Gorgognano

Starting from Botteghino di Zocca, it is possible to travel a stretch of Via del Fantini to Gorgognano, a tiny village that was completely destroyed during the bombing of World War II. The only part that has remained more or less intact is the cemetery, while one can only guess where the church and dwellings once stood, thanks to a few stones left to this day. The place, surrounded by greenery, is cared for and kept alive thanks to the cultural and artistic initiatives of a group of volunteers, who have made it a true memorial.

Not far from Gorgognano one reaches a very interesting small paleontological site, well "marked" by an installation that one would not expect to see on a hill: a whale! In fact, here in 1965 the skeleton of a whale dating back to the Pliocene, that is, to the period when the Zena Valley was part of the Bolognese Inter-Apennine Basin, was found by a farmer. A visit to this work of art is certainly very impressive, as well as a visit to the Capellini Museum in Bologna, where the remains of the real whale from the Zena valley are preserved.