Visit to Colorno, Fontanellato and Soragna
We set off early from Verona to make the most of what, in our plans, was supposed to be a Sunday packed with culture. Gianni, Tina, or rather Agatina, Antonella and I, Gianfranco, following a programme drawn up by the chief organiser (Gianni), set off around 7 in the morning still sleepy but eager to discover the beauties of the Parma area. The first planned destination is the Reggia di Colorno, a monumental building erected around the 13th century to defend the hemp mill, subsequently modified and enriched until in 1815 with the Congress of Vienna it became the "Imperial" Palace (that is, the potential residence of the Emperor of the French), and assigned to Napoleon's wife Marie Louise of Habsburg, Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla from 1816 to 1847.
Before we could enter the Reggia we went into the immense park where the royals loved to spend their days with their entourage of courtiers. With the help of various bodies they are trying to restore it to its former splendour so as to let the unaware tourist imagine what it must have been like in the good old days. To us, honestly, the vastness of the environment struck us much more than anything else, now much reduced compared to the past. Once inside the Reggia with a guided tour, we were preparing to witness a display of magnificence with paintings, tapestries, period furnishings etc. Disappointment! None of all that, but only the guide who urged us to imagine with great effort of fantasy what should have been in the various rooms and wasn't there.
Only the floors remained! We ascertained that at least this time the looting had not been carried out by Napoleon but, believe it or not, by the Savoys, the boiardi of Italy. A little disappointed we left the Reggia and cheered ourselves up at the bar opposite with a sandwich of raw ham, the flagship product, along with culatello, of the area. Gianni's online research on Fontanellato intrigued us and made those few kilometres separating us from our next destination unavoidable. Having arrived at our destination and checked the opening hours we opted for a lunch break. Having reached the place where we were supposed to have lunch, the managers regretfully and kindly pointed out that the place was fully booked for a wedding ceremony. Retracing our steps we walked towards the castle in the centre of the village, confident that we would find somewhere to have lunch! And so it was.
La Locanda Grande, located a few metres from the entrance of the manor, seemed at first glance the right place to sit down. Never was a choice more fitting! Like good tourists we entrusted ourselves to the expert hands of the manager, a likeable young man assisted by his parents, who recommended lasagne or tortelli as a first course. Both dishes were of excellent quality but the best, or rather the tastiest, was yet to come. A triumph of cured meats alongside the king culatello, with pieces of parmesan, expertly chosen by the manager's father, an expert in the field, washed down with a lively white wine left us speechless. Our mouths were in fact too full to leave room for words. After a few obligatory repeat helpings and satiated with all this bounty, a coffee closed this culinary parenthesis at La Locanda Grande, a place I warmly recommend.
As we said goodbye to the cordial managers we were even offered a digestive, which came at just the right moment since we would then have to do a lot of walking. Ah, all this for less than 20 euros per person. The entrance ticket to the castle also included a guide who enlightened us on the various historical phases of the site. Finally imagination gave way to reality, in fact inside it preserves the noble apartment furnished with furniture and furnishings from the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s. In a small room there is one of the most splendid works of Italian Mannerism, painted by Parmigianino in 1524 with the myth of Diana and Actaeon. Curious is the "Camera ottica" from which, thanks to a system of lenses and prisms, the castle dwellers could secretly observe life in the square. Our journey continues towards Soragna.
Having arrived a little worn out at the fortress, here too we relied on the guide, very cordial, who helped us understand the various vicissitudes of the place. The variety of the contents of the rooms is striking, ranging from art treasures, pictorial cycles, magnificently frescoed halls, small sitting rooms, furnishings, galleries of ancestors, armouries. Beautiful, truly beautiful, the whole contents of the fortress. The exterior of the fortress doesn't say much, it looks like a big old palazzo! Exhausted from the effort and confused by all these historical notions we wanted to head back home but how could we leave these places full of history without at least passing through the so-called "Verdian places"? Next stop the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi at Roncole Verdi. We entered almost past the deadline into this place that saw the birth of one of the most famous Italian artists.
The little house is very well preserved and the lady at the entrance was kind and even invited us to visit the small cemetery where a famous novelist also lies, Giovannino Guareschi, the one of Don Camillo and Peppone for those who understand. Through some country lanes, not much helped by the notorious satellite navigator, we headed home to our beautiful Verona. At 11 pm we said goodbye to our travelling companions Tina and Gianni, thanking them for the very pleasant company they once again offered us. Gianfranco.
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