The valley around Piacenza, Emilia Romagna, offers a vastness of wonderful fortresses of excellence in the food and wine field, famous all over the world.

The tour we propose is a mixture of these two peculiarities, not to be missed.

The medieval village of Castell’Arquato, very well preserved, which rises along the valley of the river Arda and is perched along a hill, dominates the surrounding landscape.This picturesque village, which rises on the left of the Arda stream, clinging to a pleasant hill of the last offshoots of the Apennines towards the Po Valley, has very remote origins. Its unique geographical position has made the town an effective bulwark of offense and natural defense for the entire valley that has suffered many war assaults during its long past.

The old town is built according to the structure of medieval villages and offers interesting monuments, churches, museums.

ITINERARY

It starts in the morning and along the way we will stop at an inn for a free lunch of your choice (we recommend the Locanda Faccini in the village). After lunch, you will take a guided tour of Castell’Arquato, afterwards, you will have the opportunity to do a wine tasting and typical local products at a wine company just 1 km from Castell’Arquato which produces 10 labels including red, white and sparkling wines.

For dinner you will then go to an Inn known in the valley for the quality of the raw materials used within the Bordo di Castell’Arquato.

For you we will book an overnight stay with breakfast at an ancient residence the Dimora Luxury B&B always in the village of Castell’Arquato.

The next morning visit and rich tasting at a renowned sausage factory in the area where in addition to visiting the shop and its production, you will have the opportunity to taste different seasonings of cold cuts.

Free lunch and in the afternoon, you will visit one of the most beautiful fortresses in the area: the Rocca Viscontea. The Rocca Viscontea built between 1342 and 1349, in 1466 it became part of the Sforza family who held it until 1707, when it was incorporated into the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. The building, all in red brick, includes two parts connected to each other: a lower rectangular enclosure, wider, arranged on two steps and a smaller one, positioned higher.
Overlooking the entire complex is the 42-meter-high keep, once isolated, pivot of urban defense and the surveillance system of the entire valley. Inside there is the Multimedia Museum of medieval life.