The journey starts in Parma, a city that perfectly embodies the combination of art, culture and gastronomy.
Known as the home of Giuseppe Verdi‘s music and fine Emilian cuisine, Parma offers visitors an elegant and welcoming historic centre.

The visit begins at the Palazzo della Pilotta, a short walk from the railway station. This imposing architectural complex (free entry every first Sunday of the month) houses the National Gallery – home to works by the greatest artists from Italy and beyond; the Farnese Theatre – one of the most extraordinary theatrical structures of the 17th century; the Palatine Library; the Archaeological Museum and the Bodoni Museum.

From here the itinerary continues to Parma Cathedral, a Romanesque masterpiece, where you can admire the dome frescoed by Correggio, a magnificent perspective work dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. Also inside the Cathedral are Lattanzio Gambara‘s cycle of frescoes along the nave dedicated to the Life of Christ and Benedetto Antelami‘s bas-reliefs dedicated to the Deposition.

Next to the Cathedral, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist, designed by Benedetto Antelami and famous for its octagonal architecture in pink Verona marble, is one of the most important monuments of the transition from Romanesque to early Gothic in Italy.

Then a stop in one of the historic trattorias of the city is a must to taste the typical salami of the area, from the famous Prosciutto di Parma to the precious Culatello, Parmigiano Reggiano, tortelli di erbette or pumpkin tortelli and pesto di cavallo.

Then it is time to go to the station to catch the train to Brescello.

After about half an hour by train and 10 minutes on foot, you reach the centre of Brescello, an Emilian town famous for having been chosen as the setting for all the films about Don Camillo and Peppone.
Brescello has thus become, in the imagination of more than one generation of Italians, the capital of the “small world” described by the writer Giovannino Guareschi, the creator of the two characters.

The Museum of Don Camillo and Peppone, the square with the statues of the two protagonists and the Church of Santa Maria Nascente, which appears in the films with the famous “Speaking Crucifix”, are all worth a visit.

At the end of your visit, you can either take the train to Suzzara, which will take you to Gualtieri in about 20 minutes, or you can hire a bicycle and reach Gualtieri on two wheels.

There are two bike / e-bike rentals in the area:

• doncamilloebikerent.it in Brescello
• riverpassion.it in the nearby village of Boretto

From Brescello, you can cycle to Gualtieri in about half an hour along the cycle path that follows the course of the River Po, part of the Eurovelo 8 Mediterranean Route.

Along the way there are some interesting places to stop, such as the town of Boretto, built on the right bank of the Po.

Already important in Roman times, Boretto still has a well-equipped marina and a lively river tourist port. Cruises on the Motonave Padus and Motonave Stradivari depart from here.
It is also home to the Museum of the Po River and Navigation – a museum of industrial archaeology dedicated to the history of navigation and government on the Po – and the Casa dei Pontieri.

Continuing along the cycle path and approaching Gualtieri, you will also come across interesting natural sites such as the Isola degli Internati and the Oriented Nature Reserve ‘dei Caldaren’.

Finally, by train or bicycle, we reach Gualtieri, a small jewel on the banks of the Po.
From the station, a 10-minute walk will take you to the picturesque square designed by the Ferrara architect Giovan Battista Aleotti and overlooked by Palazzo Bentivoglio, a Renaissance building with valuable frescoes and works of art.

Palazzo Bentivoglio houses the Ligabue Museum, dedicated to Antonio Ligabue, one of the most important painters of the twentieth century and a man with deep ties to the city (the museum is closed until the beginning of 2025 – for further information see museo-ligabue.it).
Palazzo Bentivoglio also houses the Collection of Umberto Tirelli, a famous tailor born in Gualtieri who created some of the most important costumes in the history of cinema and theatre.

Now it is time to retrace the itinerary, either by bike or directly by train to Parma.