Churches - Comune di Piacenza

History
The town was founded in
218 B.C. with the augural
name of Placentia and
its birth took place between two important events,
which decided the destiny of the
Roman Empire: the Battle of the
Trebbia, which opened the doors of the Italian peninsula to Hannibal, and the deposing
of Romulus Augustulus, which marked the end of the
Western Roman Empire. The traces of its past as a Roman colony are still evident in the original plan of the
historic centre, which shows the characteristic Roman
grid system of streets. With the advent of Christianity the first buildings of worship were established in
the town: the Basilica of
Sant’Antonino, dedicated to the martyr
and patron of Piacenza, which was
built on the area
of a Roman necropolis, and the
new Episcopal
Complex, which
became an important centre of
Sant’Antonino with the banner
religious power.
of his legion
The Greek-Gothic
War and the Lombard domain led, on the one hand,
to the dissolution of the Roman Empire, on the other
to the reorganization of urban life, which was later
promoted by the Bishops and encouraged by the
Carolingian Kings. In 997, the jurisdiction of Piacenza
passed to the Earl-Bishop and the town, which happened to be along the Via Francigena (the route from
northern Europe to Rome), was flooded by numerous
pilgrims and merchants. This strategic position was
the main reason for its great demographic and economic renaissance in this period. During the Council
held in Piacenza in 1095, Pope Urban II declared his
intention to proclaim the First Crusade to free the
Holy Land. In 1126, the town became a free commune and after some decades it joined the Lombard
League in the fight against Frederick I Barbarossa, the
Emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire. After various
defeats Barbarossa signed the preliminaries to the
Peace of Constance in the basilica of Sant’Antonino
in 1183. During the centuries of municipal civilization Piacenza saw relevant urban transformations
due to political and institutional changes: the town
expanded and became a site of intense production,
especially in the textile field, as well as an important commercial and financial business centre. It also
housed mendicant orders hat built new churches,
thus creating their own areas of influence.
At the end of the 13th century Piacenza was controlled
by the Guelfs, headed by Alberto Scoto, followed first
by Visconti and then Sforza rule.
The town walls, which can
still be seen today, were
built at the beginning of
the 16th century, during the
age of papal supremacy. In
1545, Pope Paul III Farnese
created the Dukedom of
Parma and Piacenza entrusting it to his son Pier
Luigi. The impressive palace, called Palazzo Farnese,
Paolo III approves of the project
became the symbol of the
of Piacenza castle
power of the Farnese family, which ruled the town until 1731. The Borbone
family succeeded the Farnese and ruled the Dukedom intermittently until 1859.
The town enjoyed a long period of stability and
welfare under Marie Louise
of Austria’s rule. Napoleon’s
wife (1816-1847) not only
reclaimed large areas of land
and built new bridges on the
rivers Trebbia and Nure, but
also carried out economic and
social reforms and revived
the artistic and cultural life
of the town. Through a plebiscite held on Mai 10, 1948,
Portrait of
Piacenza was the first Italian
Marie Louise of Austria
town to join the Kingdom of
Sardinia, thus receiving the title of Primogenita (firstborn) from King Carlo Alberto; after the unification
of Italy in 1861 the town shared the fortunes of the
country. Severely damaged by World War II, Piacenza
enjoyed an economic boom in the second half of last
century and is now a modern town, proud of its aristocratic past.
View of Piacenza in the 17th century
Landmarks
FARNESE EQUESTRIAN MONUMENTS
Palazzo Gotico
PALAZZO GOTICO
In 1281, the layout of Piazza Grande and the building
of the Town Hall, inspired by Alberto Scoto, Master
of the Guild of Merchants and Crafts, created a secular centre, which attracted town life and caused the
parallel decline of the cathedral square, linked to the
episcopal power. The Town Hall, called Palazzo Gotico, is one of the finest examples of medieval civic
architecture.
The loggia is lined
by pointed arches
and covered with
Verona marble.
Above this rests
the upper floor,
on whose walls,
surfaced by brickwork , triple and
four-lancet windows alternate
within finely decorated round-arch
lintels. The facade
Palazzo Gotico - Hall
is framed by a
cornice with little
crossed marble arches, surmounted by a swallowtailed crenellation and three turrets; the central one
houses a large bell which tolls on the occasion of
memorable events.
The great hall on the upper floor is provided with
a trussed roof and frescoed in neo-medieval style.
Used in the past for various functions, it is nowadays
a prestigious centre for cultural events.
Piazza Grande became known as Piazza dei Cavalli
after the bronze equestrian statues of Alessandro
and Ranuccio I Farnese were placed there. They
were commissioned
by t h e co m m u nity of Piacenza to
Francesco Mochi from
Montevarchi (15801654) and are considered masterpieces of Baroque sculpture. After training in
Florence, where he
was influenced by
Giambologna, Mochi
was also active in
Rome and Orvieto;
Equestrian statue of
Alessandro Farnese
for sixteen years,
from 1612 to 1628,
he worked on the design and realization of these
commemorative monuments, which are stilistically
different. On the right-hand side, facing Palazzo Gotico, Ranuccio (1620), dressed in Roman clothes, is in
the classical style; the statue of his father, Alessandro, is artistically more mature and shows vibrant
dynamism in the cloak and the saddle-cloth blown
by the wind.
Both statues
rest on white
Carrara marble
pedestals, with
putti holding
the Farnese and
the town coats
of arms; the
bronze bas-reliefs represent
Allegorie della
Pace e del Buon
Detail of Alessandro’s statue
Governo (Allegories of Peace
and Good Government) on Ranuccio’s monument,
while the ones on Alessandro’s pedestal represent
L’incontro con gli ambasciatori (The Meeting with
the Ambassadors and Il ponte sulla Schelda (The
Bridge on the Scheldt), both featuring scenes of the
war he fought in Flanders.
Piazza Cavalli by night
Churches
The great period of medihave been placed inside
eval architecture is reprethe church, which keeps its
sented by some buildings of
original “hall” structure.
utmost interest. The Basilica
The church of San Francesco
of Sant’Antonino (open on
(open daily 8.30-12.00,
weekdays 8.00-12.00, 16.00
15.00-18.30) in Lombard
-19.00, on holidays 8.30-12.00,
Gothic style was started
20.00-21.30), dedicated to the
in 1278 and completed in
Sant’Antonino
patron and saint martyred un1363 on the initiative of the
der the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s rule, derives
Ghibelline Lord, Ubertino
from the 4th century, but the current adjustment
Landi. The plain brick front,
San Francesco
dates back to the 11th century; it is characterised by a
divided into three parts by
nave and two aisles, a singular western transept and
two buttresses, is enriched with a superb marble Rea precious portal on the northern side. The interior,
naissance portal. The interior of the church consists
modified between the 16th and
of a nave and two aisles ending in an ambulatory
18th centuries, exhibits strong
choir with radial chapels.
baroque influence in the plaster
A leading figure in the sacred architecture of the Redecoration of the presbytery.
naissance was Alessio Tramello, to whom we owe
Another example of an early
the church of the Olivetan monastery of San SeChristian church is the Basilica
polcro (7.30-12.30, 15.3018.00), the church of San
of San Savino (open on weekSisto (Mon-Fri 8.00-12.00,
days 9.00-12.00, 16.00-18.00,
16.00-18.30; Sat 8.00-11.00,
Sat 9.00-10.00, 16.00-17.00, Sun
15.00-18.00; Sun 8.00-12.00,
9.00-10.30, 16.00-17.30), a very
15.30-18.00) and the basilica
interesting example of Lombard
San Savino
of Santa Maria di CampaRomanesque architecture dating
gna (open daily 9.00-12.00,
back to the early 12th century; the original decorative
structure has been preserved in the elegant capitals
15.30-19.00).
San Sisto
and in the precious mosaic flooring both in the presSan Sisto, built on the anbytery and in the crypt, while the current facade and
cient Benedictine convent founded by Empress Angthe entry porch date back to the 18th century.
ilberga in 874, is preceded by a large courtyard surThe Cathedral (open daily 7.30-12.00, 16.00rounded by a porch. The famous Madonna Sistina
19.00), dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed
by Raphael, which used to hang over the high altar,
Virgin, was built between 1122 and 1133. The gawas sold by the monks in 1754 and replaced by a
bled facade, covered with slabs of sandstone and
copy; the original painting is now exhibited at the
pink marble, is embellished by a large
Gemäldegalerie in Dresden. The church
rose window in the centre and three porstill houses some remarkable paintings
tals with rich engravings (the one on
by famous artists of the 16th and 17th
centuries, as well as the funeral monuthe right-hand side is attributed to
ment of Margaret of Austria (Charles V’s
Niccolò, the one on the left to the
natural child and Ottavio Farnese’s wife).
school of Wiligelmus).
The choir stalls in carved wood (1514–
A weathervane angel in gilded cop1528) are outstanding works of art
per was positioned on the brick
thanks to their still life decorations and
bell tower in 1341. The church,
architectural views. Built between 1522
in the shape of a Latin cross with
and 1528, the church
a nave and two aisles, is decoof Santa Maria di
rated with several paintings and
The Cathedral
Campagna, where a
frescoes by great painters of
wooden polichrome Madonna
the 16th and 17th centuries, such as Camillo
Procaccini, Ludovico Carracci and Guerdating from the 14th century is
venerated, is the masterpiece of
cino. The church of San Giovanni in Canale
architect Alessio Tramello’s full
(open daily 7.30-12.00, 15.30 -18.00) was
maturity. Of excellent quality is
founded in the year 1227 together with
the cycle of frescoes (1529–1531)
the nearby convent, where the Dominicans
by Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis,
established the Inquisition Court. Some recalled Pordenone, visible in the
markable frescoes removed from the Cloisdome and in the two chapels on
ter of the Dead, the Scotti sarcophagus and
Santa Maria di Campagna
the left-hand side.
some paintings by Landi and Camuccini
Palaces
There are only a few traces
best-known architects of this
of medieval civil architecture,
period). Many of them exhibit
which at the end of the 15th
the original fresco decorations
century was replaced by a new
and trompe l’oeil created by
style testified by some imporfamous painters, such as the
tant buildings, such as Palazzo
Bibienas, Roberto De Longe,
Landi, now the Law Court (viBartolomeo Rusca and the
colo Del Consiglio, 12), and
Natalis. Balconies as well as
Palazzo Landi
Palazzo Scotti da Fombio, now
wrought iron gates and banCollegio Morigi (via Taverna, 37). Both palaces have
isters, produced locally by
façades in classical style, embellished by terracotta
expert craftsmen, give further
Palazzo Mandelli
string-course friezes and
prestige to these courtly resimarble doorways; the
dences. Spectacular staircases
portal of Palazzo Landi,
are situated inside Palazzo
however, has richer and
Somaglia (via Taverna, 66)
more elaborate symand Palazzo Baldini Radini
bolic and mythologiTedeschi (via San Siro, 72/76).
cal references than the
Sumptuous frescoes and
one of Palazzo Scotti,
stucco decorations enrich the
which is decorated with
rooms of Palazzo Casati (via
the family coat of arms
Gazzola, 2), Palazzo Malvionly. A symbol of the
cini Fontana di Nibbiano (via
Renaissance is Palazzo
Verdi, 13/15) and Palazzo Palazzo Scotti di Vigoleno
Farnese, characterized
Scotti di Sarmato (via S.
by its severe exterior
Siro,17), which overlooks the wonderful Italian garPalazzo Farnese
contrasting the open
den planned by Giulio Ulisse Arata. Palazzo Costa
front towards the courtyard. This unfinished palace
(via Roma, 80) is characterized by an elegant ruswas the noble residence built for Margaret of Austria:
ticated ashlar-work front and a magnificent honour
in 1558 Francesco
hall, while Palazzo Anguissola di Grazzano (via
Paciotto was first
Roma, 99) is remarkable for its unusual planimetric
entrusted with
solution. Palazzo Ferrari
the project, which
Sacchini (via Carducci, 11)
caused the paris well known for its exutial demolition of
berant architectural ornate,
the Citadel, built
while Palazzo Mandelli
by the Visconti
(via Mandelli, 14), now
family in the 14th
the seat of Banca d’Italia,
century; a year
shows scenographic archiPalazzo Scotti di Sarmato
later the court artectural solutions on the
chitect Jacopo Barozzi, called Vignola, took it over.
corner balconies and in
Nowadays the palace houses Musei Civici. The coeval
the hall designed on many
Palazzo dei Mercanti
Palazzo del Collegio dei Gesuiti (via Carducci,14)
perspective axes. Palazzo
houses Biblioteca Comunale Passerini Landi, which
Scotti di Vigoleno (via San Giovanni, 17), the seat
contains the oldest dated manuscript of Divine Comof Prefecture, is memorable for the singular fresco
edy (1336) and Empress Angilberga’s psalter in purdecorations of its honour hall, while Palazzo Rota
ple parchment (827). Between the end of the 17th
Pisaroni (via S. Eufemia, 13), now a possession of
and the beginning of the 19th
Fondazione di Piacenza e Vicentury Piacenza witnessed
gevano, has some precious
an extraordinary increase in
wrought iron works. Palazthe number of private buildzo dei Mercanti (today’s
ings, which transformed it
Town Hall) and Palazzo del
into a town of palaces. The
Governatore (present-day’s
central streets were flanked
Chamber of Commerce) overby elegant noble residences,
look Piazza Cavalli: the forenriched with arcaded courtmer has an unusual arcaded
yards and gardens (Domenifacade, whereas the latter
co Valmagini, Cosimo Morelli
has a perpetual calendar and
Palazzo del Governatore
and Lotario Tomba are the
a sundial fixed in the wall.
Museums
MUSEI CIVICI DI PALAZZO FARNESE
Piazza Cittadella, 27/29
Tel. 0523 492658 (ticket office) - 492661 (office)
www.palazzofarnese.piacenza.it
musei.farnese@comune.piacenza.it
Musei Civici are divided into sections
Mu
on the different levels of Palazzo
o
Farnese. On the ground level is
displayed a wooden model of
the palace together with some
frescoes from the late Middle
Ages, ancient inscriptions, coats
of arms and sculptures from the
1
12th to 18th centuries, a glass and
pot
pottery
collection as well as weapo dating from the 16th to 18th
ons
Botticelli Tondo
centuries. The stucco frames of the
ducal apartment contain Fasti of the
Farnese family, which celebrate
the deeds of Paolo III and Alessandro Farnese, ending with
some more Fasti celebrating Elisabetta Farnese on the upper floor.
Etruscan Liver
On the same floor there is also Pinacoteca, where paintings from different periods and
schools are displayed: among them is the outstanding
Botticelli Tondo. Museo delle Carrozze, with rare and
precious vehicles from the 18th to 20th centuries, is located in the basement of the
palace. On the mezzanine
is Museo del Risorgimento
(liberation and political unification of Italy), containing
documents and relics mainly
from 1848-49 and 1859-61.
Berlin
Museo Archeologico in the
Visconti Citadel exhibits pre-protohistoric finds and the
famous Etruscan bronze Liver.
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 9.00 – 13.00; Sun 9.30 – 13.00;
Fri-Sun 15.00 – 18.00; closed on Mondays
Guided tours: Tue-Thu 10.00; Fri 10.00, 15.30; Sat-Sun
9.30, 11.00, 15.00, 16.30
MUSEO CIVICO DI STORIA NATURALE
Urban Center - Via Scalabrini, 107
Tel. 0523 337745 - 334980
www.msn.piacenza.it
museoscienze@comune.piacenza.it
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale is set in the ice factory
of the former slaughterhouse (Perreau pavilion). It offers some interesting collections of historical formation
and an interactive display with the reconstruction of
the geological, botanical and zoological characteristics
of the territory surrounding Piacenza. There is also a
tactile route for blind people.
Opening hours: Tue-Wed-Fri 9.30 – 12.30; Thu-Sat-Sun
9.30 – 12.30 and 15.00 – 18.00; closed on Mondays.
GALLERIA D’ARTE MODERNA
RICCI ODDI
Via S. Siro, 13 - Tel. 0523 320742
www.riccioddi.it - info@riccioddi.it
Giuseppe Ricci Oddi (1868–1937), an
aristocrat as well as an intelligent and
qualified collector, donated to the town
his artistic heritage and the building
where it is set, specially designed by
G. Grosso
the architect Giulio Ulisse Arata. The col- Ritratto all’aria
aperta
lection, which shows a marked predilection for figurative art, mostly shows Italian works of art
dated between 1830 and 1930. The exhibition includes
both the regional schools and the main artistic movements; two rooms are devoted to the nobleman’s favourite artists, Mancini and Fontanesi; a special room
is dedicated to Stefano Bruzzi, an artist from Piacenza.
Opening hours: Tue-Thu 9.30-12.30; Fri-Sun 9.30-12.30,
15.00-18.00; closed on Mondays
GALLERIA E COLLEGIO ALBERONI
Via Emilia Parmense, 67
Tel. 0523 577011 - 322635 - cell. 349 4575709
www.collegioalberoni.it - info@collegioalberoni.it
Founded by Cardinal Giulio Alberoni
(1664–1752), this College is a vast
architectural complex which houses
a rich Library, the Physics and Natural
Science Cabinets, a Seismic and Meteorological Observatory as well as
an Astronomic one. In the Cardinal’s
apartment visitors can admire a faEcce Homo
mous painting by Antonello da Messina, Ecce Homo, and a diptych by Jan Provost. Some
more precious paintings and eighteen superb Flemish
tapestries dating from the 16th and 17th centuries are
displayed in a pavilion built in the 1960s.
Opening hours: open on Sundays from October to June
15.30 – 18.00, with a guided tour at 16.00. Groups must
book in advance.
ANTIQUARIUM DI S. MARGHERITA
Auditorium della Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano
Via S. Eufemia, 12 - Tel. 0523 311111 - fax 0523 311109
www.lafondazione.com - info@lafondazione.com
This ancient building offers an insight into the urban
stratification over the centuries. Some finds and some
explanatory boards illustrate the history of the site from
Roman times, through the Middle Ages (the crypt dating from the late 10th century and the frescoes of the
13th century are of particular importance) to the 17th
and 18th centuries, when the upper church was finally
built on top of the earlier constructions and decorated
with stuccoes and frescoes. The building is now used
as an auditorium.
Opening hours: visits can be booked.
Theatres
TEATRO COMUNALE DEI FILODRAMMATICI
Via S. Franca, 33
Tel. 0523 315578 (ticket office) - 332613 (office)
www.teatricomunali.piacenza.it
info@teatrogiocovita.it
Teatro Municipale - Facade
TEATRO MUNICIPALE
Via Verdi, 41 - Tel. 0523 492251 - 492259
www.teatricomunali.piacenza.it
teatro@comune.piacenza.it
The construction of Teatro Novo, later called Comunitativo and finally Municipale, was encouraged by a
group of noblemen of Piacenza who bought Palazzo
Landi Pietra and commissioned the project to Lotario
Tomba. The architect demolished the building and
designed a hall in the shape of three quarters of an
ellipse, which allowed for excellent vision and acoustics. The construction was completed in just one year,
and a music drama, Zamori ossia l’Eroe delle Indie,
specially composed by Giovanni Simone Mayr, inaugurated the theatre on September 10th, 1804.
The facade was made in 1830 by Alessandro Sanquirico, stage designer of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, who
introduced slight changes to Tomba’s original plan.
Gerolamo Magnani, who was active in 1857, decorated the hall with gilded stuccoes and the vault with
frescoes, while a lot of artists contributed their work
to make the
foyer sumptuous, adding a
Venetian style
floor, glass and
mirror plated
doors as well
as decorative
painting.
Of the original
four tiers of
boxes, the upTeatro Municipale - Interior
per ones were
transformed into galleries and the back-box areas,
once used as elegant drawing rooms, were eliminated during last restoration work. The original amaranthine velvet curtain dating back to the 1850’s is
still nowadays opened and closed by hand. The attic, where the scenes used to be prepared, has been
transformed into an auditorium. The piano of Luigi
Illica, Giacomo Puccini’s librettist, and the portrait of
the famous contralto from Piacenza Rosmunda Pisaroni, Rossini’s favourite, painted by François Gérard
are on display in the foyer. Teatro Municipale is the
seat of Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini, conducted by Maestro Riccardo Muti.
Teatro Comunale dei
Filodrammatici, which
reopened in 2000 following a long period
of restoration, can accommodate nearly 300
people. The building
dates back to the 16th Teatro dei Filodrammatici - Interior
century, when the Cistercian nuns of S. Franca built a church to house their
patron and saint’s remains and a monastery, which is
now the seat of Conservatorio Nicolini.
In 1908, the church was granted by the Municipality
of Piacenza to Associazione Filodrammatica Piacentina,
founded in 1825 and recognized by a decree of Marie
Louise of Austria, and it was converted into a theatre
with a large stage and stalls surrounded by an open
loggia and two upper tiers of galleries.
The facade is the work of Giovanni Gazzola, an engineer from Piacenza, who is regarded as the greatest
local representative of Art Nouveau.
SALA DEI TEATINI
Via Scalabrini, 9 - Tel. 0523 492251 - 492259
www.teatricomunali.piacenza.it
teatro@comune.piacenza.it
The former church of San Vincenzo, built by the Ordine dei Teatini at the end of the 16th century, was
acquired by the municipality in 1972 and inaugurated as an auditorium in 2009. Restorations lasted
more than a decade and included technological
avant-garde solutions: on the stage, covered by a
system of sound-absorbing curtains, an acoustic
chamber made of polycarbonate maximizes the mutual listening between the musicians and the conductor, making the site an excellent rehearsal hall
for Orchestra Cherubini. A remarkable feature of the
hall is the wall decoration, which dates back to the
period between the end of the 17th and the 19th century. In addition to the elaborate system of trompel’oeil painted on the vaults and domes, there are also
frescoes of saints, angels and prophets, as well as
biblical and allegorical scenes by artists
such as Robert de
Longe and Giovanni
Evangelista Draghi.
Paintings on canvas,
stucco decorations and
woodworks have also
Sala dei Teatini - Interior
been fully recovered.
Map of Piacenza
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HOSPITAL
PARKING
IAT TOURIST
INFORMATION
BICYCLES FOR RENT
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Piazza Cavalli
Palazzo Gotico
Palazzo dei Mercanti
Palazzo del Governatore
Church of San Francesco
Cathedral
Basilica of Sant’Antonino
Church of San Savino
Basilica of Santa Maria di Campagna
Church of San Sisto
Church of San Sepolcro
Church of San Giovanni in Canale
Palazzo Farnese
Museo di Storia Naturale
Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi
Collegio Alberoni
Teatro Municipale
Teatro dei Filodrammatici
Palazzo Mandelli
Palazzo Landi
Palazzo Scotti da Sarmato
Palazzo Costa
Palazzo del Collegio dei Gesuiti
Palazzo Scotti di Vigoleno
Palazzo Scotti da Fombio
Palazzo Somaglia
Palazzo Radini Tedeschi
Palazzo Malvicini Fontana da Nibbiano
Palazzo Ferrari Sacchini
Palazzo Rota Pisaroni
Town walls
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Hotels
BEST WESTERN PARK HOTEL
Strada Valnure, 5/7 - Tel. 0523 712600
www.parkhotelpiacenza.it
info@parkhotelpiacenza.it
HOTEL ASTOR
Via Tibini, 29/31 - Tel. 0523 329296
www.hotelastorpc.eu
Info@hotelastorpc.it
GRANDE ALBERGO ROMA
Via Cittadella, 14 - Tel. 0523 323201
www.grandealbergoroma.it
hotel@grandealbergoroma.it
HOTEL CITY
Via Emilia Parmense, 54 - Tel. 0523 579752
www.hotelcitypc.it
nfo@hotelcitypc.it
GRAND PARK HOTEL MOTEL
Via Caorsana, 161
Loc. Croce Grossa - Tel. 0523 511210
www.grandpark.it
info@grandpark.it
HOTEL MH PIACENZA FIERA
Strada Caorsana, 127/d
Frazione Le Mose - Tel. 0523 606288
www.magiahotels.it
infopiacenzafiera@magiahotels.it
IDEA HOTEL
Via Emilia Pavese, 114/a - Tel. 0523 493811
www.ideahotel.it
reservation.piacenza@ideahotel.it
PETIT HOTEL
Via Pennazzi, 5 - Tel. 0523 590405
petithotelpiacenza@gmail.com
STADIO HOTEL
Strada Valnure, 20 - Tel. 0523 360020
www.stadiohotel.it
info@stadiohotel.it
HOTEL OVEST
Via I Maggio, 82 - Tel. 0523 712222
www.hotelovest.it
info@hotelovest.it
VIP
Via Cipelli, 41 - Tel. 0523 712420
www.viphotel.it
info@viphotel.it
EURO HOTEL
Via C. Colombo , 29/f - Tel. 0523/606011
www.eurohotelpiacenza.com
info@eurohotelpiacenza.com
OSTELLO DON ZERMANI (hostel)
Via Zoni, 38/40 - Tel. 0523 712319
www.ostellodipiacenza.it
info@ostellodipiacenza.it
Restaurants
ANTICA OSTERIA
DEL TEATRO
Via Verdi,16
Tel. 0523 323777
*Sundays and
Mondays
ANTICA TRATTORIA
DELL’ANGELO
Via Tibini, 14
Tel. 0523 326739
Open every day
BARINO
P.zza Cavalli, 1
Largo Battisti, 15
Tel. 380 9097399
*Thursdays
CAFFETTERIA
BOUCHON
Via S. Franca, 2
Cell. 339 3268193
*Sundays
DNA
RESTAURANT CAFE’
Viale Malta, 10
Tel. 0523 327786
Open every day
ENOTAVOLA
TAVERNA DEL GUSTO
Via Taverna, 27
Tel. 0523 332814
*Sundays and Mondays
in December open every day
ENOTECA
DA RENATO
Via Roma, 24
Tel. 0523 325813
*Sundays
ENOTECA
PICCHIONI
Corso Vittorio
Emanuele, 194
Tel. 0523 384724
Open every day
*15/07 – 31/08
FAST FOOD
MCDONALD’S
Piazzale Marconi, 36
c/o Borgo Faxall
Tel. 0523 315702
Open every day
IL CORTILETTO
Via Chiapponi, 31
Tel. 335 410969
*Monday evenings
and holidays
LA MERIDIENNE
DRINK & LOUNGE
RESTAURANT
Via San Siro, 28
Tel. 0523 325288
*Sundays and
weekdays at lunchtime
OSTERIA DEL BORGO
Via Calzolai, 65
Tel. 0523 315281
*Sundays, Mondays
and Tuesday evenings
OSTERIA DEL PASSATEMPO
Via XXIV Maggio, 104/b
Tel. 0523 498181
*Sundays and
Saturdays at lunchtime
OSTERIA DEL TRENTINO
Via Castello, 71
Tel. 0523 324260
*Sundays
OSTERIA D’UNA VOLTA
Via S. Giovanni, 36
Tel. 0523 304034
*Sundays
OSTERIA LA TRAPPOLA
Via del Castello, 14
Tel. 0523 315751
Open every day
OSTERIA SANTO STEFANO
Via S. Stefano, 22
Tel. 0523 327802
*Sunday evenings
and Mondays
OSTERIA WINE BAR
VALERY
Via Campagna, 81
Tel. 0523 490597
*Sundays from 12.30
(in winter) - Sundays
(in summer)
PIADINERIA
Via Chiapponi, 17/c
Tel. 0523 305852
*Sundays at lunchtime
PIZZERIA CRISTIAN
Via IV Novembre, 15
Tel. 0523 326770
*Thursdays
PIZZERIA OROLOGIO
DA PASQUALE
P.zza Duomo, 39
Tel. 0523 324669
*Thursdays
PIZZERIA
TAVERNA IN
Piazza S. Antonino, 8
Tel. 0523 335785
*Mondays
PIZZERIA
TESORO
Via La Primogenita, 1/3
Tel. 0523 325812
Open every day
PIZZERIA
TOSELLO
Via Daveri, 10
Tel. 0523 324824
*Sundays at lunchtime
RISTO PUB
ZONA FRANCA
Via Fornace, 5
Tel. 0523 315286
*Saturdays and
Sundays at lunchtime
RISTO PUB
TEMPLE BAR
Via X Giugno, 98
Tel. 0523 384648
*Saturdays and
Sundays at lunchtime
RISTORANTE BIRRERIA
LA MUNTÄ
Via Mazzini, 72
Tel. 0523 498929
*Sunday evenings
RISTORANTE CAFFE’
AL DUCA
Piazza Cavalli, 22/23
Tel. 0523 320801
*Thursdays
RISTORANTE CINESE
ASIA
Via Atleti Azzurri
d’Italia, 7
Tel. 0523 490881
*Mondays (in summer)
RISTORANTE
DA GIULIANO
Corso V. Emanuele, 179
Tel. 0523 326356
Sundays on
reservation
RISTORANTE
GIAPPONESE TSUKI
Viale S. Ambrogio, 43
Tel. 0523 330418
*Sunday and
Tuesday mornings
RISTORANTE LIBANESE
I TRE CEDRI
Vic. Molineria
S. Andrea, 2
Tel. 0523 329271
*Mondays
RISTORANTE MESSICANO
EL TROPICO LATINO
Via Mazzini, 77/a
Tel. 0523 335932
*Mondays
RISTORANTE PEPPINO
Via Scalabrini, 49/a
Tel. 0523 329279
*Mondays
RISTORANTE
PICCOLO ROMA
c/o Grande Albergo
Roma
Via Cittadella, 14
Tel. 0523 323201
*Saturdays and
Sunday evenings
RISTORANTE PIZZERIA
BELLA NAPOLI
Via Emilia Pavese, 98
Tel. 0523 480038
*Mondays
RISTORANTE PIZZERIA
BELLA NAPOLI 2
Via Emilia Pavese, 27
Tel. 0523 480019
*Tuesdays
RISTORANTE PIZZERIA
MARECHIARO
Corso Vittorio
Emanuele, 168
Tel. 0523 323794
*Wednesdays
RISTORANTE PIZZERIA
OSVALDO
Galleria della Borsa, 36 B
(piazza Cavalli)
Tel. 0523 320251
*Sundays at lunchtime
SELF SERVICE
AI DUE CAVALLI
Via S. Francesco
Tel. 0523 322344
*Saturdays and Sundays
SELF SERVICE GOTICO
Largo Gioia, 3
Tel. 0523 321940
*Saturdays and Sundays
SELF SERVICE
I 10 CONDIMENTI
Cantone del Cristo
Tel. 0523 480361
*Sundays
SUGGERIMENTI
PIACENZA
Viale Malta, 23
Tel. 0523 326368
*Wednesdays
and Sundays
TRATTORIA
LA CARROZZA
Via X Giugno, 122
Tel. 0523 326297
Open every day
TRATTORIA LA PIREINA
Via Borghetto, 137
Tel. 0523 338578
*Sunday evenings
and Mondays
TRATTORIA
SAN GIOVANNI
Via Garibaldi, 49/a
Tel. 0523 321029
*Mondays at
lunchtime and
Sundays (in summer)
TRATTORIA VITTORIO
Via Cantone Camicia, 9/11
Tel. 0523 331463
*Saturdays and Sundays
RISTORANTE SPAGNOLO
TABERNA MOVIDA
Via Daveri, 8
Tel. 0523 318131
*Sundays
RISTORANTE
VECCHIA PIACENZA
Via S. Bernardo, 1
(angolo via Taverna)
Tel. 0523 305462
*Sundays
* closing times
Map of the Province
1
PO
2
TREBBIA
3
SAN PIETRO IN CERRO
4
SANT’AGATA
5
PIANELLO
6
AGAZZANO
7
RIVALTA
8
GRAZZANO VISCONTI
9
PADERNA
10
ROCCA D’OLGISIO
11
CHIARAVALLE
12
VIGOLO MARCHESE
13
TRAVO
14
CASTELL’ARQUATO
15
GROPPARELLO
16
VIGOLENO
17
VELEIA ROMANA
18
MONTE PENICE
19
BOBBIO
The municipal districts
in the Province of Piacenza
AGAZZANO
ALSENO
BESENZONE
BETTOLA
BOBBIO
BORGONOVO
CADEO
CALENDASCO
CAMINATA
CAORSO
CARPANETO
CASTELL’ARQUATO
CASTEL S. GIOVANNI
CASTELVETRO PIACENTINO
CERIGNALE
COLI
CORTE BRUGNATELLA
CORTEMAGGIORE
FARINI
FERRIERE
FIORENZUOLA
GAZZOLA
GOSSOLENGO
GRAGNANO
GROPPARELLO
LUGAGNANO
MONTICELLI
MORFASSO
NIBBIANO
OTTONE
PECORARA
PIACENZA
PIANELLO
PIOZZANO
PODENZANO
PONTE DELL’OLIO
PONTENURE
RIVERGARO
ROTTOFRENO
SAN GIORGIO PIACENTINO
SAN PIETRO IN CERRO
SARMATO
TRAVO
VERNASCA
VIGOLZONE
VILLANOVA
ZERBA
ZIANO PIACENTINO
Piacenza Province
The province extends to the south of the river Po; it
is characterized by many rivers and streams which
descend from the Apennines, flow along the main
valleys of the territory and empty into the big river.
Large farms are a typical feature of the plain, which
is intensively cultivated. The hills are rich in vineyards, but they also preserve areas of mixed oak
groves. In the mountains, still uncontaminated and
covered with dense vegetation, there are lovely
lakes of glacial origin. Winter sports can be practiced on the highest peak, Monte Penice (1467 m).
The area around Piacenza was already populated
in the Palaeolithic and
was densely inhabited
in Roman times (finds
are displayed in the Archaeological Museums
of Pianello and Travo,
where Neolithic huts
have been rebuilt inside
the park). On the hills of
Val d’Arda tourists can
visit the archaeological
Veleia
site of Veleia (from the
1st to 5th century A.D.), a
Roman town built on the site of a previous Ligurian
settlement, which has been excavated since 1760.
A selection of finds is exhibited in the antiquarium,
which has been recently restored.
There are a large
number of castles
in the province,
many of which
are still well preserved and lived
in. Ten of them
belong to Associazione Castelli
Castle of Gropparello
del Ducato di Parma e Piacenza and are open to the public: Agazzano, Bobbio, Castell’Arquato, Grazzano Visconti,
Gropparello, Paderna, Rivalta, Rocca d’Olgisio,
S. Pietro in Cerro, Vigoleno.
Most of these castles are located in villages that
house such valuable treasures that three of them,
Bobbio, Vigoleno and Castell’Arquato, are included in
the club I Borghi più Belli d’Italia.
In Val Trebbia, Bobbio,
now a popular summer resort, still retains
its medieval heart.
It developed around
the Benedictine monastery founded by
the lrish monk san
Colombano (early 7th
century). The abbey
Rocca d’Olgisio
was rebuilt several
times before
the 15th century, but visitors can still
admire a mosaic floor with
scenes of the
fight between
Bobbio - The Abbey
good and evil
and a monthly calendar dating from the 12th century.
The architectural complex houses Museo della Città
and Museo di San Colombano.
Bobbio - Il Ponte Gobbo
The most prominent sight of the village is Ponte
Gobbo: with its eleven irregular arches, this hunched
bridge dates back
to the 12th century,
but it may be even
older. In a commanding position
over the river Trebbia, the fortified
village of Rivalta
offers a chance to
visit its 15th century castle surmounted by a distinctive
cylindrical tower,
its guest quarters,
its servants’ houses, its stables and
Castle of Rivalta
the church of San
Martino.
Situated in Val Nure, Grazzano Visconti attracts lots
of tourists.
In the early 20th century Giuseppe Visconti
di Modrone restored
the 14th century manor
which belonged to his
family and designed an
entire village in neoGothic style around it,
animated by handicrafts shops and enlivened by the bright
medieval costumes of
Grazzano Visconti
its inhabitants.
Castell’Arquato
At Castell’Arquato, in Val d’Arda, one breathes the
air of the Middle Ages everywhere: the Town Hall
Square is the ideal place for folk festivals and pageants thanks to its prestigious buildings: Rocca Viscontea, Romanesque Collegiata and Gothic Palazzo
del Podestà. In the former Ospedale di Santo Spirito
dating from the 16th century, Museo Geologico tells
the history of the geological period between 3.5 and
2.5 million years
ago, called Piacenziano, with a rich
exhibition of whale
bones and fossils.
Only a few kilometres downstream,
t h e c h u rc h a n d
the baptistery (the
Vigolo Marchese
baptismal font is
carved in a Roman
capital) of Vigolo Marchese offer an important example of the Romanesque architecture typical of the
Po Valley.
Parco Regionale dello Stirone, shared by the provinces of Parma and Piacenza, does not only arouse
special interest from the natural, geological and palaeo-ethnological points of view, but it also includes
the beautifully preserved medieval village of Vigoleno. At least two of the buildings inside the village
walls are worth mentioning: the 12th century castle
and the Romanesque church of San Giorgio with its
15th century frescoes.
Cortemaggiore, the former capital of Pallavicino
state, is a Renaissance town with a rectangular plan
and a grid network of streets: its main sights are Collegiata of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses
many artworks, including the altarpiece by Filippo
Mazzola, Parmigianino’s father, and the
church of SS. Annunziata, which preserves
many frescoes and a
processional banner by
Pordenone.
In the lowlands the
monastery of Chiaravalle della Colomba,
founded by san BerChiaravalle della Colomba
nardo and rebuilt in
the early 14th century, is well-worth
visiting. The Chapel of Crucifixion,
with valuable Giottes-que frescoes,
and the Chapter
Vigoleno
Room, with triple
lancet windows framed by a wonderful brickwork
decoration, overlook the large cloister surrounded by
a twin column porch.
Just a little further north, on the river Ongina, in the
little village of Sant’Agata di Villanova, Villa Verdi
welcomes the visitors with original furnishings and
memorabilia related
to the life and work
of its owner, the great
opera composer of the
19th century.
Visiting the territory
around Piacenza also
means discovering the
Salumi DOP
specialities of the local cuisine. The best renowned products are salumi
(cured pork meat), which are still made following
the traditional method. The three main types of salumi — coppa, salame and pancetta — have deserved DOP quality mark from the European Union.
Typical kinds of cheese like
Grana Padano and Provolone Valpadana are also DOP
products.
In the province seventeen
wines have obtained DOP
quality mark: among them
the excellent red wine Gutturnio and the white wines
Monterosso, Ortrugo, Trebbianino and Malvasia are
Vini DOP
well worth mentioning.
If you want to have a typical lunch you can choose
among anolini, tortelli con
la coda, bomba di riso or
pissarei e fasö for your first
course, roast duck, roast shin
of veal, piccula ad cavall
(stewed horse mince), stracotto d’asinina, for your second course. Latte in piedi,
Tortelli
castagnaccio (chestnut cake),
torta di mandorle (almond
pie), busslan (ring-shaped cake) and crostata (jam
tart) offer a wide choice for your dessert.
www.turismo.provincia.pc .it