Porretta Terme is a town set on rivers: the oldest part dating back to the 13th-14th century is set along the path of the River Rio Maggiore. The development of the urban centre beside the River Reno dates back to the first years of the 19th century, after the opening of the Porrettana to traffic around the 1850s and the railway line in 1864. The Rio Maggiore characterizes the urban structure of the ancient centre: from the narrow and long squares, to the streets aligned parallel to each other and to the river. The nineteenth-century part of the village is characterized by three main axis that run parallel to each other: the river, the road and the railway. Via Falcone, Via Ranuzzi and Via Delle Terme belong to the ancient part of the town and their old appearance is almost entirely preserved. The name Via Falcone has an unusual origin, proving that some taverns once existed with external signs in wrought iron representing animal figures. Following one of the roads Via Matteotti or Via delle Terme which run alongside the River Rio or crossing over Via Falcone, you reach Terme Alte (High Spa), a place where you can breathe the air of ancient thermal baths. In the second half of the 14th century the first hotels were built here. You can now find the thermal establishments Leone Bovi, Marte Reale e Donzelle, which were rebuilt in the 19th century. Near Via Falcone you can find Ponte dei Sospiri, which connects Via Matteotti with Via delle Terme. The bridge was an archway on which the town clock was located, it was destroyed in the years between the two World Wars in order to make space for a new building, Casa del Fascio, with its typical style of the fascist period. The clock’s components have been reused within the clock of the church bell tower. Ponte dei Sospiri leads you to Piazza della Libertà, the beating heart of Porretta centre, where apart from the ex Casa del Fascio, another interesting building is present, this was also built in typical fascist period style: the town hall. In place of today’s town hall, which was erected in 1930, there used to be a little theatre, which was built in 1771-72. This theatre was replaced by the Kursaal which was built in Via Mazzini in 1910.

The Christmas Crib, also called “Crib of Friars” has been prepared since 2000 in the church basement of Porretta’s Capuchins. The crib is traditional but it also represents the last part of Jesus’s earthly life. This great crib extends to an area of 250 sq.m and its creators are Leonardo Antonelli and Francesco Mascagni, who copied with precision and patience the life of Palestinian villages at the time of Jesus. This crib replicates life of that time, it therefore evokes everyday actions for example, the blacksmith working iron, the potter shaping his clay, the cobbler working leather, the textile worker sitting at the loom, the laundress by the river, the farmer ploughing the ground and the shepherd watching over the flock. You can also listen to the cock crowing, the sheep bleating and many more sounds. These are everyday scenes that represent moments from that time.

The Church was built in a neoclassical style and is very large: it is 12 metres wide and 43 metres long. The building has been erected on the ruins of a fortress, it is thus situated on a higher area compared to the town centre. It was built in the 17th century and it has a latin-cross plan with a singular, central nave. The facade is barren and simple. In the interior we can find a beautiful marble baptismal font, a wooden crucifix dating back to 1630 and several paintings among which, a Madonna with Saints, attributed to Tiarini. The bell tower was erected in 1810, where we can now find the clock that was previously located on the “ Ponte dei Sospiri.”

The origins of this small and particular Sanctuary date back to the middle of the 16th century, with the construction of a holy shrine. The back wall was made up of a rock on which a Madonna was painted. The small shrine was transformed into a small oratory between 1578 and 1585. The original image of the Madonna painted on the rock was replaced with a painting by Alessandro Berti at the beginning of the 16th century. The construction of the Church, as we can see it today, dates back to 1874. It has an octagonal layout made of chiselled sandstone. Some interesting artwork can be found inside the Sanctuary created by Bolognese painters, in particular Samoggia and Guardassoni. According to tradition, many miracles occured in the Sanctuary and have been documented in historical texts. In 1956 the small chapel “Sacrario del Cestista”, dedicated to the Madonna, Protector of basketball players, was inaugurated within the Sanctuary. Madonna del Ponte has recently been chosen as the patron of Italian basketball thanks to the citizens and local administration of Porretta and to the Italian Basketball Federation.

“Porretta Soul Festival, Tribute to Otis Redding” has been the most prestigious European meeting entirely dedicated to Soul music and Rhythm & Blues since 1988. There is a particular reference to Memphis’ music, Memphis’ sound and the music school of the great Otis Redding, to whom the festival is dedicated. The festival was founded on 10th December 1987 by Graziano Uliani, a fan of Soul music, who decided to organize a festival in honour of Otis Redding after taking part in the celebration for the 20th anniversary of his death in Macon, Georgia. The most famous Soul music exponents have been performing in Porretta over the last 30 years; many of them have been to Europe for the first time specifically for the festival, while others have been recruited in isolated localities in the south of the United States. The festival is twinned with the prestigious Stax Museum of American Soul Music and with the Centre for Southern Folklore in Memphis. In February 2017 the Soul Festival received the Keeping Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis. Porretta has dedicated a road to Otis Redding, a park to Rufus Thomas and a bridge to Solomon Burke. Furthermore, some murals representing Sam Cooke and Rufus Thomas have been realized in the town centre.

The Soul Museum, inaugurated on 12th April 2019, is situated in the centre of Porretta, in the passageway that exhibits the mural in honour of Sam Cooke. It’s dedicated to over 30 years of Soul and Rhythm & Blues music in the thermal village and to its protagonists. The route, that starts from the posters of the first edition, testifies to the passage of Soul in Porretta, exhibiting in particular costumes, shoes and personal objects donated by many artists who have taken part in various editions of the festival, beginning with Rufus Thomas, Solomon Burke, Bobby Rush and Millie Jackson. Among the many curiosities, visitors can admire the costumes worn by Rufus Thomas in the first edition of the festival in 1988, the harmonica donated by Bobby Rush, winner of the Grammy Award in 2017 for Blues, the 1959 harmonica M. Hohner. and many other memorabilia that will delight the fans who visit the museum. There is also a rich collection of photos and signed posters from artists and a vast audio visual archive.

After Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas and Solomon Burke, a fourth soul artist entered into Porretta Terme's toponymy, a place where every year a festival dedicated to this musical genre is held. On 26th October 2018 in the passageway opposite the entrance to the Soul Festival's museum, the mural was unveiled that portrays Sam Cooke. A singer defined by many people as the "King of Soul" for his undeniable influence on this kind of music, The artist, born on 22nd January 1931 in Clarksdale in Mississipi, died in mysterious circumstances in Los Angeles on 11th December 1964, he was also a composer and a record producer of Gospel music, R&B, soul and pop. He also founded a record label and a publishing company. The work of art was created by the painter Alice Palmieri, creator also of the mural dedicated to Rufus Thomas, which can be found in the square in the town centre.

Porretta Terme is known worldwide mostly thanks to the Soul Festival, an event that began in 1987 and still continues today. The most famous artists of Soul music and Rhythm & Blues have been here. Among the best known American artists we remember Rufus Thomas and Solomon Burke. Their importance is so great that several spaces in the city have been named after them. While Rufus Thomas was still alive, the park situated in the city centre was named after him and every year concerts of the Soul Festival are held there. Rufus Thomas, who attended The Soul Festival as many as six times, certainly was one of the most famous American singers ever in the Soul and R&B world. For over fifty years the artist has represented the essence of Memphis music: from Rhythm & Blues to Soul and funky. He is known worldwide for his soul music hits such as Funky Chicken, Push and Pull and The Dog. Also dedicated to him is a mural created by the painter Alice Palmieri, this can be found at the corner between Piazza della Libertà and Vicolo Rossetto.

Porretta Terme has become world-famous thanks mainly to the Soul Fesival, an event that began in 1987 and continues to this day. The most famous artists of Soul music and Rhythm and Blues have performed here. Among the most important American singers are Rufus Thomas and Solomon Burke. Their importance is so great that certain areas of the city have been dedicated to them. At the corner of the central Piazza della Libertà and Vicolo Rossetto, there is a mural in honour of Rufus Thomas created by the painter Alice Palmieri, it was inaugurated on 19th July 2015. Rufus Thomas was undeniably one of the most famous American singers of all time in the world of Soul and R&B music. For over fifty years, the artist was the essence of Memphis music: from Rhythm and Blues, to Soul and funky. Known worldwide for his Soul music hits such as Funky Chicken, Push and Pull and The Dog. At Porretta Terme, where the artist performed six times, a park was also dedicated to him during his lifetime.

Porretta Terme has become famous worldwide thanks to the Soul Festival, an event that started in 1987 and still continues today. The most famous Soul music and Rhythm & Blues artists have been here. Among the most important American artists who have performed here are Rufus Thomas and Salomon Burke. Since they are so important, areas of the city have been dedicated to them. The main bridge of the city, that crosses the river Reno, has been dedicated to Salomon Burke as a sign of affection and gratitude and it’s thus called “The Salomon Burke Bridge”. Salomon Burke, also known as “The King of Rock ’n’ Soul”, was one of the most original interpreters of black music. His powerful voice, his impressive stature, his debut as a gospel singer, made him a fantastic interpreter of Soul music. He was the first American singer to perform in Porretta in 1987; he returned to Porretta for further editions of the festival, in particular in 1990, 1998, 2003 and 2009.

The High Spa consists of several buildings, called Leone Bovi, Marte-Reale and Donzelle. They were built between 1830-1860 and have been used since 1880. Amongst these buildings there is one which is called Sala Bibita, that is also known as Grottino Chini and is of significant artistic value. An important finding was discovered in 1888; it is an ancient lion mask, which dates back to Roman times and is currently stored at the B.A.M. in Porretta Terme. Visitors can also find a reproduction of it in the location of the Low Spa. The name of the Leone Bovi building originated from this mask. The lion was associated with the ancient legend of a sick, old ox which was freed from his owner, a farmer. The ox drunk the spring water and was immediately healed. As a result, people began to believe in the power of the source and to use it as a thermal watering place. The image of the ox is represented today in the town hall of Porretta/Alto Reno Terme.

In this little room that overlooks the square of Terme Alte (High Spa) and is placed between the buildings Marte-Reale and Donzelle, people could drink thermal water. In the interior you can find the ancient springs Leone and Donzelle. It’s also known by the name Grottino Chini because of its vaulted ceiling, which resembles a little cave. The artist Galileo Chini, an important Italian exponent of the Liberty style, made the beautiful tiles of majolica that cover the floor and the internal walls at the beginning of the 20th century. Workers from the Chini factory in Borgo San Lorenzo made over 5600 tiles of painted and perfectly decorated ceramic to cover the walls. The squared, rectangular and round tiles are multicoloured with reliefs and decorations that cover the two laterals sittings. In front of the entrance you can admire a fantastic large tree that stands out on the blue painted sky; under the painting there is a frame made of many lions’ muzzles that recall the symbol of the Spa. On the two lateral walls there are two round medallions with the image of a drinking ox and two tiles with the letters STP (the acronym for “Società delle Terme di Porretta”) in Liberty style, just like those on top of the springs Leone and Donzelle. On the mouldings of the door, the brand of the Fornaci factory San Lorenzo has been manually painted.

The therapeutic quality of Porretta's thermal water has been known since ancient times for its effectiveness in the care of the body and in treating illness. Water from both sulphurous and salsobromoiodiche springs from the numerous thermal sources, have characteristics that make them exceptional. The concentration of elements, essential for the proper functioning of our organism, is particularly high. In particular, salsobromoiodic water gushing from the bed of the River Rio Maggiore at the top of the town is rich in trace elements, salt and iodine. These act very effectively on the central nervous system, they have an anti-inflammatory action on the tissues, they are antiseptic on skin and mucous and stimulate the secretion of numerous hormones. On the other hand, the sulphurous water, which emerges to the left of the River Reno, contains a gas, hydrogen sulphide, which allows sulphur to carry out sedative and antispastic actions. It fluidifies mucous and protects against the recrudescence of respiratory illnesses and allergies, as well as having a regenerating effect on the skin. As a whole, the water of Porretta Terme is effective in the treatment of the locomotive apparatus, the peripheral vascular system, in the treatment of rhinogenous deafness, gastroenteric diseases, dermatological diseases and some gynecological disorders.

Porretta’s water is thermo-mineral, hot water that comes from underground and has an original purity. Thermal water differs from oligomineral water because of its temperature: thermal water is hot, while the oligomineral one is cold. Porretta’s thermal water flows from the springs in Terme Alte (High Spa) and Terme Basse (Low Spa). It originates from 2000 and 3000 metres deep underground and rises to the surface through fractures thanks to the presence of methane gas. Thermal water has different temperatures and chemical properties depending on which type of rocks and minerals it passes through during its rise to the surface. Porretta’s water is divided in two groups: 1. In the Terme Alte (High Spa) there are seven springs which have different chemical properties; they have in common their high temperature (higher than 35°C) and their salinity which is due to the presence of sodium, chlorine, bromine and iodine. This kind of water is thus called salsobromoiodic. 2. In the Terme Basse (Low Spa) there is salsobromoiodic water with a lower temperature, between 20°C and 30°C. They’re known for their sulphurous properties and are recognisable for their odour which smells like rotten eggs. This is due to the presence of sulphobacteria which breed in hot water.