Brescello is located at the confluence of the Enza River into the Po River.
The ancient Roman colony of Brixellum, already inhabited in proto-historic times, was one of the main towns of the Roman Reggio Emilia province. In the 4tg century, St. Ambrogio considered it among the semi-destroyed Italian towns that he visited in “Padania” in full decline. It was a Byzantine military town and soon became a key town of resistance against the Longobards. In the successive battles the town was practically destroyed but revived in the 10th century under Adalberto Atto of Canossa. Then it came under the municipality of Parma, of the Visconti family, the Venetians, the Sforza family and, from 1479, the Este family.
Located in the central square is the Church of S. Maria Maggiore, the statue of Hercules, a work by Sansovino in 1553 and the contemporary statues of Don Camillo (in the Church square) and Peppone (in front of the Town Hall), and the ancient Monastery of San Benedetto (XV century), now a cultural centre, housing the Peppone and Don Camillo Museum.
Brescello is the birthplace of the philosopher Mario Nizzoli and of the librarian Antonio Panizzi (founder of the famous library of the British Museum in London).
In spring and summer it is possible to go on excursions by boat on the Po River and walk along the floodplain bank.
Much of the fame of this town is certainly linked to the film adaptation of the books by the writer Giovannino Guareschi (1908-1968) who made Brescello the town of "Don Camillo and Peppone", the capital of the “mondo piccolo” (small world) described by the writer. All the "Don Camillo e Peppone" films were shot in Brescello: it is possible to visit the "Peppone and Don Camillo” Museum and the “Brescello e Guareschi, il territorio e il cinema” Museum (Brescello and Guareschi, the territory and the cinema Museum), as well as the "Archaeological Museum", where a rich and significant archaeological collection of findings discovered in the area of ancient Brixellum are kept.
The “Spongata”, a Christmas dessert with a soft solidity and a spiced taste, was created in Brescello. It is said that it was created in the Benedictine monastery in 1480 (Spongata di Berselo).
Brescello Film Festival - June
Films and documentaries, productions describing the Italian province, conferences.
Festival of San Genesio Festival - August
Stalls and musical performances.
