Historic villages of the Po - Borghi storici del Po

Historic villages of the Po
Upper Po Valley
Itinerary typeAutomotive
StateItaly
RegionPiedmont, Lombardy, Veneto ed Emilia Romagna.
StartCrissolo
endGoro

Historic villages of the Po it is an itinerary that takes place through Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto ed Emilia Romagna.

Introduction

The itinerary, from west to east or vice versa, leads to know some historic villages that rise near the "great river".

How to get

The itinerary starts from Crissolo, in Piedmont, but you can choose to do it in the opposite direction or just a portion.

By plane

The usable airports are:

  • Turin airport
  • Venice airport
  • Bologna airport

By car

The useful motorway toll booths are:

On the train

The nearest stations are:

  • Saluzzo railway station
  • Codigoro railway station

Stages

Crescentino, San Genuario castle
Fireplace with the castle
Palace of Colorno
San Benedetto Po, Abbey of Polirone
  • 1 Crissolo - Located in the Po Valley at 1318 m., in the area where the sources of the river Po are found. Numerous excursions depart from here towards Pian del Re and Monviso. Crissolo also offers ski lifts for alpine skiing and cross-country skiing trails.
  • 2 Revello - Medieval town that belonged to the Marquisate of Saluzzo. Of particular interest is the Abbey of Santa Maria di Staffarda, whose foundation dates back to the 12th century.
  • 3 Villafranca Piedmont - Bathed by the river Po, it belongs to the metropolitan city of Turin. To see the castle of Marchierù, a historic building from the 13th century.
  • 4 Crescentino - To see the castle of San Genuario.
  • 5 Fontanetto Po - The oratory of San Sebastiano, from the 9th century, is important.
  • 6 Gabiano - Gabiano Castle of the Marquises of Monferrato.
  • 7 Chimney - Small town with 800 inhabitants, it has one of the most beautiful castles in the Monferrato.
  • 8 Frassineto Po - It preserves the ducal palace, which was owned by the Gonzagas of Mantua as early as the fifteenth century.
  • 9 Frascarolo - Its castle, probably from the Lombard period, is imposing.
  • 10 Sartirana Lomellina - Famous place for the Visconteo castle, built at the end of the fourteenth century at the behest of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and on a project by captain Jacopo dal Verme.
  • 11 Calendasco - A village of Roman origins, it preserves the trapezoidal castle built in the 11th century. From here passes the Via Francigena.
  • 12 Monticelli d'Ongina - Pallavicino Castle, dating back to 1300.
  • 13 Zibello - Known for the famous DOP salami “culatello di Zibello”, it boasts among its monuments the church of SS. Gervasio and Protasio, an example of Lombard-Gothic architecture.
  • 14 Roccabianca - With the Rocca dei Rossi, built in 1450 at the behest of Pier Maria II de 'Rossi, who donated it to his mistress Bianca Pellegrini.
  • 15 San Daniele Po - Famous for the parish church, in Lombard neo-Gothic style.
  • 16 Gussola - Of Etruscan origin.
  • 17 Colorno - It is characterized by several architectural works, the most famous of which is the Royal Palace, which in the nineteenth century Napoleon's wife Maria Luigia of Austria made it one of her favorite residences, adding a large French garden.
  • 18 Casalmaggiore - Third most populous municipality in the province of Cremona, after Cremona is Cream and rich in history. The center is characterized by Piazza Garibaldi, the result of an urban reorganization of the seventeenth century, in the background of which the neo-gothic Town Hall of the late nineteenth century stands out.
  • 19 Pomponesco - Inserted among the most beautiful villages in Italy, it had its period of greatest splendor in the second half of the sixteenth century, when Giulio Cesare Gonzaga made it the seat of his court for twenty years.
  • 20 Gualtieri - The heart of the village is Piazza Bentivoglio, built by the Ferrara architect Giovan Battista Aleotti known as the "Argenta". He was also responsible for the project of the Bentivoglio Palace, residence of the Bentivoglio marquises, which overlooks the square in front of the Clock Tower.
  • 21 Luzzara - It was among the possessions of the Countess Matilde di Canossa. During the Gonzaga lordship, Luzzara was fortified.
  • 22 San Benedetto Po - It owes its fame to the Polirone Abbey, founded in 1007 by Tedaldo di Canossa and redesigned by Giulio Romano in 1540.

Point 22 - Deviation from the main itinerary

Mantua, Andrea Mantegna, the Camera degli Sposi

From San Benedetto Po about 24 km.

  • 23 Mantua - It was the capital of the state of Gonzaga, who ruled it for four hundred years and made it one of the most important cities of the Renaissance. As evidence of their glorious past, remain the Ducal Palace, the castle of San Giorgio with the Camera degli Sposi di Mantegna, the Palazzo Te, the Palatine Basilica of Santa Barbara, the Basilica of Sant'Andrea, the Basilica of San Sebastiano, the Casa del Mantegna and other buildings. Together with Sabbioneta has been declared World Heritage.

From point 24 to point 25

  • 24 Sustinente - Characteristic is the presence of the imposing seventeenth-century villa of the Marquis Guerrieri-Gonzaga.
Palazzo Ducale of Revere
  • 25 Revere - The town, of medieval origin, stands on the right bank of the Po. In Piazza Castello is the Palazzo Ducale, residence of the Gonzaga family, built in the mid-fifteenth century by the architect Luca Fancelli for the Marquis of Mantua Ludovico III Gonzaga.

Point 25 - Deviation from the main itinerary

Pieve Matildica of Pieve di Coriano

From Revere about 4 km.

  • 26 Parish church of Coriano - To see the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. It was built in 1082 at the behest of Matilde di Canossa, in Romanesque style and is composed of three naves and three semicircular apses.

From point 27 to point 36

  • 27 Ostiglia - With the neo-Gothic Church of the Assumption.
  • 28 Carbonara di Po - Former municipality merged in 2018 with Borgofranco sul Po. Villa Bisighini stands out, a liberty jewel.
  • 29 Sermide - Characterized by the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in neo-Gothic style.
Rocca di Stellata, UNESCO heritage
  • 30 Starry - Fraction of the municipality of Bondeno, presents its Rocca Stellata, a defensive bulwark on the Po built by the Este family: it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • 31 Polesella - There are numerous Venetian villas, including Ca 'Rosetta, Ca' Morosini, Villa Armellini, Palazzo Grimani.
  • 32 Ro - Fraction of the municipality of Bank of the Po, with the Church of San Giacomo Maggiore from 1770 and three villas: Villa Saraldo Riminaldi from the sixteenth century, Villa Beicamina from the eighteenth century and Villa Scutellari.
  • 33 Ca 'Tiepolo - Fraction of Porto Tolle, linked to the patriot Angelo Brunetti known as “Ciceruacchio” who was shot here by the Austrians in 1849. The Reclamation Museum on the outskirts of the village is worth a visit.
  • 34 Rosolina - Located in the Po Delta. To visit the Porto Caleri Coastal Botanical Garden nature reserve, among pine forests, dunes and small ponds.
  • 35 Mesola - Municipality of the Po Delta, south of the Po di Goro branch, represents the division between Veneto and theEmilia Romagna. To visit the Castle of Mesola, one of the 19 "delights" of the Este family, lords of Ferrara and the Bosco della Mesola nature reserve.
Codigoro, Pomposa Abbey
  • 36 Codigoro - With the Abbey of Pomposa, one of the most important religious monuments in Northern Italy, built in the 9th century on a pre-existing Lombard foundation and residence of the Benedictines.
  • 37 Goro - View base to the Po Delta. The economy of Goro is based on clam fishing and the famous "clam festival" is held here in July.

Return

Take the A13 motorway at the tollbooth of Ferrara south or of Turin, depending on the type of route, or go up the river Po by ship up to Piacenza.

Safety

Around

Itineraries

1-4 star.svgDraft : the article respects the standard template and has at least one section with useful information (albeit a few lines). Header and footer are correctly filled out.