If it is true that the dome is architecturally to be understood as the symbol of the sky and the contact point between the earth and the divine, to admire - sometimes even up close - the high altitude frescoes of great artists such as Correggio, Guercino, Pordenone and Lionello Spada, is a real immersion in the pictorial paradises of Emilia along a path close to the sky...
From Piacenza to Parma, up to Reggio Emilia, this itinerary through beautiful cities of art and culture shows the beauty that you can appreciate with your nose up.
The tour begins at Piacenza Cathedral, where the Kronos Museum offers the option—even as a separate ticket—to climb to the dome.
Winding through medieval passageways within the thick walls, spiral staircases, and attics, 160 steps lead to the destination, offering a continuous succession of breathtaking views of both the city and the interior of the church.
The final destination is the masterpiece created between 1626 and 1627 by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino, where visitors can admire up close—as they walk the entire perimeter of the dome—the prophets David, Isaiah, Haggai, Hosea, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Micah, and Jeremiah; the lunettes featuring alternating scenes from the infancy of Jesus—the Annunciation to the Shepherds, the Adoration of the Shepherds, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Flight into Egypt—and eight fascinating Sibyls.
To know
Reservations to climb to the dome of the Cathedral must be made online.
A small Renaissance gem on the edge of the historic center, the Basilica of Santa Maria di Campagna features a dome adorned with a major cycle of frescoes by Giovanni Antonio Sacchi, known as Il Pordenone, who worked there from 1528 to 1539.
The tour winds through the side chapels depicting The Birth of the Virgin, The Adoration of the Magi, The Shepherds at the Manger, The Flight into Egypt, and Stories of St. Catherine of Alexandria, leading to the dome’s complex iconographic program, which depicts themes from the Old and New Testaments. In the central lantern, God the Father dominates the scene as he descends from heaven in flight.
To know
The basilica’s dome is open on weekends. Information and online reservations.
On the second day, the group travels to Parma, where, in the Baptistery, visitors can admire a striking dome divided into sixteen segments, painted in tempera by artists in the Byzantine style.
A tour of the city following in the footsteps of the domes by Antonio Allegri, known as Correggio, can only begin at the Camera di San Paolo, in the private apartment of Giovanna da Piacenza, Abbess of the Benedictine Monastery of San Paolo. Here, in 1519, the painter created—in a completely new and original style that suggests familiarity with Mantegna’s work in Mantua—a pergola from which cherubs and allegorical figures look out.
The dome of the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, painted slightly later, depicts Christ surrounded by the eleven apostles, with the elderly John—the protagonist of the vision—at the base. The depiction of the clouds is a splendid example of Correggio’s skill in rendering figures in foreshortening.
To know
The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist is part of the monastic complex that includes the Convent and the Historic Pharmacy of St. John.
Described by Antonio Raffaello Mengs as “the most beautiful of all those painted before and after him,” the frescoed dome in Parma Cathedral, dating from 1524–1530, located above the high altar, depicts the Assumption of the Virgin in a style that was innovative for its time, breaking through the architectural structure with bold perspectives and foreshortened views that mark the transition between earth and heaven in a whirlwind filled with cherubs, saints, clouds, and light.
Finally, we arrive at the Temple of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara in Reggio Emilia, one of the most artistically significant Marian shrines in Italy and an extraordinary monument to faith erected following a miraculous event.
An elite group of Emilian artists from the first half of the 17th century (1614–1648) contributed to the magnificent pictorial decoration, including Ludovico Carracci, Gian Francesco Barbieri (known as Guercino), Lionello Spada, and Alessandro Tiarini.
Built by Francesco Pacchioni based on a design by Cosimo Paglioni, the imposing dome was frescoed in 1614 by Lionello Spada, a pupil of the Carracci, who drew inspiration from the Old Testament and demonstrated great skill in perspective, especially in his depiction of the angels.
The church also houses the precious altarpiece of the Altar of the City (built at the expense of the Municipality of Reggio, whose coat of arms is prominently displayed at the top), depicting the Crucifixion with the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, St. John the Evangelist, and the patron saint, St. Prospero. Painted between 1624 and 1625, it is undoubtedly Guercino’s most ambitious work upon his return from Rome.
To choose restaurants, producers, lodging, and various services, you can visit the Food & Wine product network on the Destinazione Turistica Emilia website.
