The Reggio Apennines is a borderland, a natural hinge between the Po Valley and the Ligurian-Tuscan area. A ridge that extends from Passo del Lagastrello, crossroads with Lunigiana and the Parma Apennines, to the Cerreto and Pradarena passes, up to Monte Giovarello, in contact with the Modena Apennines.
The municipalities of this area are: Canossa, Carpineti, Casina, Viano, Baiso, Castelnovo ne’ Monti, Toano, Ventasso, Vetto and Villa Minozzo. From the ridge, with a 360° view, the panorama gives way, descending in altitude, to the beech forests, to the valleys of Dolo, Ozola, Secchia, Enza, Tassobbio and Tresinaro, to wide meadows and fodder for the production of the most famous cheese in the world: Parmigiano Reggiano, which has shaped not only the economy but also the landscape.
The bulk of the Pietra di Bismantova dominates the territory between Val Secchia, peaks of the ridge and gentle hill reliefs: these are the lands of Matilda where the Canossa family built castles, churches and tower houses over the centuries that can still be visited today. Many buildings preserve medieval architecture: carved stone portals, capitals, arches and vaults that tell ancient stories.
The richness of nature, biodiversity and traditions has made this territory enter, in 2015, in the world network of UNESCO “Man and Biosphere” Reserves, which recognizes the high value of the relationship developed over time between man and the environment. A value already sanctioned by the presence of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park that extends between Emilia and Tuscany, starting from the ridge to the Pietra di Bismantova. From the peaks that exceed 2000 meters above sea level, from which you can see the Gulf of La Spezia and the Tyrrhenian Sea, you descend into the valleys covered with thick beech forests, with typical glacial lakes, impetuous streams and villages with ancient gray sandstone houses.
There are numerous protected areas also in the hills, they are part of the Parks system coordinated by the Management Authority for Parks and Biodiversity Emilia Centrale: the Reserve of the Rupe di Campotrera, the Protected Landscape of the Reggiana Hill – Terre di Matilde in addition to the Natura 2000 Network Sites between gypsum, gullies and particular microclimates.
A territory where nature and history intertwine, without forgetting the gastronomy, a tradition to be tasted: fried dumplings, erbazzone, tortelli, cappelletti, cold cuts and meats, especially pork and sheep, but also porcini mushrooms with chestnuts.
