Day 1: Piacenza – Parma
Arrival in Piacenza, the entrance to
Emilia, rich in treasures and history. "Piacenza is a land of
passage" wrote Leonardo Da Vinci in the Codex Atlanticus. Because of its
position, at the crossroads between four regions, founded on the banks of the
river Po and enclosed in the embrace of the hills and mountains of the
Apennines. Colonia Romana, later an important medieval center, has always been
an ideal stopover for princes and pilgrims, Crusaders and Templars, merchants
and artists who left their mark here. Guided tour featuring the Piazza del
Duomo and Piazza dei Cavalli, symbol of the city with the two equestrian
statues by Mochi in the background of the Palazzo Gotico, the Romanesque
Basilica di Sant'Antonino, a point of pilgrimage on the Via Francigena, with
the Porta del Paradiso, the church of Santa Maria di Campagna and the Basilica
di San Savino with its 12th century mosaics depicting the cycle of months, are
well worth a visit. The Teatro Municipale, dedicated to Verdi, looks like a
true little "Scala".The wonderful complex of Palazzo Farnese, which
includes the Civic Museums of Palazzo Farnese with the Etruscans' liver and
Botticelli's Tondo, and the Alberoni Gallery with Antonello da Messina's Ecce
Homo are worth a visit.
Piacenza is a real "food
valley", among salami, cheeses and wines it can boast the highest
concentration of D.O.P. and D.O.C. (Denominations of Protected and Controlled
Origin) in Italy. Authentic enogastronomic excellences to enjoy such as
"coppa", salami and bacon; "pisaréi e fasö", "anolini"
and "tortelli con la coda", "bomba di riso" and
"piccula ad cavall". All this accompanied rigorously by wines from
Piacenza, among which the red Gutturnio stands out. After lunch departure
for Parma, one of the main junctions of the ancient Via Emilia.
Guided tour of the city famous for Parmigiano cheese and prosciutto, the
Romanesque buildings, including the Cathedral with its frescoes and the
Baptistery in pink marble, the Teatro Regio. The Galleria Nazionale, inside the
imposing Palazzo della Pilotta, exhibits artworks by the painters Correggio and
Canaletto.
Tasting at the prosciutto factory of Langhirano,
a small town known for the production of prosciutto. Sweet and tasty, the
slice, neither thin nor thick. It is obtained from swine fattened with natural
and traditional systems for generations in order to obtain specially designed
shapes and sizes. As a result, it is distinguished from others by its rounded
shape called "chicken leg". The unique climatic conditions, the fresh
air of the valley, the patient maturing period of 14/18 months, the long
processing phases with the skill of master savorers make the prosciutto without
preservatives and coloring agents and with a low cholesterol content:
recommended for the development of children, adolescents and the elderly, it is
easily digestible and with a high protein content, suitable for that type of
consumer who is attentive to his diet, safe and healthy.
Dinner and overnight in a hotel.
Day 2: Maranello - Modena – Bologna
Departure for Modena. UNESCO has
recognized the universal value of its treasures by declaring the Cathedral,
Piazza Grande and the Ghirlandina Tower World Heritage Site.
City tour: the Cathedral, one of the greatest
masterpieces of the European Romanesque. The Palazzo Comunale, whose
construction has undergone several phases since the Middle Ages. And not far
from the Ghirlandina, the seventeenth-century Palazzo Ducale, now home to the
prestigious Military Academy.
The city is enriched by the beautiful MEF-Museum
Enzo Ferrari, the museum complex dedicated to Enzo Ferrari and motor racing
features the Casa Natale and the exhibition gallery. In the prestigious Palazzo
Santa Margherita, there is also the Museum of the Figurine; born from the
passionate collection of Giuseppe Panini. Transfer to Maranello,
visit to the Ferrari Museum, the company museum of the famous car manufacturer
founded in 1947.
After that, visit and tasting at vinegar
factory, producer of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena since
1850. After lunch departure for Bologna, city of
art, known for its almost 40 km of arcades, the longest in the world. Also
known as the ‘’Dotta’’ ("Academic"), because of its ancient
University, and the "Grassa" ("Fat") because of its
gastronomy, the city boasts the title "UNESCO Creative City of Music"
and has one of the largest and best preserved medieval historical centers in
Europe, full of clubs, taverns, theaters and shops. Home to great artists such
as Giorgio Morandi, Guido Reni, the Carracci, Guercino, Aspertini, its charm
has also captured illustrious figures such as Mozart, Carducci, Dante, Rossini
and the Nobel Prize in Physics, Guglielmo Marconi.
Visit of the city with Piazza Maggiore where
medieval palaces, witnesses of the lively public life and intense economic
activity, are perfectly combined with modernity, preserving their ancient
charm. Palazzo D'Accursio, seat of the municipality, in which we find the
modern Salaborsa multimedia library in Art Nouveau style and the Roman
archaeological excavations visible from a modern glass floor. Some of the
symbols of Bologna are the Neptune Fountain by Giambologna and the medieval
towers. Among them, the Two Towers, the Asinelli Tower (98 meters) and its
"twin" Garisenda (48 meters, mentioned in Dante's Inferno) rise majestically.
The Alma Mater Studiorum is the oldest
university in the west. Along the ancient streets and the endless arcades, an
unexpected sight are the canals dating back to the 12th century, which can also
be visited in the underground passageways. Dinner and overnight in
hotel.
Specialities: Bologna is synonymous with
Mortadella, "ragù alla Bolognese", tortellini, lasagne, tagliatelle,
bollito. Equally well known are the DOC wines of the Colli Bolognesi, including
the typical Pignoletto.
Day 3: Ravenna - Ferrara
Departure to Ravenna, where you can
breathe art, history and culture. Recognized all over the world for its
historical and artistic beauties, the city preserves the richest heritage of
mosaics dating back between the 5th and 6th century A.D. inside its wonderful
early Christian and Byzantine religious buildings, declared World Heritage by
UNESCO.
The majestic gold of the Basilica of San
Vitale; the small Mausoleum of Galla Placidia where the
cobalt blue tiles embrace a dome of golden stars ending with Sant'Apollinare
Nuovo. The city has been visited by famous visitors such as Lord
Byron, Oscar Wilde, Sigmund Freud and Gustav Klimt. After lunch,
departure for Ferrara. The Este family ran it for three centuries
and gave it the appearance it still retains today: a unique urban design that
harmoniously blends the Middle Ages and Renaissance and makes it the first
modern city in Europe. Precisely because of this characteristic, it has been
recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site by Humanity. Guided tour
among the wonders of the city, the great paintings of the fifteenth and
sixteenth century at Palazzo dei Diamanti. Worth visiting is Palazzo Schifanoia
with its splendid Salone dei Mesi frescoed in the 15th century by the painters
of the Officina Ferrarese; the Castello Estense, the ancient residence of the
Dukes of Este; the harmonious Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral and its Museum with
works of great value. The Church of Santa Maria in Vado, a pilgrimage
destination following the Eucharistic miracle that took place here in the 12th
century.
Culinary delights: the famous "coppia", the tasty Ferrara
bread with its elaborate shape, awarded the PGI mark; the very popular
"cappellacci", tortelli stuffed with pumpkin and parmesan cheese and
the "pasticcio di maccheroni", a true synthesis of courtly
traditions; an unusual mixture of pork meat, is the "salama da sugo".
Finally, the "pampepato", a gingerbread covered with a crust of
melted chocolate.