← Maratona del Lamone·Day trip

Faenza: The Ceramics Museum and a Flat Old Town

Faenza is the town that gave faience its name, and its International Ceramics Museum is a step-free half-day for tired legs, though it is closed on Mondays.

DurationDay trip
TransitTrenitalia regional train with a change, or about 16 km by road via the A14 Faenza exit
DepartsRussi

After the Maratona del Lamone: Faenza

The Route: Russi → Faenza → Russi Logistics: Regional train or a short drive. The organiser puts the A14 Faenza exit 16 km from Russi. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Russi ──(regional train, change likely, check timetable)──> Faenza ──(same route back)──> Russi

The Maratona del Lamone ends in Russi on a Sunday, and Faenza lies to the south-west along the Romagna plain. The organiser gives the A14 Faenza exit as 16 km from Russi, which makes it easy by car or taxi. By rail, check the Trenitalia journey planner for the date, because the trip involves a change and Sunday and Monday timetables are thinner than the weekday pattern.

April in Faenza is dry enough for walking and too early for the heat of summer. The one calendar trap is opening days. The International Ceramics Museum, known as the MIC, is open from Tuesday to Sunday between April and October, from 10:00 to 19:00, and is closed on Mondays. A trip the day after the race therefore finds the main attraction shut. Plan the visit for Tuesday, or choose Ravenna for the Monday.

The museum

The MIC holds one of the largest collections of ceramics in the world by its own account, from Faenza's tin-glazed pottery, the origin of the word faience, to modern work. A standard ticket costs €12 and concessions €9, with €2 added during temporary exhibitions, and the ticket office closes 30 minutes before the museum does. Plan two hours. The galleries are on level floors, and there are benches in the exhibition rooms.

The town

The old centre is small, flat and arcaded, and Piazza del Popolo and the cathedral are a short walk from each other. Ceramic workshops and shops are scattered through the centre, and many close on Sunday afternoons or Monday, so check hours on the door.

Getting back

Return by the same route. If the plan is to catch a train back to Russi in the evening, check the last departure before settling into dinner, because a cancelled train on a thin service leaves a taxi as the only option.