Page 264 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

262 І CENTR AL IT AL Y

2 Castell’Arquato
Piacenza. * 4,500. @ n Piazza
Municipio 1 (0523 80 32 15). ( Mon.
Tucked into the folded hills
between Fidenza and Piacenza,
Castell’Arquato is one of the
prettiest villages in the
countryside south of the Po.
Day visitors come at the
weekends to escape Emilia’s
larger cities, thronging the
restaurants and bars around
the beautiful Piazza Matteotti.
The best medieval building on
the piazza is the 13th-century
Palazzo Pretorio, a Romanesque
basilica. The impressive Rocca
Viscontea (14th century),
a former fortress, is on Piazza
del Municipio. The village’s
hilltop site offers good views,
particularly over the verdant
Arda valley to the east.

3 Fidenza
Parma. * 25,000. V @ n Piazza
The 13th-century Palazzo Pretorio in Castell’Arquato Duomo 16 (0524 833 77).
( Wed & Sat.
1 Piacenza has a rather leaden Lombard-
Romanesque exterior (begun Like many towns hugging the
* 105,000. V @ n Piazza Cavalli 2 in 1122), and a 14th-century line of the Po, Fidenza owed its
(0523 49 22 23). ( Wed & Sat. campanile. The interior features early prominence to the Via
Guercino’s painted cupola and Aemilia (the old Roman road).
Piacenza traces its history back medieval frescoes. There are The town assumed greater
to Roman times. Located near also frescoed saints near the importance as a medieval
the Po, it served as a fortified main door, painted to resemble way station for pilgrims en
camp protecting the Emilian members of the congregation. route to Rome. Today Fidenza is
plain from invasion. The centre The Museo Civico offers an visited for its superb Duomo
is still based on the Roman plan. eclectic mixture of sculpture and on Piazza Duomo (13th
Piacenza has a pleasantly paintings – the star among these century), a composite piece
understated old centre full of is the Madonna and Child with of architecture that embraces
fine medieval and Renaissance John the Baptist by Lombard, Gothic
buildings. Pride of place goes to Botticelli (1444– and transitional
two bronze equestrian statues 1510). There is also Romanesque
in the central Piazza Cavalli, the an armoury and elements. The most
work of the 17th-century sculptor archaeology section. immediately eye-
Francesco Mochi, a pupil of The highlight here catching feature is
Giambologna. Lauded as master- is the so-called the opulent façade,
pieces of Baroque sculpture, Fegato di Piacenza, most probably
the statues represent Alessandro an Etruscan bronze created by the
Farnese, a soldier of fortune, and representation of craftsmen who
his son, Ranuccio: both were the sheep livers worked with
rulers of 16th-century Piacenza. once used by Benedetto Antelami
Behind the statues is the priests for divination, on Parma’s Duomo.
red brick Palazzo del Comune, inscribed with Inside, the walls are
also known as “Il Gotico”, an deities’ names. dotted with
evocatively battlemented fragments of
Lombard-Gothic palace begun E Museo Civico medieval frescoes,
at the end of the 13th century. Palazzo Farnese, Piazza while the crypt
It is one of Italy’s most beautiful Cittadella. Tel 0523 49 26 contains the relics of
medieval buildings. The Duomo, 61. Open Tue–Sun. Detail from façade of San Donnino, the
at the end of Via XX Settembre, Closed public hols. & Duomo in Fidenza Duomo’s patron.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp569–73 and pp590–96

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.3)
Date 13th June 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm