From Emilia-Romagna's northwest corner, embedded in northern central Italy, to its most southeastern point abutting the Adriatic Sea, stretches Via Emilia an ancient Roman passage that is now a busy highway. Emilia-Romagna's fruitful Po valley, along with its eastern coastline, cultivate the ingredients for the region's celebrated cuisine, enjoyed world-wide. Here is where lasagna, cannelloni, tortellini, ravioli, tagliatelle and Mortadella, otherwise known as Bologna, after the region's capital, were born.

Beaches sprawl in Ravenna, and its southern coastal neighbour, Rimini, has been chosen for several pleasure and entertainment grounds. Via Emilia travels northwesterly to Bologna, where two towers lurch carelessly, and miles of arcades lead scholars to the nearly 1,000-year-old Bologna University. A quick side trip north finds Ferrara and its fascinating cathedral, decorated with an intricate, intermittently gory, facade. Continue on the highway to Parma, whose world-renowned parmesan adheres to strict standards of quality, and the expertly cured prosciutto's calibre is carefully up. The road stops at Piacenza, finishing with a crescendo at the Piazza dei Cavalli and a stoic pair of carved horses.