A day in Piacenza

Start at Piazza Cavalli (about 40 minutes drive from the Podere), one of the most impressive squares in northern Italy. The 13th-century Palazzo Gotico dominates one side with its stunning marble-and-brick facade and open loggia — a masterpiece of Lombard Gothic architecture. In the centre of the square, the two equestrian statues by Francesco Mochi (1620–1625) of Alessandro and Ranuccio Farnese are considered among the finest examples of Baroque sculpture in Italy. Walk to the Cathedral (5 minutes), a superb Romanesque-Lombard church. Inside, look up at the dome frescoes by Guercino and the apse paintings by Ludovico Carracci.

Walk to Palazzo Farnese (10 minutes from the Cathedral), the imposing Renaissance palace begun by the Farnese family and never completed. The Civic Museums inside house several collections, but the star is the Ritratto di Signora by Gustav Klimt — one of only a handful of Klimt works in Italian public collections, famously stolen in 1997 and rediscovered in 2019 hidden inside the walls of the palace's own garden. The painting alone is worth the visit. The museum also has an interesting archaeological section and a collection of historic coaches. Allow about an hour. On the way, stop at Santa Maria di Campagna to admire Pordenone's spectacularly frescoed dome (1530–1535).

Piacenza has its own distinct food culture, different from neighbouring Parma. Find a trattoria in the historic centre and order the local classics: pisarei e fasö (hand-rolled pasta with beans — the city's signature dish), bortellina (a thin fried flatbread served with cured meats), coppa piacentina DOP, and anolini in brodo. The city centre has excellent trattorias and wine bars, particularly around Via XX Settembre and the streets behind Piazza Cavalli. Pair with a glass of Gutturnio from the Colli Piacentini — the same wine you can taste at Il Casello near the Podere.

After lunch, if you have time, visit the Galleria Ricci Oddi — a fine collection of 19th and 20th-century Italian painting in a dedicated gallery near the centre. Alternatively, on the way back to the Podere you can make a detour to Grazzano Visconti (about 20 minutes from Piacenza), a unique neo-medieval village rebuilt in the early 1900s by Duke Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone (father of film director Luchino Visconti). The village has artisan workshops, wrought-iron courtyards and a theatrical atmosphere — particularly charming during the Christmas market, the spring herb festival and Halloween. Allow about an hour, then continue to the Podere (about 30 minutes from Grazzano).