A two-day itinerary by bicycle, among nature, castles and vineyards.
From the city of Piacenza you arrive along the banks of the Po river and pedal between fields to the church known as the Church of the Appestati, cross the bridge over the Trebbia (S. Nicolò) and continue to Calendasco, where you meet the first castle and cross the Via Francigena.
Then you pass through Santimento, where the ancient Scotti castle is still recognizable, and go to Sarmato, a land linked to the legend of San Rocco, where there is a castle open to the public.
The second part of the journey starts from Castel San Giovanni and heads toward the hills of the Tidone Valley, on provincial roads through vineyards. You touch on Vicobarone, Montalbo, Seminò and Ziano Piacentino: all amazing sites to stop for a tasting.
The starting point is the city of Piacenza, which is well connected to the rest of Emilia, Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont by railroad and highways. From Piazzale Milano you take the bicycle path on the bridge and descend on the right to the banks of the Po river. From here, turn left and begin your journey.
You ride along a bicycle embankment that for a few kilometers crosses the countryside near the city, until you reach the Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine del Suffragio, known as the Church of the Appestati (Plague Victims). In this area the victims of the 17th-century plague narrated by Manzoni were buried.
Deconsecrated and desecrated by Satanists, it was readmitted to worship with the protection of the Knights Templar. Before the restoration, the words "666 il diavolo vive qui (the devil dwells here)" stood out on its door.
Next to the building a beautiful little garden and a drinking fountain offer a pleasant moment of rest.
With the bike, you take a southerly direction and arrive on the Via Emilia Pavese. Turn right and continue to the bridge over the Trebbia at San Nicolò. Here a column recalls that it was Duchess Marie Louise of Austria, former wife of Napoleon, who wanted its construction in 1819.
Immediately after the bridge you descend to the right and head north in the direction of Calendasco.
The village hosts a castle whose original fortification seems to date back to the first decades of the year 1000. The castle was owned by the bishop of Piacenza and then by the noble Confalonieri family between the 15th and 16th centuries. Legend says that St. Corrado Confalonieri was born in the castle in 1290.
After the stop in Calendasco, we head toward the town of Masero and follow a stretch of embankment that leads to the Guado di Sigerico in the town of Soprarivo. According to the travel record compiled in 990 by Sigeric, bishop of Canterbury, there was the possibility of fording the great river here.
Even today you will find the pilgrim ferryman who shuttles between Corte Sant'Andrea on the Lombard shore and Soprarivo upon request, welcoming pilgrims traveling along the Via Francigena.
Lunchtime has arrived, you can choose between a picnic, a restaurant or an "agritourismo" (farm holiday house).
Having resumed on two wheels, you head toward Sarmato. Our advice is to pass through Santimento, a small town with the inevitable church and a bit off to the side the castle that belonged to the Scotti family and later passed to the bishop of Piacenza.
Then continue toward the embankment and skirting the Tidone stream take the main road to Sarmato.
A town known for the story of San Rocco, who passed through the plague period here. Here you can visit the castle, now owned by the Zanardi Landi family but probably dating back to the time of the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. A tour can be booked to see the inner halls and the garden.
At the end you head to Castel San Giovanni, where you can find typical food, cinema, theater, disco and a bed!
In the morning you set out for the hills of the Tidone Valley. From the center of Castel San Giovanni you take Strada della Creta and after a few kilometers you begin to see the vineyards. A black-and-white scenario in winter, a cold green landscape during spring, they warm up in summer and blush in late autumn, giving the surroundings ever-changing touches of color.
After about fifty minutes you reach Vicobarone, an excellent stop to visit a winery and to tast Colli Piacentini DOC wines: Gutturnio, Ortrugo and Malvasia are the most popular.
From Vicobarone take the road to Montalbo toward the southeast. Our advice is to go into the narrow streets of the settlement until you find the castle (not accessible to the public): from its vineyards you have a beautiful view of the surroundings!
Retracing your steps, turn right at the fork and take the road that leads to Seminò and then to Ziano Piacentino.
A few minutes away from the town you have a beautiful view of the village lying on the ridge of a hill all planted with vineyards. In fact, two thirds of its territory is planted with vines.
Lunch can be arranged here and then you can head back toward Castel San Giovanni and return home.
