The name of the town derives from “doccia” (duct) and water was just the lacking element of the territory.
As a paradoxical parallel, for centuries the main source of wealth of Dozza is its quality wine.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was invaded by Germans and Lombard barbarians. In the middle 6th century it passed under the Byzantine Exarchate and then under the Carolingian Empire that in the 8th century made gift of it to the Imola Church.
At about 1150 Dozza became a free city-state. Afterwards several times it changed hands among Imola and Bologna powerful families.
Of great importance the five-year period under Caterina Sforza, Lady of Imola and Dozza, who held the fief from 1494 to 1499; in those years were built the fortress and the walls to this day surrounding the village.
After the short rule of Cesare Borgia, Dozza returned to the Vatican State. In 1528 Pope Clemente VII granted the fief to the Malvezzi family of Bologna and in 1531 to Campeggi family, giving so rise to a long dispute between the two families. At the end, through inheritance, the Malvezzi obtained the fief, with the title of Marquises Malvezzi-Campeggi. After the end of the papal rule, in 1859 Dozza was included in Bologna district.

The Sforza fortress was inhabited by the Marquises Malvezzi-Campeggi until 1960, when, on the death of the last heir, it was acquired by the town.

Thanks to our friend Giulio Pettenò for the material of this special report.