Immersed in the heart of Emilia Romagna, along the Val Nure state road, there is a charming village with medieval charm where time seems to have stopped.
Grazzano Visconti – the fruit of the idea of Giuseppe Visconti, a Milanese nobleman – is a village built around the ancient castle in the early 1900s, with the aim of creating an original artistic center where artisans could pass on their work, in a medieval guise . What he wanted to realize was his ideal of a perfect place, a medieval style village, one of the best moments in history in his opinion, but with all the comforts of the modern era.
The village today hosts historical processions, events in medieval costume, important horticultural events and themed events. It is a perfect place to spend a different Sunday walking around the centre, visiting artisans' shops and artistic workshops - wood, iron and ceramics continue to be worked in the village - and eating in one of the village restaurants.
The village, still inhabited, is accessible all year round but the visit is particularly evocative during the costumed events which mainly characterize spring and autumn, or during the Advent period when the Christmas markets are organised.
Here you will find constantly updated information on the castle, the park and the village with its events.
What to see in the village
The village is accessed by crossing one of the four entrance doors.
Walking through the white streets of the village you can admire small houses with frescoed facades and rich in decorations, fountains and ornamental statues at the corners of the alleys and the well in the central square which seems to come out of a fairy tale. There are many craftsmen's shops with wrought iron signs protruding above the doors. Ivy forms a second wall to the buildings and moss covers some corners between the houses. Time in this village seems to be suspended between past and fantasy.
The village is full of many characteristic shops where you can buy souvenirs and fantasy-style trinkets, or get lost among the soap and candle shops. For Harry Potter lovers - like us - a stop at the Haunted Emporium complete with platform 9 3/4 with the trolley stuck in the wall cannot be missed. We spent an entire afternoon taking photos of questionable cuteness while everyone looked at us perplexed.
The village is also rich in many attractions. The Parish Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano, the oldest building in the town. Inside the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes. The wax museum houses statues of characters from the history of Piacenza. In Piazza del Biscione there are the Institution Palace, the fountain of the same name and the Well. Inside the institution building there is the Torture Museum. An Inquisition-themed Escape Room has been created next to the Museum. The old courtyard houses, under the long portico, the small museum of agricultural tools and small soap and candle shops. At its entrance is the statue of Aloisa, the ghost of Grazzano Visconti.
The castle and the park
The castle, dating back to 1395, was completely renovated and furnished by Giuseppe Visconti according to the eclectic taste of the time.
It can be visited from March to October. The visit itinerary includes the Courtyard, the reception rooms on the ground floor - the Hall of Honour, the library and the dining room - and the bedrooms and cloakroom on the first floor and the upper loggia.
The Castle Park, designed by Giuseppe Visconti, extends for approximately 15 hectares with a partly English and partly Italian garden and a mini hedge maze. Filling the spaces are statues, vases, columns, fountains and a great variety of trees and shrubs. It can be visited from the end of March to the first of November, every third Sunday of the month and holidays.
The ghost of Aloisa
Among the legends of Grazzano Visconti there is also that of the ghost of the castle. It is about the wife of a mercenary captain who died of grief after being abandoned. The spirit of Aloisa, evoked by Giuseppe Visconti himself, seems to still hover in the palace. Today the ghost of Aloisa protects unlucky lovers.
Brief history of the medieval village
It was built in 1395, on the remains of a pre-existing structure, by Giovanni Anguissola following his marriage to Beatrice Visconti, sister of the Duke of Milan Gian Galeazzo. Over the following centuries, the village and castle of Grazzano Visconti were the site of important battles including the fire of 1521 which destroyed the entire village.
In 1689 the castle was affected by some works, of which the most impactful was the one which involved the replacement of the original drawbridge with a new, more modern structure made of masonry
During the nineteenth century the castle was re-adapted by the Anguissola family as a country residence.
In 1870, upon the death of Filippo Anguissola who had had no children, the property passed to the Visconti family (on his wife's side).
It was his nephew Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone who, at the beginning of the twentieth century, had the village rebuilt in neo-Gothic and Renaissance style near the castle.
How to get
The medieval village of Grazzano Visconti is located 12 kilometers from Piacenza and can be easily reached from the A1 or A2 motorway, the most convenient exit is Piacenza Sud. From here you continue along the ring road and the SP 654 Valnure – Bettola – Grazzano Visconti.
Where to park
Near the entrances to the village of Grazzano Visconti, there are two large paid car parks (North car park and South car park). The daily cost is 4 euros for cars and 2 euros for motorbikes (fixed daily rate).
Last Updated on 1 September 2024
