NIGEL'S RAMBLES

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Torrechiara

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR

I spent a fascinating afternoon wandering around this wonderful place.

Castello di Torrechiara, Langhirano, PR

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Beauty and the Beasts

This Sunday I decided to explore in the car an area of the Apennines in the Province of Modena to see if it had any potential for walking.

My first stop was at the beautiful Romanic “Pieve” in Rocca Santa Maria perched high on a rocky outcrop, dating from the eleventh century.

Pieve di Rocca di Santa Maria, Serramazzone,MO

On entering one is struck by the narrow nave and the low massive columns, giving rise to an optical illusion of great overall height . The capitals of the columns have some fine carving.

Pieve di Rocca di Santa Maria, Serramazzone,MO

The second place I visited was Parco San Giulia, a monumental park above the village of Monchio.

A series of stone sculptures was commissioned to record the massacre of 136 civilians carried out by the Wehrmacht in 1944 in the villages around Monchio in reaction to the founding of the Partisan Republic of Montefiorino. These wonderfully abstract sculptures are by 14 different artists from Italy and around the world. The unifying theme of these sculptures is of an external violence exerted on the stones that resist the forces of evil.

Pieve di Rocca di Santa Maria, Serramazzone,MO

The park is situated in a wonderful position on a hill with fine panoramic views of the high Apennines.

Pieve di Rocca di Santa Maria, Serramazzone,MO

Monday, December 22, 2014

Fog in Val Padana

I usually keep a battered Lumix GX1 in my briefcase with a 14 to 140 superzoom to take record shots on site. It is not the best or most up to date camera in the world, but it does its job perfectly.

I had just visited my “commercialista” to pay some end of year taxes to those thieving bastards down in Rome when I decided to return home by the scenic route along the Apennine foothills to cheer myself up.

Down on the plain there was a thick fog but as I climbed up the winding road towards Rossena I left the fog below me as I expected.

Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE

Bianello, Quattro Castella, REn

Quattro Castella, RE

When I got to the hills above Bianello the scene was spectacular with a sea of cloud below filling the vast Pianura Padana ( Po valley) and a brilliant sunset. The castle of Bianello appeared out of the mist allowing me to get some surreal images. My briefcase camera acquitted itself quite well in recording the scene but having a slow lens meant I had to bump the ISO up a bit.