If it possible to envisage Emilia-Romagna and the Republic of San Marino as a cultural hub it is also because there is a time-travelling thread connecting the development of dance that occurred during the Renaissance to items present day in this area of the Italian peninsula. The region’s ancient courts served as vital cultural centres, as they were major investors in the arts, with a particular taste for performance culture and artistic experimentation. In those times, dance was not only about entertaining, nor a simple pleasurable activity: it was a fundamental diplomatic tool. Masters from this area, such as Domenico da Piacenza, began codifying dance as an art form, establishing its techniques and theories and passing them to different families and groups of dancers. This region thus played a key role in spreading dance across Europe. In the past, dance masters moved from court to court, thus creating a network of mobile knowledge, which we now recognise as foundational to the European history of dance.
Within the Italian choreographic panorama, the region continues to play a unique role in nurturing and innovating live arts. Emilia-Romagna is undoubtedly one of Italy’s most dynamic regions. Stretching from the Apennine mountains to the Adriatic sea, its name combines two geographical areas. Emilia, the northern region, has historically been shaped by trades, and later by industrial development. Its wealth and traditions are rooted in the history of prosperous capitals of medieval origins such as Parma and Bologna. Romagna, on the other hand, boasts a distinct history. Once part of the Papal States, until Italy’s unification in 1861, Romagna is renowned for its breathtaking Byzantine art, its culinary and popular traditions, and the festive hospitality of its sandy seaside.
The Republic of San Marino, at the edge of Romagna, is one of the world’s smallest and oldest republics, and displays a strong cultural heritage alongside its long tradition of independence. Despite its size, the country attracts many visitors through its historic landmarks, museums and scenic landscape. San Marino has been investing in cultural revitalisation through the restoration of historic sites, the promotion of museums and international events, and the enhancement of its UNESCO World Heritage identity. The Republic also supports tourism and creative industries with new cultural programmes, exhibitions, and partnerships aimed at attracting international visitors and investors. In recent years, these efforts have been linked to broader economic development strategies focused on innovation, sustainability and the promotion of San Marino’s cultural heritage abroad.
Today, as a contemporary dance hub, Emilia-Romagna harmonises its sumptuous past with its traditions. It boasts a dense cooperative network of production centres, theatres, festivals, educational projects and multidisciplinary institutions dedicated to the cyclic yet tailored processes needed by the performing arts. Compared to other art fields with far richer budgets, it could still be regarded as a small-scale industry, but here the mission of creating, programming, promoting, disseminating and supporting the international exchange of dance is carried out with a refined, craftsmanship-driven approach, displaying deep local roots and connective forms of collaboration. The existence of a long-term vocational attitude towards the performing arts allows institutions as well as dance professionals to rely on a deep knowledge of the territory, a capillary presence that has boosted recognition, and the ability to accurately respond to local needs, changes, and the motivations of further perspectives.
