A Day Trip to Grazzano Visconti

Hi everyone,

we have just come back from a fantastic day trip to Grazzano Visconti in the province of Piacenza, a medieval village that has remained untouched by the passing of time. Walking into the village it almost feels as if there is a magical atmosphere, almost like walking through one of those little Harry Potter style towns, I don't know if you know the kind… you can't help imagining yourself dressed like the ladies of the Middle Ages with those very long dresses, and soldiers on horseback with their armour on. Inside the village there are quite a few little shops, both for souvenirs and objects handmade by the locals, plus restaurants and large lawns where you can stretch out for a picnic or take a relaxing nap in the shade of the cypresses.

Around the village we also went to see something like an exhibition inside a shed where the tool storehouse probably once was; in fact you could look at various kinds of machinery for wine and for milk, and quite a few tractor models, some still working (it seems). While we were wandering around inside, just a few steps away a sort of sword tournament had started, with period costumes that you could also try on (a shame they really were too heavy!!). In the re-enactment there were three soldiers fighting and in the end one of the three was beaten and put to shame, then the public, with thumb down or up, decided whether he should die or not (luckily it was only make-believe).

I tried on a helmet and a camail, which is the chain-mail shirt that protected a soldier's shoulders and neck from sword blows, and I can assure you it really weighed a lot, nothing could get through there!!!

I was very sorry to leave that place, it was like living in another era… unfortunately you have to come back to reality, who knows, maybe sooner or later I'll go back.

Big kisses, Meme