Torrechiara Castle

Pier Maria Rossi built this between 1448 and 1460 above the Parma valley, four corner towers around a courtyard with three rings of wall, and it works as both fortress and residence. The Camera d'Oro was decorated for Bianca Pellegrini, his lover: the ceiling and walls were set with thousands of small gold-glazed terracotta tiles, most now lost, and Benedetto Bembo frescoed the walls with scenes of the couple and of the Rossi castles across the territory, effectively a map of their holdings. Scenes of Bertolucci's Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981) and of Ladyhawke (1985) were shot here. The hills below produce Parma ham and Colli di Parma wine.

History

Pier Maria de' Rossi built the castle as a fortress and as a home for his mistress, Bianca Pellegrini d'Arluno, who died here around 1480; he retired here in 1482 and died that year, and both are buried in the Oratory of San Nicomede in the north-east tower. The castle was declared a national monument in 1911, and the next year the Italian State bought it and opened it to the public (Wikipedia, Torrechiara Castle).

What to look for

• The Camera d'Oro - a chamber once tiled in gold-glazed terracotta.
• The Bembo frescoes - scenes mapping the Rossi family's castles.
• The four towers - a square plan with three rings of defence.
• The valley view - the Parma hills and the ham cellars below.

When to go

April to October; the castle closes Mondays and keeps reduced winter hours. The surrounding hills are best in autumn during the harvest and ham season.

What to expect

Most of the gold tiling is gone and the chamber's effect must be imagined. Access is by stairs throughout. Opening days are limited outside summer.

Nearby

Parma lies north; Langhirano's ham cellars are close.

Key facts