Those at Castell’Arquato are romantic fairytale atmospheres.
Medieval village situated on the first hills of the Val d’Arda, this delightful medieval center dominates the surrounding lands.
On the Piacenza Hills, between the Emilia-Romagna cities of Piacenza and Parma, Castell’Arquato is a DOC area for the production of wines including Barbera, Bonarda, Ortrugo, Gutturnio and Monterosso, a typical Arquato wine, which takes its name from the homonymous hill located on the right bank of the river that bathes the lands of the village. Colli Piacentini Monterosso Val d’Arda DOC is a white wine with a straw yellow color, a delicate smell and a dry or sweet taste.Â
Little known wine, it is produced with Malvasia di Candia aromatica and Moscato bianco, Trebbiano Romagnolo and Ortrugo grapes, as well as other white grapes and vines suitable for cultivation in Emilia-Romagna. While the dry type is best suited with freshwater fish dishes, soups and delicate appetizers, the amabile type combines with fruit and desserts at the end of the meal, while the sparkling version is suitable as an aperitif.
You can enjoy an accurate visit to this delightful center of Emilia that offers a rich variety of wines but also an extraordinary gallery of architectural treasures. From the Viscontea fortress, dating back to the period between 1342 and 1349, of which remain the outer walls and the four defensive towers, all dominated by the size of the dungeon from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view and which houses the medieval museum, to the Collegiate of Santa Maria Assunta, among the oldest religious buildings in the area, already existing in 756 with the function of baptismal pieve, rebuilt after the earthquake and consecrated in the twelfth century. The part of the four apses opposing the gabled roof of the church and the square bell tower is particularly fascinating.
Also worth seeing is the Palazzo del Podestà , dating back to 1292 and the beautiful external staircase, which was later the seat of the Podestà ’s government and home of the count of Santa Flora, becoming the seat of the court from the end of the sixteenth century to 1850. Outside realized with bricks in brickwork and dotted with dovetail merlons joins the interior from the large room advise with the fully painted coffered ceiling.
Then the Palazzo Ducale, which in the first half of the seventeenth century was the residence of the Sforza dukes, the beautiful Rocca Viscontea, which houses the museum of medieval life, Porta di Sasso, the best preserved of the four gates of the town, built of stone and brick, and the sixteenth century Torrione Farnese, an imposing 20-meter-high building with a square plan, with the function of an outpost against enemy armies.
Dating back to the sixteenth century is the hospital of Santo Spirito, which houses the Geological Museum, and is located near another museum, the Illica, dedicated to the librettist Puccini born and lived here.
Castell’Arquato, an authentic museum village immersed in the Piacenza hills, is the ideal center to get lost in the alleyways and let yourself be enchanted by the countless views, but also overwhelmed by the flavors of its rich and generous table.
To the typical anolini in broth, strictly of hen, beef and veal, from the stuffing of grana padano amalgamated with breadcrumbs and smells, are joined by the tasty cured meats, including the DOP cup, and, obviously, the many extraordinary wines including the tipical Monterosso Val d’Arda.
