The castle of Torrechiara is a fifteenth-century manor with medieval and Renaissance features at the same time; located on top of a panoramic rocky hill at the gates of the Val Parma, it is flanked by the small medieval village of Torrechiara.
Wanted by Count Pier Maria II de ‘Rossi as a powerful defensive structure and elegant love nest for himself and his lover Bianca Pellegrini , it is considered one of the most remarkable, scenic and best preserved castles in Italy.
The interior offers the visitor a riot of frescoed rooms, including the beautiful Golden Room considered one of the highest pictorial expressions of the International Gothic in Italy: the room celebrates the triumph of love of Pier Maria and Bianca, but also the prestige of the Rossi family in Parma, through the imaginary journey of Bianca, “pilgrim” for love, between the vast possessions and lands of the feud. This admirable masterpiece attributed is attributed to Benedetto Bembo.
Of the highest quality also the “grotesque” frescoes of the other representative rooms of the manor, made by Cesare Baglione and collaborators, Giovanni Antonio Paganino and Innocenzo Martini:the hall of coats of arms, the hall of Jupiter, the Pergola, the Angels, the Landscapes, the Victory, the Curtain, the hunting and fishing room and the magnificent hall of the Acrobats.
The architectural complex, which alternates these precious rooms with service areas such as kitchens and stables, is distributed on two floors around the prestigious Cortile d’Onore, today the scene of important shows and summer events.
Overlooking the courtyard is also the court chapel, called San Nicomede, which once housed the important polyptych depicting the Madonna Enthroned with the Child and Saints Antonio Abbate, Nicomede and Pietro Martire of 1462, by Benedetto Bembo (now preserved at the Museum of the Castello Sforzesco in Milan).
The castle structure is equipped with a large and interesting underground system of dungeons, open to visits on some extraordinary occasions.
Not to be missed, within the imposing fortified walls that surround the castle, a walk through the houses of the delightful medieval village, which preserves intact the original construction structure of the ancient town annexed to the castle.
Not far from the castle is the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria della Neve, also built by Pier Maria Rossi, a place of peace and art where you can admire the monastic complex and the church that wind around the ancient cloister.
For those wishing to take a pleasant walk in the surroundings, from the foot of the castle winds the Sentiero d’Arte, a path in nature that runs along the ancient San Michele canal, among vineyards and crops, and is dotted with site-specific works of art
Discover here all the info on this area of interest: https://www.portaletorrechiara.it/
