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Brento

The settlement at Brento, dating from Roman times and perhaps even earlier, is located between the Setta and Savena valleys on the ancient road leading from Bologna into Tuscany. In the 6^th century, during the Byzantine-Lombard wars, Mount Castellazzo's panoramic plateau was the site of a small byzantine fortress (kàstron Brinton). After belonging to various owners, the castle became the property of the Municipality of Bologna in the 12^th century and later fell into ruin (vestiges of the building are still visible today). At the base of Mount Castellazzo facing the Savena valley, hidden in the woods, are the few remaining ruins of the ancient Church of Sant'Anselmo, which was bombed in 1944. The town's new church, partially destroyed during WWII and subsequently rebuilt, was erected, together with the nearby Casa del Pellegrino (center for pilgrims), in 1959 by Father Olinto Marella.