Cesenatico | Pit Stop

After spending several weeks working up in Emilia Romagna this year, I’ve really fallen in love with the region. So you might be hearing quite a bit about the amazing people I met there, the wonderful places I stayed in, the unique experiences I had. The Romagnoli have this huge open heart. I can honestly say they’re the kindest and most hospitable people I’ve come across in 21 years of  living here. And that includes the Sacchetti family, they of the superior B&B in Cesenatico where they think of everything.

Lovingly renovated and decorated with immodest lashings of romanticand a pinch of Provençal, Casina Le Conserve is a small detached building with its own walled garden and a wealth of beguiling hand-made detail for every occasion. Four charming rooms plus a snug suite in an annexe have exposed ceiling beams, terracotta floors, natural fabrics and soft, neutral colours. Lounging can be done in the two day rooms and in the garden, while breakfast is arranged in the café round the corner.

In the pedestrian heart of the town, the quaint piazza from which our Casina takes its name is steeped in history and much frequented by locals as well as visitors. It’s the site of underground pits (conserve) probably dating back to the 16th century, used to preserve fish and sometimes other foodstuffs in ice and packed snow: three of them have been restored here. Around them, there’s a farmers’ market every morning and live classical music on summer evenings. If the décor at the Casina is more reminiscent of a country cottage, don’t forget this is Cesenatico–by-the-sea, complete with its historic port canal and bang in the centre of the celebrated riviera romagnola, where beach holidays come with all the trimmings.