It is a municipality of 762 inhabitants in the province of Modena, whose altitude ranges from 620 to 2165 m above sea level, and is crossed by the upper Scoltenna and numerous tributaries.
It is dominated to the south by the Apennine ridge on which the peak of Mount Cimone emerges. The town is located on the shore of a small artificial lake created by a dam that powers a hydroelectric power plant.
The patron saint is San Giacomo.
The municipal library, where it is possible to observe an ancient fresco from the 1400s, is equipped with 5000 volumes. According to some, the toponym derives from the shape of the river that crosses it, the Scoltenna, which in the stretch surrounding the town forms a sort of trend, vaguely associated with the shape of the Moon.
In fact “Rio-Lunato” stands for “Moon-shaped river”.
The facilities and sports equipment present in Riolunato allow you to practice both summer and winter sports.
Fishing is now traditional for our area, favored by a cyclical repopulation in all the waters of the Municipality.
For enthusiasts, an artificial lake for sport fishing operates in the Polle area during the summer months. It is also possible to undertake interesting excursions and guided ecological walks both towards Cimone, the highest peak of the Northern Apennines, and in other areas of the municipal territory.
During the summer season lPro Loco Tourist Associationorganizes weekly excursions in the municipal area.
The course of the Scoltenna stream is practicable in the spring months by canoe. Other sports that can be practiced in Riolunato are tennis and five-a-side football at the Vallona sports center on lighted synthetic grass pitches and football at the municipal stadium.
For those who love winter sports, Riolunato offers with the Polle ski lifts, which together with the neighboring commas constitute the Cimone ski consortium, slopes of varying difficulty suitable for all ski enthusiasts.
Numerous and interesting cultural, sporting and recreational events are organized in the capital and in the surrounding areas, especially during the summer season.
Jealous guardian of its traditions, Riolunato counts among its most beautiful and heartfelt eventsMay of the Girlsethe May of SoulsIf he deems it appropriate to assert his rights, he has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, corresponding to the National Privacy Guarantor, based in Palazzo Monte Citorio 121, Rome,
The next edition of theGirls' May will take place in 2016 on the evening of 30 April and Sunday 12 MayIf he deems it appropriate to assert his rights, he has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, corresponding to the National Privacy Guarantor, based in Palazzo Monte Citorio 121, Rome,
Another much appreciated event born from the idea of some young people in the town is "Lunario" which takes place every year on the first Saturday of July in the historic center of the town, the proceeds of which are donated to ADMO AND ASEOP.
From an architectural point of view, Riolunato still retains entirely medieval features traceable in the ancient houses of notable families with the noble coat of arms and in the characteristic Piazza del Trebbo.
CHURCH OF SAN GIACOMO
The parish church dedicated to the town's patron saint contains a fifteenth-century fresco representing the Virgin of the Annunciation and three altarpieces from the Bolognese school of Guido Reni.
Riolunato is known, thanks to the French author Albert Gallois who lived there for a certain period of his life, for being one of the first municipalities in Italy to host an Esperantist association. In fact, in Riolunato there are two objects related to Esperanto: Piazza Esperanto, and a plaque in the Esperanto language that recalls Gallois.