Opens by appointment only
Fortezza di Bardi
The Fortress of Bardi, in the province of Parma, built on top of a rocky spur of red jasper, dominates the confluence of the Noveglia stream with the Ceno. An
extraordinary example of the Italian and European Middle Ages, today the castle guards five surprises that enrich the tour:
The Archaeological Museum with artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age (1600-1200 B.C.). promoted by the Centro Studi della Valle del Ceno Cardinale Antonio Samorè in synergy with the Municipality of Bardi and the support of the Fondazione Cariparma. It gives value to a rich archaeological documentation on the pre-protohistoric peopling, main evidence of the prehistoric era, and the subsequent exploitation of jasper from Monte Lama. The rooms currently house works by artist and collector Vittorio Ferrarini, inspired by ancient rock engravings.
The permanent exhibition dedicated to 20th century art is entitled 'Art and Crafts of Eastern Europe'. On display are 60 paintings and 16 plastic works from the Ferrarini-Nicoli collection, which began with Vittorio Ferrarini's ten-year stay in Prague in 1992.
Theme: work. A choice partly dictated on an autobiographical level by the modest origin of the collector who, as the son of farmers, remembers being engaged in the fields as a young man. Permanent
exhibition "A vintage greeting: old postcards of the Valceno", featuring one hundred examples from collector Filippo Antoniazzi, depicting Bardi, neighbouring hamlets and the Castle, most of them travelled and bearing witness to the lifestyle at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Museo della Civiltà Valligiana della Val Ceno (Museum of Val Ceno Valley Civilisation), in the south wing of Bardi Castle, inside rooms originally used as courtiers' lodgings. with a simplified decorative layout, pavilion vaults with moulded stucco
frames at the graft. The collection of material, household objects, artefacts of rural life, arts and crafts or daily work was promoted by the Centro Studi della Val Ceno. The oldest ones date back to the 18th century. A reconstruction with original elements of the rooms - kitchen and bedroom - that made up the rural dwelling is visible. The
tour of Bardi Castle also includes an interesting collection of material illustrating the theme of poaching and trapping: the Museum of Fauna and Poaching.