Correggio is the most important town after Reggio Emilia, the administrative town.
Already inhabited in Roman and Longobard times, since the XI century the town has been a feudal land of the family from which it takes its name: the Da Correggio family, which competed with the Visconti and Este families between the XIV and XV centuries, also becoming lords of Parma for a short time. The Da Correggio family, after the original feudal grant, got Correggio recognized as a county in 1452 and a town in 1599. Their court attracted poets and intellectuals, such as Ariosto, the Bembo, Aretino, all guests of the counts. The Court of Correggio was very well-known in the Po River Valley at that time and reached its peak with Nicolò Da Correggio (1450-1508), Veronica Gambara (1485-1550) and the painter Antonio Allegri (1489/1494-1534), called "The Correggio". In 1616 Correggio was elevated to the rank of principality. In 1630 Siro, Prince of Correggio, lost his feudal rights to tht, then seized by the Duke of Modena.
Important characters born in Correggio include, among others, the painter Antonio Allegri, the musician Bonifazio Asioli (1769-1832), the sculptress Carmela Adani (1899-1965), the marathon runner Dorando Pietri (1885-1942), the writer Pier Vittorio Tondelli (1955-1991), the flautist Andrea Griminelli (December 13, 1959) and the rocker Luciano Ligabue (March 13, 1960).
The porticoed streets and the evocative views reveal the historical role of the town. Worth seeing in the well-preserved town centre, which contains the districts of Castelvecchio, Borgovecchio and Borgonuovo, are the Correggio Civic Museum containing the masterpiece by Andrea Mantegna, “The Redeemer”, and the cycle of superb tapestries from the Brussels school, the Basilica of San Quirino (XVI century), the monument to Correggio, the Civic Tower, the Church of San Francesco, the Fortress (with remains of the Medieval walls), the Correggio Art Home, documentation centre on Antonio Allegri, Palazzo Cattini (or Clock Palace) and the neoclassical Asioli Theatre, still active.
Palazzo dei Principi, with its refined Renaissance architecture and Ferrara style, in which the work of Biagio Rossetti is visible, is also worth a visit. It also hosts the municipal library, with precious incunabula and editions from the XVI to XVIII centuries.
The Scarpasot of Correggio is a savoury pie that obtained the DeCo mark (denomination of municipal origin) in 2012. It differs from the Erbazzone Reggiano because it is made without pastry (puff or brisée), which makes it even tastier.
The town’s cultural life is focused on the Asioli Theatre seasons, the Correggio Art Home, and the "Giorgio Einaudi" Municipal Library, which also hosts the Pier Vittorio Tondelli Documentation Centre.
San Giuseppe Fair - third weekend of March
Local market with stalls and display of typical gastronomic and craft products.
San Quirino Festival - first weekend of June
Art, exhibitions, performances, food and wine, sport, local market with stalls and display of typical gastronomic and craft products.
San Luca Festival - third weekend of October
Local market with stalls and display of typical gastronomic and craft products.
The traffic limitation zone (ZTL) includes the whole area inside the internal ring road, except for the access passages to Piazza San Quirino and piazza Garibaldi, Via Carlo V, Via Conciapelli and Via Asioli, which are, therefore, excluded from the ZTL. Since November 15, 2014 the ZTL has been divided into areas, so as to limit the possibility of vehicle access to the streets essential for reaching the required destination in the centre.
