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On the culatello route
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| A remarkable itinerary through the Parmesan lowlands, which runs through the eight towns of Emilia where culatello, the king of cured hams, is produced. The route winds its way through the Via Emilia and the Po, and passes through villages with a robust and wholesome cuisine and an abundance of artistic and historical treasures. Foremost is the Teatro Verdi in Busseto, dedicated to the great composer by the place of his birth. |
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LAND OF GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS |
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This rich and fertile plain is situated on the southern banks of the great river Po. It is here, in the Parmesan lowlands that the king of cured hams, culatello, is produced. There are eight towns which produce this delicacy with an unmistakably sweet and delicate flavour. Eight towns - Zibello, Busseto, Colorno, Polesine Parmense, Soragna, Sissa, Roccabianca and San Secondo - linked by the culatello route, inaugurated a few years ago by the Emilia-Romagna regional government.
The route unwinds along the roads between the Via Emilia and the course of the Po, in a territory known even in the 15th century as 'Pallavicinia'. In fact, it belonged to the Pallavicino marquises, related to the Sforzas. Along with history, old churches, palaces and remains of Parma's glorious past, a stop at one of the trattorie, which serve tasty local dishes in the area, is a must. The cuisine is wholesome, prepared with traditional ingredients capable of satisfying the hearty appetites of people used to hard work along the river in bygone days. Today it offers the tourist a wide variety of flavours; in addition to the sublime culatello, the cappelletti in brodo with a filling based on mature Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, as well as soppressa con polenta, mariola a typical local sausage-shaped salami and alborelle fish from the Po served with polenta, bacon fat and fried sausage. All accompanied by a glass of good local Lambrusco followed by 'bargnolino', a liqueur made with juniper berries. |
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FROM COLORNO PALACE TO THE HOUSE OF GUARESCHI |
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Leaving Parma, a dozen kilometres north you come to Colorno, known as the Versailles of the Dukes of Parma due to the beautiful palace (tel. 0521.313336), in neo-baroque, neo-classical style. Continuing on to San Secondo Parmense, the Rocca dei Rossi (tel. 0521.873214) is full of art treasures, with beautiful mythology inspired frescoes of the early 15th century.
Moving on to Soragna, we come to another noble residence; the Meli Lupi fortress, where the princes of the same name still live. However, it is possible to visit (guided tours only, tel. 0524 597978) and discover its imposing architecture, luxurious furnishings, frescoes and wonderful art collection.
From Soragna, taking the road to Roccabianca you soon arrive at the banks of the Po and the nearby villages of Sissa, Zibello and Polesine Parmense. At Fontanelle, a hamlet outside Roccabianca, you come to the house of Giovanni Guareschi, the writer who invented the Don Camillo e Peppone saga. A little further on is the village of Sissa, where, apart from the 15th century fortress, the fascinating riverside park Boschi di Maria Luigia, which extends as far as the nearby Coltaro region, is well worth visiting |
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FROM ZIBELLO TO BUSSETO, VERDI'S HOMELAND |
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Along the road which follows the Po you will soon reach Zibello. You are now in the home of culatello, in the village whose name has always been linked to the highly prized ham which has been conferred with a DOP denomination (Denominazione di Origine Protetta). The village is set around Piazza Garibaldi, dominated by the imposing outline of Palazzo Pallavicino. On the first floor of the 15th century palazzo is a small 18th century theatre (guided tours at the weekend, tel. 0524.99388), which maintains its original horse-shoe shape.
Continuing along the river, you will reach Polesine Parmense and Busseto a few kilometres further on. This is the home of Giuseppe Verdi, the great operatic composer to whom the beautiful 19th century theatre which bears his name is dedicated. Enclosed within the fortress, the Teatro Verdi, inaugurated in 1868, is a small 300 seat theatre, with an important musical tradition. Arturo Toscanini and the greatest Verdian singers have appeared on its stage, and even today important concerts are still held there. Returning towards Parma, three kilometres from Busseto you will find Roncole Verdi where you can visit (guided tours only, tel. 0524.92487/931624) the house of the composer's birth; a country house made of stone, unchanged to this day.
Here the organ on which Verdi took his first musical steps is still kept. |
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 Trattoria Colombo
Via Mogadiscio
43010 Polesine Parmense (Pr)
Tel: ++39.0524.98114
Fax: ++39. 0524.98003
An excellent traditional trattoria where you can taste cured pork products produced by the owner, from culatello to mariola.
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