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From the vineyard to the glass, trace back the history of your wine Castelsangiovanni-Parma 87 km Castelsangiovanni-Milano 69 km Situated on the border the province of Pavia, the Val Tidone is the westernmost of the Piacenza’s valleys. Vineyards have shaped the configuration of the landscape and the rhythm of its country life throughout its history. A landscape where you can discover small villages, little churches and castles nestled among the gently rolling hills. The triumph of the cultivation cherished by Bacchus does not overshadow the landscape and architectural attractions of a valley scattered with picturesque castles. The imposing Rocca d'Olgisio, which dominates the valley, is a keeper of legends and has witnessed the passing of battles and conquests. There are the medieval castles of Borgonovo and of Seminò, where Margaret of Austria used to spend the summer. In Pianello visitors can admire a walled structure built almost entirely of stream pebbles and stones. The Val Tidone is a land blessed by nature and shaped by the work of its people through the ages: expanses of vineyards that produce some of the most prestigious local and Italian wines. Although the symbolic image of the vine is the trademark of the valley, it cannot be overlooked the fact that DOC wine, the king of the table, has gathered around himself a highly respected court, a combination of genuine distinctive flavours that begin with the famous salamis and end with the traditional ring shaped cake called ciambella. The valley offers walking tours along footpaths bordered with vineyards, allowing walkers to also admire two other characteristic landmarks of this corner of the province: the old watermills and the fascinating caves discovered near Rocca d'Olgisio. Castelsangiovanni and Borgonovo put on interesting music and theatre events and during summer the Val Tidone turns into a “music valley” by organizing national and international competitions, as well as the Val Tidone Festival (classic and ethnic music), a travelling concert season with performances held in castles, villas, squares and other enchanting settings. The valley entertainment program also includes several village fairs and events, including the “gallina grigia” (grey hen) festival. In the Val Tidone valley it is possible to follow an evocative devotional itinerary on the footstep of Christian saints. The tour begins in Sarmato, where according to tradition Saint Roch of Montpellier spent some time after being struck by the plague on his pilgrimage to Rome, and ends at the magnificent shrine of Santa Maria del Monte in Nibbiano. The shrine dates back to the 12th century and contains a wooden icon depicting the adoration of the Magi. In this valley, traversed by the Via Francigena, there are innumerable vestiges of devotion which also find expression in precious works of art, like the 14th century polyptychs of the Collegiate churches of Borgonovo and Castel San Giovanni. In Sarmato stands a U-shaped castle with brick buildings dominated by a square keep, and the collegiate church of Santa Maria dell’Assunta which contains an 18th century painting portraying Saint Anthony. Castel San Giovanni, gateway to the Val Tidone valley, was built on the via Postumia and boasts a millenary history as well as important monuments such as the Romanesque collegiate church of San Giovanni Battista (12th century) which features rich Baroque decorations and houses a magnificent marble baptismal font dated from the mid 16th century; a mid-15th century wooden icon carved by the Piacenza sculptor Antonio Burlengo and painted by Bartolomeo da Groppallo; a late 15th century crucifix by the Del Maino brothers; a group of six wooden statues belonging to the Crucifixion (16th century) and the high altar-piece depicting the sermon of Saint John the Baptist. The church also contains a precious shrine dated from the 14th century bearing the coat or arms of the Fontana family. A visit should be paid to the church of San Rocco, with vestiges of pre-renaissance decorating features and also to the little church of Santa Maria in Torricella, built in the second half of the 16th century as the oratory of the Capuchin lay brothers devoted to assisting people sentenced to death. The tour continues with a visit to the Giuseppe Verdi theatre, inaugurated in 1823, and to the 18th century Villa Braghieri Albesani which after a long and accurate restoration work is set to become an important cultural centre. A long tree lined road leads to villa Caramello of the Marquess Peveri-Fontana; nearby stands the 19th century Madonna del Mistadello oratory. Visitors to Borgonovo should stop to admire the Collegiate church of Santa Maria dell’Assunta erected in the 15th century in the Lombard-Gothic style. The interior has a nave and two aisles plan and contains traces of 15th century frescoes. Noteworthy is a valuable polyptych painted in 1474 by the Lombard artists De Lupis. A bas-relief depicting the Annunciation and a richly engraved ciborium are also attributed to De Lupis. The rectangular-plan castle is encircled by a defensive wall and features an internal courtyard and a Neapolitan style grand staircase. In 1215, the nearby castle of Castelnuovo, was the scene of a bloody battle between Piacenza’s and Pavia’s armies which testifies to the strategic importance of this area. The castle dates from the 14th century and its architecture features cylindrical towers and Ghibelline crenellation. Also worth a visit is the church of Sant’Ilario di Breno with its 10th century Romanesque apse. Suspended somewhere between past and present, where culture, art and tradition merge into a mysterious novelty, there are plenty of small villages waiting to be discovered: Bruso welcomes visitors with the Palazzo Ricci-Oddi, surrounded by a beautiful park, and with the 17th century church of Santi Giacomo e Filippo which houses a small Romanesque apse. Visitors can enjoy an enchanting view of the valley from Corano where there are a castle built in the 15th century by the Radini Tedeschi family and a church dedicated to Saint Antoninus. The church contains a small wooden temple and a painting by Antonio Domenico Triva both dated from the 17th century. Then it is time for visitors to be bewitched by a landscape of gently rolling hills scattered here and there with the historical relics of ancient settlements and landmarks. The municipality of Ziano is at the heart of the area dedicated to wine growing, just like Pianello where the Rocca commissioned by the Dal Verme family can be admired from the beautiful square. An ancient church is the attraction of Roccapulzana nearby. In Pianello the archaeological museum is housed in three rooms of the Rocca Municipale and deserves a visit for its collection of finds dug up in the surrounding countryside: minerals and fossils, stone axes, fragments of flint knives and other artefacts from the Bronze and Iron ages. The richest finds date back to Roman times. Exhibits include some interesting household artefacts such as clay kitchenware (manufactured locally but also fine examples of black varnish and “terra sigillata” (Arretine ware), fusaroles, loom weights and amphorae used for transporting goods. The exhibit is complemented by the display of coins, funerary artefacts and ancient gravestones, including a Late Antiquity sarcophagus made of Verona red marble. A narrow country road winding through the woods takes visitors to the north entry of Rocca d'Olgisio which dominates the valley. The castle, with several buildings dating from the early decades of the 1st century A.D., was for a long time the property of the San Savino monastery. With its three distinct walled enclosures, the castle layout is elaborate and features numerous arches, capitals and carvings. In the centre of the courtyard there is a 5m deep well and according to tradition half way down the well there is a secret escape tunnel leading outside the castle walls. A visit to the area should include Nibbiano, which has retained its traditional medieval village structure with its enchanting little square and stone buildings. The church of San Pietro houses a 17th century painting. Not a long distance away there is the village of Sala Mandelli dominated by a small fortress erected between the 11th and 12th centuries and where in 1961 the sanctuary of the Beata Vergine Madre delle Genti was built. In Trevozzo it is possible to visit an early 17th century Baroque church, decorated with stuccoes and an altar-piece which is the work of painter Bartolomeo Rusca. In Pecorara visit the church of San Giorgio which houses an 18th century wooden statue of the Virgin Mary attributed to the Flemish artist Jan Geernaert. In Caminata, one of the smallest municipalities of the region, there is an ancient stronghold with underground communication trenches bearing witness to the historical military importance of the village at the time when it was the port of entry between the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and the Duchies of Parma and Piacenza. In the village, situated near the small artificial lake of Trebecco, there is a lovely neoclassical church with a wooden statue of the Madonna del Carmine attributed to Jan Geernaert. The hills of Lazzarello, Montesumino and Monte Aldone offer plenty of opportunities for excursions. Well worth a visit is the “alpine garden” in the vast larch grove of Pietra dei Corvi, just across the boundary of the province of Pavia.