Hard-Working Emilia-Romagna

The lower plains of the rivers Po and Adige form the region of Emilia-Romagna (actually two distinct regions of Italy combined into one). The landscape has been farmed from Etruscan and Roman times; since the Middle Ages the local people have been almost entirely focused on agriculture as a business, with organised trading opportunities provided by monastic orders, feudal lords and free communes. The co-operative farming system is still in working order today.

The produce of Emilia-Romagna is extremely varied and ranges from fruits and vegetables of countless kinds to grains and livestock, not to mention grapes, which are used to produce many splendid wines in the region.