NIGEL'S RAMBLES: April 2015

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Rocca di Sala Baganza

Sunday the weather was rotten as it has been for the past couple of weekends, so I decided to visit one of the lesser known castles in the Province of Parma.

Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

The Rocca Sanvitale in Sala Baganza is just a few kilometres west of the more famous Torrechiara and I was not sure whether it was worth a visit or not. The reviews on Tripadvisor were extremely contradictory, but I was not in the mood for a lot of driving so I decided to give it a try.

Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

The Rocca suffered badly during an earthquake in 2008 and the first impression when one arrives is that of contrasting cure and degradation. Especially as one enterers.

Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

The tour started well, no guided tour whizzing you round the castle, I was free to wander and look around at my own pace. The castle is part owned by the “Comune” and another part is in private hands still. The publicly owned part has been nicely restored, whist the privately owned part has been left in disrepair after the earthquake and it is not possible to visit this part.

Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

The Rocca as we see it mostly dates from 1477 and was built by the Sanvitale family and remained with them until 1612 when the Duke of Parma beheaded most of the local Feudal Lords including the Sanvitale’s to take possession of their lands.

Sala dei Busti. Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

Sala di Enea. Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

The frescoed rooms date in the first part of the castle that one passes from the tenure of the Sanvitale’s . These frescoes or what remains of them were a nice surprise to me, especially the small “Camerino del Baglione” with its dainty depictions of birds flying on the painted ceiling. The Rocca is worth visiting just to see this fantastic little room.

Camerino del Baglione. Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

Finally we arrive at the last part that one can visit, above the main entrance staircase. The frescoed ceiling has been restored, but the walls are still propped up and unrepaired. The style of the splendid “Sala d'Ercole” is very different to the preceding rooms and the statues on the landing add to the atmosphere.

Sala d' Ercole. Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

Curious was the double roof truss that even though it has been rebuilt, is a fascinating structural solution to support the roof.

Sala d' Ercole. Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

Sala dei Busti. Rocca di Sala Baganza, PR

In the end I think it was well worth visiting this castle.

Here are some more details: http://www.castellidelducato.it/castellidelducato/castello.asp?el=rocca-di-salabaganza

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Bianello and Montechiarugolo

I worked in Quattro Castella for nearly fourteen years and climbed up to Bianello Castle during my lunch break many times, but I had never got around to visiting the inside until last Sunday after the habitual climb from the village.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

Bianello is one of four castles that gives its name to the village. If you approach the village from the north one sees the four castles that seem like four firm breasts emerging from the landscape with a castle on each in place of the nipples.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

Three of the castles are reduced to ruins, but Bianello is intact and was a private residence until 2002.

Bianello was the home of the Medieval Lombard Queen Matilda who acquired it in the tenth century and it remained in the family until the Eighteenth century.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

The castle has been much altered over the years and it is not possible to visit the oldest part which is the square stone tower. It was much more interesting than I expected with some interesting frescoes and a ninetieth century games room.

Bianello, Quattro Castello, RE

I still had some time and so I decided to visit the nearby castle of Montechiarugolo and managed to catch the last visit.

Montechiarugolo,PR

This castle is a massive structure with imposing walls behind a deep dry moat. It is a typical Emilian castle with the typical “Merlatura” that defines these structures. The castle was built in the fifteenth century for Guido Torelli a condottiero or mercenary to use the modern equivalent. As often happend at this time in Italy, things ended badly for the Torelli’s with the Lord losing his head, thanks to the Farnese, Duke of Parma who wanted to get his hands on the property.

Montechiarugolo,PR

Like Bianello it seems from the outside far bigger than it is inside with a large central courtyard.

The castle is still a private residence and only a few rooms and the splendid terrace that overlooks the Enza Valley can be visited. The last room one visits is the most impressive with a splendid frescoed ceiling.