Opens Sabato 23 Nov '24
Castello di Roccabianca
The Roccabianca Castle is a typical castle of the Bassa Parmigiana plain, built in the mid-15th century by Pier Maria Rossi II. Owned by the Scaltriti family of the FALED distilleries in Roccabianca, it was opened to the public after some restoration work in 2002. Inside, one is catapulted into a true journey through time that starts from the origins of the bulwark, with the decorations on the courtyard portico. Here, the dedications that Rossi made to his lover Bianca Pellegrini, mingle with the heraldic coats of arms of the family, later partly covered by those of the Pallavicino enemies. We then move on to admire the famous Sala di Griselda, where the hundredth novella of Boccaccio's Decameron is depicted, the original decorations of which are on display at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, but reproductions by the painter Gabriele Calzetti can still be admired.
Between Renaissance and early Baroque are the rooms commissioned by the Rangoni family of Modena, characterised by fantastic landscapes and scenes of noble life. One then descends to the cellars, where one can still admire the oak barrels used for the ageing of spirits in the 1970s and 1990s. The view from the top of the courtyard keep, a very rare example of a double dado tower, from which on a clear day you can see the Torrazzo di Cremona. On the piano nobile you can admire the triptych of late Baroque paintings depicting 'Judith and Holofernes' by the painter Stefano Maria Legnani known as Legnanino. The journey ends with the vinegar cellar located in the attic of the Rocca and the Faled Distillery Museum, which is accompanied by a tasting of the company's distillates.
