Solarolo (Romagnol: Slarôl) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Ravenna in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Bologna and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Ravenna.
Solarolo borders the following municipalities: Bagnara di Romagna, Castel Bolognese, Cotignola, Faenza, Imola.
It is known for being singer Laura Pausini's home town.
The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Ruins of a village were found: the settlement was active between 1600 and 1200 B.C. and it was organized in distinct clusters separated by trenches; evidence of bovine rearing and cultivation of cereals was found.[3][4]Starting from 187 B.C., an intense activity of centuriation was performed by the Romans and this is still visible nowadays in the lattice of the streets in the countryside; villae were also built in this lattice.[5]
The toponym Solarolus appears for the first time in 993 as the name of an acreage and only in 1138 as Castrum Solarolii connected with a fortification. During the following centuries, the area of Solarolo changed several dominations, mainly by the families Manfredi, Borgia, Gonzaga, Este.[5]
During the 17th century, Solarolo became part of the Papal States and, during the 19th century, of the newborn Kingdom of Italy.
Solarolo is twinned with:
Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, Italy, since 1999
Kirchheim am Ries, Germany, since 1999