Crossroads - Jazz and more in Emilia-Romagna (Bagnacavallo stop)

Crossroads, the thousand miles of jazz in Emilia-Romagna

Crossroads is one of the longest-running and most widespread jazz festivals in Italy: a travelling event that every year crosses the entire Emilia-Romagna region, stopping in over twenty towns with a packed programme of concerts from March to July. The organisation is handled by Jazz Network ETS, in collaboration with the Culture Department of the Emilia-Romagna Region and with the support of the Ministry of Culture. The festival's distinctive feature is its international scope combined with its local presence: from grand theatres to small villages, jazz truly reaches every corner of the region.

Bagnacavallo and the San Francesco Cloister

In the Municipality of Bagnacavallo, in the heart of the Bassa Romagna area in the province of Ravenna, Crossroads finds one of its most fascinating settings: the Cloister of the San Francesco Complex, at Via Cadorna 10. The space of the ancient Franciscan convent, with its portico and intimate acoustics, transforms for one evening into an ideal stage for listening to live jazz. It is an eagerly awaited event of the Bagnacavallo summer, organised in collaboration with the Culture Department of the Municipality of Bagnacavallo.

A curated programme

Crossroads' strength lies in its eclecticism: alongside international stars, there is space for historical masters of improvisation, emerging talents, and an extraordinary variety of styles. The Bagnacavallo stop favours intimate ensembles – duos and trios – capable of enhancing the cloister setting: voices and guitars ranging from classic jazz to songwriting, from manouche to Mediterranean melodies. Over the years, the festival as a whole has hosted names such as Pat Metheny, Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Richard Galliano, and Hamid Drake.

Why it's worth it

• Songwriter concerts in a historic and evocative setting, the Franciscan cloister of Bagnacavallo.
• Intimate and high-level ensembles, ideal for close listening.
• Affordable ticket prices compared to major city concerts.
• An opportunity to discover the historic centre of Bagnacavallo, one of the most characteristic villages in Romagna.

Bagnacavallo, famous for its unique elliptical Piazza Nuova and the vibrant cultural scene of the Bassa Romagna, confirms its role as a musical hub of Emilia-Romagna with Crossroads.