In this bicycle itinerary you will get to know some beautiful parish churches of the plain, quiet and peaceful places of passage of the ancient Francigena way.
The itinerary is the PR8 route of Pedalart, a ring itinerary 74 km long with a total height difference of about 339m.
For further information you can contact the FIAB Parma association.
Let's start from the Oltretorrente of Parma, a characteristic district of the city, from the Church of Santa Croce small jewel consecrated on August 21, 1222.
This beautiful church houses twelve stone capitals decorated with animals, human and fantastic figures, made at the beginning of the twelfth century by masters already active in the construction site of the Cathedral. They depict biblical scenes, Christian symbols and images of the medieval bestiary.
After about 9 km we arrive at the beautiful Parish church of Sant'Ippolito and San Cassiano in Gaione, on the outskirts of the city.
Mentioned for the first time in 1111, its construction history is very complex, rebuilt in the 11th century, the last restorations date back to 1952.
For the next stop we go to Vicofertile, about 8 km from here. The structure of the Parish church of San Giminiano, with an early medieval layout, was built in 1634 but the origins are early medieval.
Inside there are sculpted capitals and a baptismal font in cipollino.
From the area around Parma we now move to Madregolo, where after about 5 km we can admire the small Parish church of San Martino where we also find the statues that symbolize the pilgrims of the Via Francigena. The church of San Martino, also known as the parish church of Madregolo, is a Roman and Baroque Catholic place of worship located at the end of the road to the Church in Madregolo, fraction of Collecchio, in the province of Parma; The building stands on the edge of the Taro Regional River Park.
From here we have to travel a little further for the next stage, about 26 km, and we reach our last stop, San Secondo parmense.
In the center of the pretty town you can visit the beautiful Rocca dei Rossi, the Coppini Oil Museum and nearby there is the Parish church of San Genesio a Romanesque parish church that we find isolated between fields and canals that reminds us of the atmosphere of its original construction.
From here we can return to Parma passing through Viarolo, Baganzola, along a part of the path dedicated to Guareschi and Verdi.
