Porretta Terme

Porretta Terme is a town of the Reno Valley Tuscan-Emilian Apennines in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Known since Roman times for its thermal springs, but it is also known as a center for winter sports thanks to the nearby towns of Corno alle scale, Abetone, Monte Cimone. The largest event of the city is the Porretta Soul Festival a soul music festival that usually takes place in the third week of July in Rufus Thomas Park

During WW II, in the campaign of Italy, between November 1944 and the final breaking of the Gothic Line, worked as Headquarters for the 1st Brazilian Army division.

Since December 1987, it houses a soul music festival, designed by Graziano Uliani, a passionate soul music fan, who, after attending the events in Macon, Georgia commemorating the 20th anniversary of the death of Otis Redding, decided to dedicate a festival in his honour. Thanks to some fortunate encounters, Uliani has been able to bring to Porretta most of the major soul band in the world. Porretta now has a street dedicated to Otis Redding and the park where the Porretta Soul Festival is held is named Rufus Thomas. After more than 20 years, the Porretta Soul Festival is now part of the geography of soul music and is considered the European showcase of the Memphis Sound. The festival is associated with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis and the Center For Southern Folklore in Memphis.