The Bassa Parmense is the land of Verdi, Guareschi and Culatello, but not only. It is also the land of castles, one of which is a medieval town, Fontanellato.

The castle of Fontanellato is called the Rocca dei Sanvitale and it is impossible to describe all its wonders. One of them is surely made up of a large moat - 'fish' - which makes this construction, erected for the defensive purpose, very elegant and distinguishes it from other castles that dot the territory of Parma.

Inside the Rocca you will find many rooms, richly furnished and decorated. On the ground floor, among the rooms with paintings and frescoes, is the jewel of the castle, the hall of Parmigianino, but the hanging garden and the optical chamber also attract attention.

The first floor is dedicated to the life of the Sanvitale and therefore you can see the furniture and furnishings of the time and, in some sense, participate in their daily lives. Beautiful is the loggia embellished with the frescoes of which the remains have been preserved.

After, or before, the visit to the castle you must also see Fontanellato whose historic center has preserved its medieval character: the narrow streets host minute shops under low arcades that every third Sunday of the month also give shelter to the antique market.

Actually, the agenda of the events of Fontanellato is very rich, such as to give the village the name “small capital of the markets”.

One of the events made the protagonist the castle that during the “Dispensa di Sanvitale” proposes a tour of Italy through the flavors and regional products.