Are you ready for Parmigiano reggiano tour, Vigoleno dessert wine tasting and Coppa and Salame factories visit? And how about visiting the medieval village of Castell’Arquato and the castle of Vigoleno? Stunning scenery and tasty flavors for an experience that abounds in artisanal products!
First things first, even though our destination is the gentle hills in Piacenza, we can not let the chance of savouring Parmigiano Reggiano cheese escape. Exploraemilia Parmigiano Reggiano tour is a guided visit to a dairy, where you will see the production with your own eyes and taste the product itself. A cheesy experience at the flavour of Parmigiano. After this energy charge with the Parmigiano Reggiano tour, let’s deepen our exploration of Piacenza. What better herald that the famous PDO trio: Salame, Pancetta and Coppa. Three classics of the national cured meat tradition, renown for their rich flavours and melting texture. A local cured meat producer visit, a meat lover fantasyland, will have you embraced by mesmerising scents. Now the hills are finally all around us, adorning a picturesque landscape, marked here and there by old monasteries, churches and small villages where time has stopped a long time ago. An emblematic example is Castell’arquato. The visit of Castell’arquato hamlet will introduce you to a majestically preserved piece of medieval architecture. Born as a stronghold, from its towering location nowadays you can enjoy a beautiful view on the surrounding valley. A lush area characterised by grapevines and cereals cultivations. Featured in this visit: the main monuments, such as the Collegiata dell’Assunta and its charming chapels, the main square dominated by the imposing Rocca Viscontea and adjoining garden, the Palazzo del Duca and Podestà, finally, let’s not forget the intricate maze of alleys whose buildings charmingly preserve a medieval atmosphere. After arriving so far a break is due. After the Castell’Arquato visit a delicious lunch will be waiting for you in a family run trattoria, an iconic safe port of this area. The philosophy here is to treasure locally made and homemade products. The adventure is not over yet, let’s resume the journey and get lost in history in Vigoleno. Just a short stop in a postcard-like location. Inside the defensive walls of Vigoleno Castle, you will take a relaxing stroll and admire the main square with the imposing Mastio tower and pop inside the romanesque church dedicated to Saint George. Since the day is coming to an end let’s close the tour with a small gem. After the visit to its castle, a visit to a producer of the renown Vin Santo DOC from Vigoleno, a must for wine lovers, its production and history is tied to a very small plot of land. A passito wine that calls for grapes almost disappeared on the national territory but holding on just here. A nectar for connoisseurs, slowly aged in oak barriques. The Vin Santo di Vigoleno winery selected by Exploraemilia has distinguished itself in several occasions, among these its worth mentioning the prize as fifth best wine of Italy, both in 2018 and 2019, in a competition where more than 500 labels were evaluated.
A long experience might be but every single one of its stops, Parmigiano Reggiano, Castell’arquato, Piacenza’s trio, Vigoleno and its Vin Santo, they all concur on making it an unforgettable one.
– castell’arquato
– vigoleno
