THE CASTLE
The Castle of the lover
It is surrounded by hills and covered with vines, it evokes a great fascination among visitors arriving in the «valley of the ham».It’s a castle of rare artistic value, an example of a perfect union between the Middle Age and the Renaissance.
It was the enchanting love alcove created by the noble Pier Maria Rossi in the middle of the 15th century for his lover Bianca Pellegrini. The castle was also the setting for the movie Lady Hawke and the frame of Captain Navarre’s love for his Lady Hawke. Pier Maria Rossi, Count of Berceto and Marquis of San Secondo, is certainly one of the most historic figures of the ‘400, often compared to Lorenzo il Magnifico.
He combines the talents of the brave military leader with those of the fine humanist and intellectual. He loves music, poetry and he knows the astrological, mathematical and architectural sciences. He was probably the architect who designed the manor of Torrechiara.
In Milan, he obtained numerous military successes as captain, first of the Visconti and then of the Sforza family but he also met here his noble beloved Bianca Pellegrini. They’re both young, beautiful, refined but married. But, as was customary in the past, rarely in the realm of nobility, marriage and love coincided. In honour of his beloved Bianca, Pier Maria built two castles: the Roccabianca one, located in the territory of the ‘’lower Parma’’ and the spectacular Castle of Torrechiara, where the two lovers will leave their dazzling love passion until ‘’the end of days’’.
This jewel of military architecture becomes ‘’so powerful and gentle’’ at the same time, harmoniously combining the grandeur of fortified structure to the elegance and refinement of the typical forms of residential structure. The interior of the castle offers to the visitor a multitude of frescoed rooms, including the splendid Golden Chamber, considered as one of the highest pictorial expressions of International Gothic in Italy. The room celebrates the triumph of love of the two young lords but also the prestige of the Rossi’s Family in Parma. The frescoes in the ceiling show the imaginary journey of Bianca, a «pilgrim» for love, who begins to admire the possessions and lands belonging to her beloved Pier Maria Rossi.
This masterpiece attributed to Benedetto Bembo, involves the visitor in a dynamic series of scenes where Bianca walks through hills and creeks while a golden sun shines in the sky.
The lower walls of the room, once completely covered with gold leaf, show today to the visitor wonderful red Terracotta tiles, on which you can admire enchanting symbols such as that of the two hearts of Bianca and Pier Maria, wrapped in an embrace digne et in eternum.
Wonderful and valuable are also the frescoes preserved into the other rooms. Most of these were made by Cesare Baglione and by his school: the hall of Jupiter, the hall of Angels, the hall of Landscapes, the hall of the coat of arms and the magnificent hall of acrobats.
The entire complex, which alternates these precious rooms with other evocative utility rooms, such as kitchens and stables, sites in the ground floor and on the first floor around the elegant “Honour Court”, where shows and events take place during the summer.
The castle is a national monument, protected by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. We recommend a walking tour among the houses of the charming medieval village, that preserves the original constructive plant of the ancient village annexed to the castle.
WHERE
Langhirano – Località Torrechiara
43013 (Parma) Italy
HOW TO VISIT
Admission fee. Payment only by Cash at the ticket office.
Full price: 5,00 Euro
Reduced price: 2,00 Euro (teachers of Italian State schools, young people aged 18 to 25 years old)
Free entrance for disable people, UE CITIZENS under 18.
CONTACTS
For schools groups and large groups it is advisable
to inform in advance the ticket office.
Phone number: +39 0521. 355255