The Castles of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza are scattered in the blooming land which extends from the Po Valleys to the Apennine Mountains; once residence of the most ancient dynasties, they are nowadays living testimonies of the rich cultural heritage of the Emilian area. The route starts from Palazzo Farnese, which houses the Municipal Museums in Piacenza, and continues in Rivalta, in the flourishing Val Trebbia, where the country house with a fairy atmosphere is reflected in the waters of the river, whose banks saw the Roman legions confront the Carthaginians, commanded by Hannibal, and their elephants, in one of the most famous battles of the Second Punic War. The trip concludes at the Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato, where is kept one of the masterpieces of Italian Mannerism, the hall with the myth of Diane and Acteon painted in 1524 by Parmigianino.

Palazzo Farnese, Carlo Pagani, 2015 | © Archivio Comune di Piacenza

 

Piacenza rises almost at the end of the ancient way which stretches from the Adriatic Sea down to the Po, on the right bank of the longest Italian river, at the border between Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy; a crossroads position that has been always setting the town in a major cultural sphere, from which Emilian as well as Milanese contaminations do originate. The foundation of Placentia, the original name of the town, given to it by the Romans enchanted by so much prosperity and beauty, goes back to 218 b.C., a date which places it amongst the first colonies of Latin right in Northern Italy. The town reaches the top of its splendour in the Middle Ages, as testified by the great Romanesque cathedral, erected with the contribution of the flourishing merchant and craft guilds, and by Palazzo Gotico, whose walls overlook Piazza Cavalli, heart of the historic centre, which is embellished with Mochi’s seventeenth-century equestrian statues. The fame of Piacenza starts shining again in the sixteenth century thanks to Margaret of Parma, daughter of Emperor Charles V: we owe to the new duchess of Parma and Piacenza the will to build a royal palace as a symbol of the power regained by the Farnese family. The imposing and stately massive structure of the Palazzo is the work of the architect Jacopo Barozzi, called Vignola, one of the most representative of the late Renaissance and a central figure of the manneristic phase. Today the magnificent ducal residence is an icon of the town and the museum which keeps the art of a millenary journey, marked by the passage of noblemen, traders, pilgrims and masters who wanted to leave their mark here; a common thread which takes the visitor from the early Palaeolithic finds to the great nineteenth-century canvases, passing through the major works of the five collections of Palazzo Farnese: the Liver of Piacenza, an Etruscan unicum of extraordinary value, and the tondo portraying the Madonna with the Young St John, painted by Sandro Botticelli. The visitor will find of great interest the Museum of Coaches, hosted in the basement of the mansion, which is one of the most prestigious in Italy due to the number, the variety and the integrity of its pieces. 
www.palazzofarnese.piacenza.it 

An enchanted Castle along a quiet river

Rivalta Castle is a lavish noble manor, located along Trebbia river, in the province of Piacenza and surrounded by its beautiful park. It introduces itself with the unique silhoutte of its “torresino” (main tower). Among its historical guests, there are some components of the English Royal Family. Historically, Rivalta was one of Emilia’s main military bastions and is still inhabited by Counts Zanardi Landi, a branch of the Landi noble family, that has owned it since the fourteenth century. You will discover wonderful spaces with decorations from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: the Castle is entirely furnished and is home to the new Musaeum of the Military Costume, with a display dedicated to 90 military uniforms from Risorgimento up to second World War and banners of Christian vessels from the Lepanto battle. The Honour Salon, the dining room, the kitchen, prisons, bedrooms, the tower, the room of arms, the gallery and the Billiard room can be visited; cellars with their refined wines are also a “must-visit”. Rivalta is also a wonderful borough, that offers 12 luxury rooms, located inside an old noble manor. The Castle is also a perfect location for feasts and banquets, wedding parties and meetings. Rivalta Castle is combined with the Tarot “The Sun” in the itinerary called “Misteries of the Duchy” elaborated by Castelli del Ducato di Parma e Piacenza and supported by Provincia di Piacenza and Regione Emilia-Romagna.

www.castellidelducato.it 

Castello di Rivalta | © Archivio Castelli del Ducato di Parma e Piacenza