April 25, 1950. The President of the Republic Luigi Einaudi in person conferred the Resistance Military Value Gold Medal to Reggio Emilia, for its considerable role played during the Italian Liberation War.
It is still possible to admire the traces of this past in places, symbols and artworks in the Reggio Emilia province. From the partisan paths in the Apennines to the street-art works, following this route we will make you relive the salient facts of Italian history.
The itinerary begins in the heart of the city, at Piazza Martiri del 7 Luglio, home to the Monument to the Resistance. Inaugurated on April 25, 1958, this bronze work by sculptor Remo Brioschi depicts the final moments in the lives of a group of victims of Nazifascism.
Just a short walk away, next to the Teatro Municipale Romolo Valli, stands the Sacrario, which lists the names of the Reggian Resistance fighters who gave their lives for the country’s independence. This is a place that invites reflection and remembrance.
To know
The Monument to the Resistance is designed to convey the drama of the victims’ final moments, with figures that appear almost in motion - a detail that makes the work deeply moving and engaging, even decades after its creation.
Continue to Piazza Gioberti, the starting point of the 18th-century Promenade, which connects the historic center to Crostolo Park.
Must-see
Casa Bettola, a self-managed cantoniera house decorated with murals created by Pietro Anceschi and the Guerrilla Spam collective.
Tips
The route continues along the Crostolo Torrent in a northerly direction to the highway entrance. Here, alongside the A1, is the home of the Manfredi brothers, a symbolic place of antifascism, home of the fugitive and base of the Resistance for the young partisans of Reggio Emilia.
In 2020, the large street art work "Partigiano Reggiano" was created on the facade of the house, the result of the collaboration between Fabio Valentini (Neko) and Marco Temperilli (Maik). The work tells the story of the Resistance with colors and images, transforming the facade into a real urban memorial.
We move to the province to discover two beautiful murals by Vera Bugatti that decorate the House in the Park in Correggio. Both take inspiration from the 1997 documentary "Partisans" and sources from the Correggio Anpi archives, telling stories of courage and resistance: a partisan relay girl and an underground print shop.
The small wall is decorated with Clam, while the large wall houses The Fields Turned Upside Down, both works rich in detail and symbolic meaning.
To know
For those who want to discover the hidden meanings and inspirations behind the murals, the verabugatti.it website offers a detailed reading of the works.
Crossing the lowlands of Reggio Emilia, one arrives in Gattatico, home to the institute dedicated to the best-known family of the Italian Resistance. The Cervi farmhouse, now transformed into a museum, tells the story of the postwar period, the peasant movements and Antifascism, through the stories of Papa Cervi and his seven sons.
The tour itinerary, which offers a comprehensive experience between history, memory and local culture, is divided into three main sections:
At the end of the visit of the interior spaces, it is possible to walk through the Cervi farm, now an Agri-environmental Park, where the naturalistic history of the middle Po Valley and the link between man and territory are illustrated.
Useful info
Along the Enza River, between the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia, the stories of women and men who fought for freedom were intertwined, leaving behind fundamental pages of Antifascism and Resistance. To preserve this memory, CAI trail 672 "of Freedom" was created.
In this itinerary we recommend the 4th stage, from Montecchio Emilia to San Polo d'Enza. After visiting the historic center of Montecchio and its medieval castle, continue to Borgo Enza, where the trail begins along the stream to the Laghi della Ninfa, an area dedicated to sport fishing. From here the road becomes paved and leads to the bicycle path that runs along the ring road until it reaches the fortified village of San Polo d'Enza. The route covers about 11 km, with a travel time (excluding stops) of about 3 hours.
To know
CAI trail 672 "della Libertà," which connects Canossa to Brescello by crossing nine municipalities, for a total of 59 km, was created to preserve this memory.
Useful Info
The itinerary ends in the high Reggio Emilia Apennines, a land of Nazi-Fascist clashes and reprisals. Walking the 16 partisan paths, one step after another, one can learn about the history of the Reggio Emilia Resistance and, at the same time, admire the beautiful scenery of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines National Park, now a UNESCO MAB reserve.
Only by returning to the places of these events can one understand the desire for justice that drove the partisans to fight, experiencing the full meaning of this itinerary in the land of Reggio Emilia.
From San Polo d'Enza we head toward Casina, along a route that allows us to admire three of the most beautiful Matildic castles:
From the parking lot of the Casina cemetery, take the asphalt road that climbs toward the castle; at the fork, keep left and, following the CAI 650 and SP 3 signs, the trail descends into the vegetation.
Near the ruins of the Mulino della Grotta, past the footbridge, you meet the memorial stone dedicated to the partisan "Bixio." Continuing on, the trail skirts Mount Faiedolo, passing by old metati (buildings for drying chestnuts), to the Felina memorial stone, the starting point of the 7th trail dedicated to the Women of the Resistance.
To know
The metati along the trail tell the story of peasant life in the past and the relationship between man and the land, interweaving history, nature and partisan memory.
Useful Info
