On Sunday I got around to visiting another castle that has
been on my list of places to visit for ages.
The Castle of Torrechiara is to the north of Parma a couple of
kilometres from Langhirano, the home of Parma Ham. This castle dominates the foothills around the entrance to the valley that contains the River
Parma. La castle has the appearance of a castle strait out of a Fairy tale.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
On the first day of
the month, Italian state owned monuments and Museums are free to enter so that
was a good start to my visit.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
From the outside the castle seems enormous, but once inside
it is quite small with two floors around the perimeter of a large central
courtyard. The outside of the castle is in brickwork in the typical Emilian
style.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
The present castle was
built in 1448 by Pier Maria Rossi the Count of Berceto in the high Apennines on
the ruins of an earlier castle as his principal residence, it was later altered
in the mid sixteenth century.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
Pier Maria Rossi was an able “condottiero” or mercenary to
use a modern term as well as being an educated man. He was connected to the
powerful Sforza’s in Milan.
Rossi had a wife who he had married for territorial reasons as
well as a mistress for whom he built a
castle nearby, and so a “ménage a trios” ensued for some time until his wife retired to
a Convent. His mistress was the wife of another condottiero who probably thought
better of bringing war to Rossi over the matter.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
He later fell out with the Sfoza’s and by the time of his
death he was down from having thirty castles to owning just Torrechiara castle.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
The Sforza’s took over the castle in 1482 and the frescoes apart
from those in Rossi’s bedroom commissioned by Rossi date from 1575 when the castle was turned by
the Sforza’s into a residence.
The inside of the castle is a riot of colour thanks to the grotesque
frescoes of mostly natural subjects that colour the walls. Even though they
have arrived down the ages to us in rather poor shape, to pass through the
rooms of this castle is breathtaking.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
The most impressive room is that of Rossi’s bedroom which he
decorated to honour his mistress with
its deep blue “sky”.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
I spent a fascinating afternoon wandering around this wonderful
place.
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| Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR |
Thank you so much for these excellent photos of an astonishing building & story!
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