Torrechiara Castle (Langhirano)

Torrechiara Castle is arguably the most beautiful and iconic castle in all of Emilia — and one of the best-preserved in Italy. It sits on a hill overlooking the Parma valley, surrounded by vineyards and fields, with a silhouette that looks like it belongs in a storybook. Four corner towers, a double ring of walls, a medieval village at its feet: the visual impact is extraordinary from any direction.

It was built between 1448 and 1460 by Pier Maria Rossi, a condottiero and lord of these lands, as both a military fortress and a declaration of love for his mistress Bianca Pellegrini. Their love story is told in the famous Camera d'Oro (Golden Chamber) on the piano nobile: a cycle of frescoes by Benedetto Bembo where Bianca appears as the protagonist of a journey through the Rossi castles, in a landscape of golden hills. The intertwined hearts and painted ribbons everywhere make this room one of the most moving love monuments of the Italian Renaissance.

Beyond the Camera d'Oro, the castle preserves rooms frescoed by Baglione (16th century) with grotesque scenes and landscapes, and offers from the top of its towers a sweeping panorama over the plain, the hills and the Apennines. The village below has a couple of good trattorias for lunch.

Tip: Torrechiara is easily combined with a visit to Parma (20 minutes by car) or with a tour of the Langhirano area, home of prosciutto di Parma — the Prosciutto Festival is held in September. Allow 1–1.5 hours for the castle visit.