A visit suitable for groups and families that offers a glimpse of the quiet and placid landscape of the "Bassa", the area near the river Po, which is distinguished by the presence of beautiful castles and characteristic villages. Winter fog and summer heat are fundamental ingredients for some typical local products such as Culatello di Zibello and Spalla Cruda di Palasone and are part of the charm of this territory that has inspired musicians such as Giuseppe Verdi and writers such as Giovanni Guareschi.
A tour in close contact with nature, thanks to the presence of the main embankment that runs along the river bed and that is passable for long stretches.
Among the places not to be missed, included in our itineraries, are the Rocca di Fontanellato, the Rocca di Soragna, the Castle of Roccabianca, the Castle of San Secondo and the Labyrinth of Masone.
The “Prosciutto di Parma” (from the Latin perexsuctum, literally “dry”) is a tasty and authentic product whose origins date back to antiquity. It is produced only with pork and salt. It owes its characteristics to the skill of the salt Masters and the dry and delicate air of the fragrant hills around Parma. A tour of a "prosciuttificio" (ham facility) lets you see the salting, drying and refining of the ham and to discover its secrets.
Absolutely recommended the tasting: prosciutto, homemade bread and a glass of Malvasia!
Always regarded as the most valuable and tasty deli of Parmesan tradition, Culatello di Zibello appears in the Slow Food catalogue of Emilia-Romagna and is defined as the king of deli meats. Made from the thigh of a pig introduced into a bladder, it is only worked in 9 villages of the “Bassa Parmense” area and refined for at least 10 months in the humid cellars close to the banks of the Po River.
Tasting is mandatory!
The grape varieties of the Parma hills that accompany the dishes of traditional cuisine to perfection are the aromatic Malvasia di Candia, the Barbera, the Bonarda and, of course, the Lambrusco. Young and sparkling wines, combining lightness and cheerfulness. The tour of a wine cellar on the southern hills of the city lets them be tasted in association with typical local products, first of all the famous PDO (Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Culatello di Zibello) that exalt their qualities.
Produced exclusively with fresh milk with no preservatives, it is the fruit of a thousand-year tradition. A tour of a cheese factory will let you discover Parmigiano Reggiano P.D.O., the creation, salting and spectacular refining of the wheels.
You cannot miss the final tasting. Our guides are A.P.R. ( Parmigiano Reggiano Certified Taster), thanks to their indications you will be able to appreciate the characteristics of the different maturing times and the use of the King of cheeses in cooking.
Standing on its outcrop of the first hills of Modena, overlooking the Panaro Valley, the “Rocca” is among the most interesting examples of fortified architecture in Emilia. Standing on its dominant outcrop of the first hills of Modena, the Panaro Valley, the “Rocca” is among the most interesting examples of fortified architecture in Emilia. Although it was mentioned in documents from the 12th century, it was under the domination of the Este family and the investiture of Uguccione Contrari that the castle became a refined manor house.
Its imposing mass is softened inside thanks to the frescoes among which are those of the Chapel of Uguccione, an international Gothic jewel defined by the historian Carlo Arturo Quintavalle as “one of the most vivid and intense experiences among the Emilian works of the period” (A.C. Quintavalle, I freschi di Vignola e la pittura emiliana del primo Quattrocento, in "Arte Antica e Moderna", 1962).
The Consortium of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar in Modena guarantees the quality and the use of the traditional method for the production of this magical condiment, which is a real panacea for the palate and the spirit.
Traditional balsamic vinegar comes only from cooked grape must which, year after year, is aged slowly in wooden barrels with decanting that give the product unique flavors: tasting the different degrees of ripeness is an experience for true gourmets.
Ferrari, Lamborghini, De Tomaso : these names make the hearts of millions of people passionate about speed beat, fascinated by cars that have always been a real status symbol ... a mirage, for more, but since dreaming is a right, why not take a day to discover the territories where excellent mechanics originate? Itinera Emilia invites you to Modena, the capital of engines and a land where the thrill of speed and the charm of custom-built cars come together in a passion that has remained unchanged over time.
An itinerary can only begin near the historic center, in Largo Garibaldi, where there is the monument dedicated to Enzo Ferrari, founder of the mythical house of the prancing horse. Not far away, Viale Trento e Trieste hosted the first Ferrari workshop in the 1930s. In the city there are also two important private museums, the Stanguellini Historical Car Museum and above all the Car and vintage motorcycles Museum Umberto Panini , which presents one of the most complete collections of Maserati, a brand now controlled by Ferrari.
However, the place that most evokes the legend is Maranello, a center of production of extraordinary cars, and an obligatory arrival point of this route.
At the gates of the town is the Private Ferrari Track, test site for racing cars that will then whiz on the roads all over the world then you will meet the actual factory and finally the Galleria Ferrari , the goal of this pilgrimage dedicated to the myth-machine. In a crescendo of suggestions, thanks to models, trophies, films, the most exciting victories are relived, the most loved champions are remembered, one lets oneself go to the desire to fulfill a dream: to get behind the wheel of a "red". An innovative structure then completes the visit: the Wind tunnel , created by architect Renzo Piano in order to study aerodynamics.
And not far from Modena, in Sant’Agata Bolognese in the province of Bologna, it is possible to realize another dream: to see the birth of a Lamborghini! At the company you can visit the museum with historical models and be accompanied inside to see the assembly of a Gallardo or a Murcielago ...
This itinerary therefore intends to arouse enthusiasm, pay homage to a vibrant passion and, why not, leave an indelible trace imprinted in the memory of those who participate.
The classic itinerary winds through the old town, touching the Ducal Palace which belonged to the Este, the area of the ancient Jewish Ghetto and the Synagogue, the Piazza Grande with the Town Hall and the Theater named after the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
The marvelous Cathedral of San Gimignano, considered a masterpiece of the Romanesque style, is a "book of stone" that, with an extraordinary sculptural decoration that extends over the façade, portals, capitals and metopse, has been telling the fantastic imaginary of the Middle Ages for over a thousand years; adjacent is the Ghirlandina tower . Both monuments are evidences of medieval history and, due to their inestimable value, belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A walk in the center of Bologna hunting for the treasures of a city famous, throughout the world, for its good food. Our tour starts with the joy of colors and sounds of the Mercato delle Erbe (Herb Market) to arrive, a few steps from San Petronio and the Two Towers, in the heart of the Mercato Vecchio (Old Market).
Tastings of handmade pasta, cold cuts, cheeses, ice cream, amazing appetizers, all seasoned with the story of the places and products met along the way.
Light and tasty itinerary suitable for everyone.
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Our classic itinerary includes Piazza Maggiore, with the Palazzo d'Accursio and the Basilica of San Petronio, crosses the Mercato Vecchio (Old Market) with a stop at the Archiginnasio and the Church of Santa Maria della Vita and arrives at the Two Towers. Not to be missed are the complex of the Seven Churches in Piazza Santo Stefano and the church of San Giacomo Maggiore in the university district.
At the end of the tour, a peek at the small window of Via della Piella is a must, revealing how Bologna was once... navigable!
Bologna also offers a very rich pictorial heritage, which ranges from the masters of the sixteenth century between the Renaissance and Mannerism, to the school of Carracci, Guido Reni and Guercino.
The itinerary allows you to retrace the traces of one of the greatest female figures of the medieval era, Countess Matilda di Canossa. Between the 11th and 12th centuries Matilda ruled a powerful state, which from Mantua reached almost as far as Rome, defended by a fortified system of castles and towers. Many of these places are now in ruins, but the territory still preserves the traces of that glorious past.
Even the names of the places evoke events and episodes of history: Canossa, very famous for the meeting between Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII in 1077, although in ruins it still stands mighty on the high cliff that dominates the horizon and a landscape made even more suggestive by the presence of the gullies.
Bianello
The only castle still visible of the fortifications that stood on four hills dominating the current town of Quattro Castella, where, every year, the appointment of Matilda as vicar of Italy by the Emperor Henry V. episode is represented through the Matildic Historical Parade of Quattro Castella at the end of spring.
Carpineti
Another mighty castle today reduced to a few ruins but immersed in a breathtaking landscape, still rich in suggestions due to the presence of tower-houses and ancient parish churches.
Rossena
Recognizable by the red color of the rock on which it is placed, the castle of Rossena has been preserved over time, retaining its mighty original appearance. Not far away, reachable on foot, stands the Rossenella watchtower, which was part of the defensive system of the Matildic territory.
Other castles and residences outside the city
Montecchio : built in the era of Matilde, the castle retains its medieval appearance. The itinerary includes a visit to the underground and the ascent to the Torrione.
Scandiano : the poet Matteo Maria Boiardo was born in the castle, where Francesco Petrarca, Calvino and Pope Paolo III Farnese stayed. Giovan Battista Aleotti gave it its present shape and the Este family transformed it into an elegant mansion.
Correggio : here is the splendid Palazzo dei Principi, home of the da Correggio, lords of these lands in the Renaissance era. It is accessed through the elegant sixteenth-century portal.
Novellara : from medieval fortress to noble residence under the Gonzaga family, the Rocca di Novellara, with richly decorated grotesque rooms, houses a museum that preserves splendid 16th century apothecary jars, a small theater of the nineteenth century and works by Augusto Daolio, unforgotten leader of the “I Nomadi” complex.
Guastalla : the Palazzo Ducale, founded in the fifteenth century, reached its maximum splendor in the second half of the sixteenth century, under Ferrante II Gonzaga. The building is currently undergoing restoration.
Boretto, Brescello, Gualtieri, Guastalla, Luzzara, Novellara, Poviglio, Reggiolo: all centers of the "Bassa" Reggio area united by the presence of the Great River that has always flowed over these lands, characterizing their culture, economy, history and traditions.
The visit of Novellara, with the & nbsp; Rocca dei Gonzaga , the rich Museum, the historic Traditional Acetaia di Aceto Basamico di Reggio Emilia can be combined with a navigation route on the Po: a special day with the relaxed rhythm of the Great River.
The small but well-kept Museum inside the Rocca preserves some fragments of frescoes by Lelio Orsi da Novellara, portraits of the Gonzaga family, and the furnishings of the ancient apothecary.
"Here is the country, the small world of a small world, planted somewhere in Northern Italy. There in that flat, fat slice of land between the Po river and the Apennines ..." Giovanni Guareschi's words find their fulfillment in Brescello, a small town in the Lower Po Valley, which has become the natural setting for the heroes Don Camillo and Peppone.
An itinerary unfolds here that includes a visit to the places made famous by the cinema screen and which ends in the Museum where photographs and memorabilia related to films are collected . It is possible to combine this path with the & nbsp; Verdi's places & nbsp; in the Parma area, due to the common origin of Guareschi and Verdi.
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