerse yourself in the fairy-tale atmosphere of a fascinating medieval fortress, visiting the castle of Sanguinetto will be an unforgettable experience.
The ancient Rofioi festival
The event originally took place on September 12 on the occasion of the Holy Name of Mary. Today the ancient Rofioi festival is held every second Sunday of September. The 2023 edition of the Rofioi festival took place from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 September in the main streets and squares of Sanguinetto.
Organized by the Proloco le Contrà, the traditional event promotes the rofioi, the most representative sweet of the Sanguinetto community. Flour, sugar, cedrini (candied citron), milk, eggs, butter, amaretti, cocoa, almonds, and grappa are some of the ingredients that, according to a secret recipe handed down since the 19th century, are skillfully measured to create the exquisite artisanal fried sweet.
Since the sweet is produced exclusively by hand in the municipality of Sanguinetto, participating in the ancient Rofioi festival is an ideal opportunity to taste this renowned DeCo (municipal designation) sweet specialty.
The historic heart of the village will also be enlivened during the festival days by large amusement parks with rides sparkling with colorful electric lights, a rich charity raffle, musical performances, and dance evenings on comfortable steel dance floors, as well as spacious and comfortable dining areas where you can choose between exquisite local specialties, both hearty and gourmet, to enjoy with cold mugs of beer and local wine excellence.
If you’re wondering what to do in Sanguinetto, the ancient Rofioi festival is an event dedicated to those who want to spend time in a charming medieval town with live music, dance evenings, and mouth-watering food and wine specialties!
For more information about the ancient Rofioi festival, you can visit the Facebook page Pro Loco le Contrà Sanguinetto and the website prolocolecontra.it.
The church of San Giorgio Martire
Located at Piazza Duomo, 1, the church of San Giorgio Martire is one of the most fascinating architectural landmarks of the municipality. Framed by a pleasant garden where a cedar, a maple, a beech, palms, and splendid oleanders grow, the place of worship faces a charming small cobbled square, bordered to the east by Corso Emanuele II, where two pale olive trees, a palm, and a lush San Bartolomeo tree grow.
The church is distinguished by a monumental neoclassical facade, with a double slope, vertically tripartite by two pairs of Ionic semi-columns resting on high bases. On the sides of the portal, two niches open: on the left, the statue of San Giorgio, depicted with sword, shield, military cloak, and the dragon at his feet; on the right, the statue of San Giuseppe, recognizable by the axe he holds in his right hand.
The massive wooden portal is surmounted by a projecting triangular tympanum supported by two sinuous corbels. Above the semi-columns stand out the architrave, the frieze, and the triangular pediment crowned by an elaborate metal cross.
The vast and bright single nave of the church is embellished with precious altars in polychrome marbles and splendid frescoes that adorn the ceiling and the apse.
